Jim Tighe - Deceased 1942 - 2012
March 10, 1964 - April 27 2012
Casey, have you not had any experience with straight-8 Packards? The big hunk of iron is a 359 c.i.d. flathead ( the valves are down in the block, not in the head ) with a 9-main bearing crank. If the top of the hunk is sort of copper colored, the engine still has its orig. Edmonds high compression ( 8.7 to 1 ) aluminum head. If the top looks like the rest of the block, a cast iron head from a 288 or 327 cid engine has replaced the orig. head. There were probs with warping of the alum. head, and the higher compression could also cause hard starting, esp when both weather and motor were hot. The 6 volt positive ground elec. system was also a drawback. A really powerful battery, such as an Optima might be in order here. The 359 is a bored and stroked 327, which is why some of the innards, such as pistons, won't interchange. Production of this engine was quite low, as '54 was a terrible year for Packard sales. Depending on the condition of the engine, a swap for a nice 327 could be done. If the tranny is an Ultramatic, that beast calls for a specialist. I hope yer car has the manual tranny. These very heavy Henneys also developed a reputation for breaking rear axles, tho I am not sure just how common that prob was. Gas mileage was not good, even on the lighter pass. cars. I am not trying to be a nay-sayer here; just telling you a little of what I have learned about these cars over the decades. The build quality of all the '54's was excellent, but over 50 years a lot of deterioration can take place. The doghouse and front compartment is a Briggs product, with double wall construction. Very strong, but rust-prone. Not sure if the Henney sheet metal is also double steel. The brakes don't interchange with stock Packards, either, I seem to recall. Does yer car have 16" wheels? If I have goofed somewhere here, am sure some1 else can correct it. Hope this big car works out well for you.