The new Packard Hawk modified battery hold-downs are great

Posted By on November 11, 2020

Tweak by tweak I’m staring to enjoy working on my dad’s Packard Hawk. For the past five years I’ve been unmotivated or shy about calling the car that was my dad’s and before that his uncle’s, mine, … but as the list of non-working repairs and fixes grows, I’m seeing a path to making it mine.

PackardBatteryHoldDown201106

After sending the car out to have the transmission fixed, I started listing the things I’ll need to do in order to make a car older than me safe to drive … either for me or for someone else’s classic car garage. Some of the items are going to be bigger than others, but after replacing the battery, I realized just how “janky” my dad’s battery clamps were… so reworked it (they were obviously not original). I’m pleased with the new turnbuckle set-up and steel hold down strap painted and wrapped with heat shrink electrical tubing. (I was paranoid that the metal strap would touch both the negative and positive terminals, besides it looks appropriate)

Also, after watching the sparks after starting it up last week, I ordered new plugs and Studebaker ignition wires. They should be here this weekend.

Comments

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
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