1937 120 Convertible

OWNED BY JOE AND KATHY HOPKINS

 I received the July 1995 issue of Hemmings Motor News and immediately opened to the Packard section.  I found the following ad:  

PACKARD: 1937 120 conv. coupe, complete, runs well, no rust, single owner, motivated.  John  

I called John and got more information on the car.  He said that his grandmother bought it new from Hitchcock Motors in Santa Barbara , CA , then gave it to his father, and his father gave it to him.  (See accompanying photo taken from the Spring 1971 issue of the “Packards International Magazine.”)  

Wm. Feliz  - the original owner

He said he and the car still live in Santa Barbara .  The car had never been restored and was complete.  Mileage on the odometer was 89,868.  I then asked how motivated he was on his price.  He gave me a figure that sounded reasonable I told him the sale was contingent on my father’s inspection of the car.  The next Thursday, my father and mother drove up to Santa Barbara from Fallbrook , CA and inspected the car.  It was as-advertised so they put $500 down to hold it.  Needless to say, after being in the family all of its life, John was having sellers-remorse.  But he agreed to the sale under the following conditions:  

- during the first 2 years, John has the option of buying the car back for whatever money I have put into it, plus $15 per hour labor, plus $10,000.

- if not purchased during the first 2 years, John has first-right-of-refusal for 10 years.  In other words, if I decide to sell the car, I have to ask him first.  

I agreed to his conditions and now it was up to me to fetch the car.  

On Friday, July 28, 1995, a neighbor of mine and I set off for Santa Barbara with an empty trailer (it was $44 cheaper to rent the trailer two ways vs. one way). On Saturday, July 29, we arrived in Santa Barbara and consummated the deal.  (See accompanying photo.)  The entire trip was uneventful but tiring.  

Ready for the trip from Santa Barbara to Seattle

I waited until September of 1996 to begin a 9-month odyssey to overhaul the engine, chrome plate all of the parts, and getting new paint and upholstery.  (Note: The engine overhaul process was described in detail in the Spring 1997 issue of Packards International Magazine, “Average Joe Overhauls an Engine.”)  Kathy and I decided to keep its original color, Iridium Gray, but opted to change the original gray interior with the Packard optional red interior for that year.  Since the car was now in Washington , we thought a gray interior was too much gray for the northwest.  

It has now been over 11 years since we purchased the car.  We now own it without any worry of John coming back to purchase it from us.  We have taken the car on several September PNR tours and have won several awards at various Concours d’Excellence in both Washington and B.C.