On April 19, 2002 I bought this car from Larry Sinclair in North Vancouver , BC .  He provided me with some information about it’s history.  Originally delivered in Vancouver by the dealer, Consolidated Motor Co. Ltd., on May 10, 1940, this 120 model was a standard rather than a deluxe, which was available at somewhat higher cost.  It came equipped with a factory radio, heater, and locking gas cap.  The last is a neat little accessory which came with the Packard logo on it.  Some 20,281 four door sedans of the 120 model were produced by Packard by the end of the production run in October, 1940.  This example has a serial number somewhat more than 6,000.  The only other Packard with a greater production total was the four door 110.

Afterward, the car remained in the Field family for many years and was repainted in 1961 with a flashy blue Duco color, which was not an original option.  Originally it was painted in a dark blue-black, Confederation Blue, which was a standard option and a color, if somber, found on many 1930s cars, including Ford.

The fellow I bought the car from owned this original car by the 1980s.  He had a replacement clutch disc and pressure plate installed in August, 1986.  In September,1989 a gasket overhaul kit replaced the original, and the cylinder head was resurfaced.  In March, 1994 wool broadcloth was ordered from Le Baron Bonney and the door panels were replaced with this material, which is very close to the original.  New carpets also were installed.  New whitewall tires came in May, 1995.  A rebuilt water pump came as well at the same time.

When I bought the car in 2002, the exterior was in good shape, with newly rechromed bumpers.  The engine ran unevenly as I noticed when driving through Vancouver traffic to get to the ferry for return to Sidney .  Every once and a while the engine suffered an attack of flatulence, so my journey was punctuated by embarrassing back fires.  Once in Sidney , I used eBay to locate some better hub caps and parts for a flying lady hood ornament.  Some of the parts for these projects came from Dave Moe.  I obtained reproduction lenses for the parking lights as well.

Unfortunately, the engine began to manifest serious problems.  I could not find any cylinder oil pressure even though the gauge showed normal.  Not heeding this warning sign, I neglected to address this problem.  Instead, I had the rest of the interior of the car reupholstered in Victoria , using the material which came with the car.

Finally, the engine became so weak that, although it ran smoothly, it could not move the car in and out of the garage.  At this point I contacted Gary Russell and Mike Carr.  They exercised their skills to rebuild the engine and to install an overdrive.  Several friends from the Victoria antique car club helped in getting the engine in and out.  Finally, I had a car that worked well and was a joy to drive.

As you can see, this was an original car pampered all its life in garages and rarely driven.  Even so, it required considerable repairs to make it roadworthy .  My Packard 120 is a rare survivor and elegant transportation.

Hugh Johnson