1930 740 Packard

[BodybyFisher]

This link may not last long, its from the New York Times, but its an interesting story

She loves Revving the engine, likes horsepower and the sound of the exhaust!

http://graphics8.nyt...layerType=embed

[Cadillac Jim]

My goodness. This lady is an enthusiast like us. I found a link that gives a lot of information about the 1930 Packard 740:

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z11922/Packard-740-Custom-Eight.aspx

It's a roadster with a rumble seat, worth over $100K in the condition shown in the video. The straight-eight has 384 cubic inches and is rated at 106 horsepower. But, the car weighs 4500 pounds!

I've wanted a car like my first car, a 1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe, a two-door sedan, but I figured that if I ever restored one it would have a 502 big-block or some such in it with chassis to match, and handling, too. Seeing something like this makes me remember that the original engine was really just fine, and more than a match for performance for most cars when I drove it, in the mid 1950's. I learned my first engine tuning tricks with that car.

[WarrenJ]

I wonder what kind of upper body strength it takes to steer that thing around town. I wonder if I'll have ANY upper body strength in the unlikely event I make it to 101!

Great story.

[Cadillac Jim]

The steering wheel is enormous, and the tires are not large. If it doesn't have a lot of caster, it should be easy to steer while moving, and not too difficult to turn the wheels while stopped on pavement.

My 1966 Corvette with 427 cid big block did not have power steering. That was common with Corvettes back then because the power steering used then could not keep up with rapid maneuvering. The guys that did have power steering couldn't compete in gymkhanas because once the steering wheel speed maxed out the pump capacity you were fighting the resistance of the hydraulic piston, and I never knew anyone who could move it faster than the power steering pump could.

The big block weighs 221 pounds more than the small block, so the famous 50-50 weight distribution of the Sting Ray was shifted a bit (I don't recall how much but at 3400 pounds curb weight it wasn't too much). I once weighed mine with half a 36.5-gallon tank of gas and me and it was 3600 pounds, so it had almost 2000 pounds on the front wheels. The steering wheel was small and teakwood. I had the steering on the fast setting (along with the shifter and clutch) and had the off-road suspension (not available as delivered). Tires were Michelin X. I don't remember the size but the rims were the factory aluminum wheels with knock-off hubs, which were 6" rims on 15" diameter wheels (I used 1967 Corvette wheels with 7" rims and different Michelins for gymkhanas and hill climbs).

This car was easy to steer, even with the 7" rims on, and turning the wheel when the car was stopped was no problem. The only problem I had was a sore metatarsal arch in my left foot until I got used to the very stiff short-throw clutch. My friends said that my neck got thicker the longer I drove that car, apparently from the g-forces on cornering, which I loved.

Remember, this 1930 Packard roadster was a luxury car. It was engineered to be easy and fun to drive. That 101-year-old lady isn't small but she doesn't look like she works out with weights, though. No bowflex in the basement, I would wager.