Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

Packard Predictor


Harold

Recommended Posts

Each of us has that one car that makes us go nuts. One that you obsess over and drive everybody you know crazy by prattling on about it. For me, that would be Packard's last show car, the Predictor. When I first saw this in a magazine some thirty years ago, I thought it was the coolest thing ever, and I've never lost that feeling.

92.jpg

predic3.jpg

Then Ed asked about the car in my sig and if I'd do a model of it.

After much thought (yeah, right), I figured the best car to start with would be the Revellogram '58 T- Bird. I'd be converting a 1/24 scale car to 1/25, and lo and behold, from the cowl forward it was near perfect. The first order of business was to alter the doors. I made a vertical cut right at the fifth hashmark on the door, and glued that to the body. I then made a vertical cut on the body at the leading edge of the door opening up to the cowl line and glued that to the door.

IMG_1797.jpg

Next up was the first of several overlays made from Evergreen sheet. The lower body is .040, 12mm high which I glued to the 'rocket' along the lower body. Next, .020 was used to fill the Lebaron sweep from the doors forward.

IMG_1796.jpg

Again I used .020 for the overlay which runs front to back and encompasses the beginnings of the Predictor's unique fins. Then there's that .040 piece that will become the new deck area.

IMG_1802.jpg

Edited by Harold
Link to comment
Share on other sites

WOW! YOU ARE THE MAN! That car has always blown me away also but never in my wildest dreams have I thought about building one! BTW, its appeal seems to cut across generations. My teenage daughter thinks it's the coolest thing she's ever seen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last night I got the beginings of the rear deck in place. Armed with a Dremel, a cutoff wheel and some .040 Evergreen, I went at it. The first order of business was to put a 90 degree bend in the plastic. After a bit of hot water and final shaping using a lighter, I got it bent without breaking. Then I grabbed the Dremel and removed the rear deck by cutting along the inside edges of the fins and 1/4 inch behind the interior opening to retain some structural integrity. After tacking it in place with gap filling CA and Zip- Kicker, iran a bead all around the seam on the underside of the car, and gave it another spritz of accelerant. As far as the windshield, I've found myself looking at blister packs, and I think the one from my Mach lll might do the trick- maybe. I'm toying with the idea of using a mid- 60's Corvette for the hood and the basic front of the car (they appear to be similar). Tonight I'll probably get the fins shaped and installed and start slinging some Bondo. Also, thanks to everyone for the words of encouragement.

2670.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Things are still moving slow here in Palmerica, but I've banged out a little more on my Packard. I removed the headlights and grille header, removed the eyebrows from same and glued it to the body.

IMG_1838b.jpg

The lines indicate where I've made lengthwise cuts down the tops of the fenders to form the catwalk between the hood openin and the base of the fender crown, and the leading edge of the T-Bird hood was glued in place.

IMG_2480.jpg

The sprue from the body interior section served as the start of the undercut...

IMG_2477.jpg

pk560307.jpg

and a section the width of the radiator opening was removed and the beginnings of the grille opening were made with an .040 piece of Evergreen. The dome on the hood was made from the cruiser skirts in the '64 Mercury kit (I knew I'd find a use for them :D.) The dome continues into the interior to become the center of the dashboard. The top of the cowl was reworked to mimic the Predictor, and as soon as everything is shaped properly, the hood section and dash sections will be removed.

Edited by Harold
Link to comment
Share on other sites

BTW... has anyone ever told you that you look like the guitar player from Lynryd Skynryd? I don't know his name, but you know... the guy that looks like you!

Thanks, although I've been influenced more by bands like Procol, Gov't Mule and Phish (Warren Haynes and Trey Anastasio have been my newer favorite guitarists for the last couple years).

A friend of mine gave me a set of woodworking riffler files over the weekend, and today I got aggressive and started shaping the incuts on the bodysides. The files work very well- if I can have a day or two to really get at it, I might be giving it its first coats of primer soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Harold- did you know that the Predictor was supposed to have been the origin for the all-new '59 Packards that never were? They'd planned to buy the old '57 Lincoln tooling from Ford to use as the basis, and work some of the Predictor's cues into it, but that deal fell though. Oddly, though, the old Packard body tooling lived on in Russia for many years. I think it was called the Zil or Zaff or something all warm and Commie like that! B)

'Nudder fun fact: In some early literature, this car was identified as the "Projector".

Now I'll just shut my trap and let you get back to work! Long Live Packard! (Metaphorically...)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Harold , you did it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I tell ya ya really did it too! Have you ever thought of having Mr Obsessive show his Cougar me with my G M C L' Universalle van and then you at the same time with your Packard ? I think that would be something unique for the Showcase . Get back to me and lets dissuss the posibilities .

Anyone else ever scratchbuilt or done a Detroit Experimental , lets have a photo show of all of everyones work together . I don't want a contest , this is simply a chance to show off what each one of us has . Ed Shaver

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Harold- did you know that the Predictor was supposed to have been the origin for the all-new '59 Packards that never were? They'd planned to buy the old '57 Lincoln tooling from Ford to use as the basis, and work some of the Predictor's cues into it, but that deal fell though. Oddly, though, the old Packard body tooling lived on in Russia for many years. I think it was called the Zil or Zaff or something all warm and Commie like that! :lol:

'Nudder fun fact: In some early literature, this car was identified as the "Projector".

Now I'll just shut my trap and let you get back to work! Long Live Packard! (Metaphorically...)

Actually, the Predictor was supposed to be a forecast of the '57's, but although investors were impressed with their plans, they looked at Packard's partner, Studebaker, as a giant, money losing millstone (not far off the mark). They built one prototype, Black Bess. Richard Teague said it looked "like it had been built with a ball- peen hammer and a cold soldering iron".

1406.jpg

1405.jpg

Packard20-Black20Bess-1957.jpg

this is a 1/10 scale styling model

blackbess.jpg

Black Bess

1957_Based_on_Lincoln_Premiere.jpg

Here's how the '57 would have looked on the Lincoln body (Bill Schmidt had left Lincoln to become head of Packard styling in '55). This was a last ditch effort to field a Packard for '57, but the deal fell through. After entering into a management contract with Curtiss- Wright in '56, the Packard facilities in Detroit and the engine plant in Utica, Michigan were sold off. Packard lived the next two years as barely disguised Studes.

Edited by Harold
Link to comment
Share on other sites

They built one prototype, Black Bess. Richard Teague said it looked "like it had been built with a ball- peen hammer and a cold soldering iron".

So in other words, it looked like it had been built according to the build standards of the time? :lol:

Thanks for the correction on my foul-up, and the pics! Shame they never actually got built!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's where the tricky stuff begins. I had to add the undercut that runs to just behind the doors, and then drops perpendicular to the ground. After much thought, I grabbed my razor saw and remeoved a strip from front to back, and then shaped everything with my 'raspy rifflers'. Then the fun began- slapping on some Bondo. I then cut a piece of .020 Evergreen to fit in the gap I'd removed. Really, I couldn't think of any other way to get that shape on the sides. Now, I need to flesh out the front of the fenders and make a hood. Then, on to the fins. Here's what I've got so far...

IMG_2529.jpg

IMG_2530.jpg

IMG_2531.jpg

Not a bad looking mockup. All traces of the '58 T- Bird are almost gone, and I might try to rework the 'Bird roof.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last night I got the beginings of the rear deck in place. Armed with a Dremel, a cutoff wheel and some .040 Evergreen, I went at it. The first order of business was to put a 90 degree bend in the plastic. After a bit of hot water and final shaping using a lighter, I got it bent without breaking. Then I grabbed the Dremel and removed the rear deck by cutting along the inside edges of the fins and 1/4 inch behind the interior opening to retain some structural integrity. After tacking it in place with gap filling CA and Zip- Kicker, iran a bead all around the seam on the underside of the car, and gave it another spritz of accelerant. As far as the windshield, I've found myself looking at blister packs, and I think the one from my Mach lll might do the trick- maybe. I'm toying with the idea of using a mid- 60's Corvette for the hood and the basic front of the car (they appear to be similar). Tonight I'll probably get the fins shaped and installed and start slinging some Bondo. Also, thanks to everyone for the words of encouragement.

2670.jpg

Ya know, those tailight housings have a bit of 1958 Plymouth to them IMHO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oddly, though, the old Packard body tooling lived on in Russia for many years. I think it was called the Zil or Zaff or something all warm and Commie like that! ;)

The ZIL was even more Packard than the Chaika (The Chaika looks like the love child of a Packard and a Checker to me). The ZIL is what the commie bigshots used as a limo for many years. Here's a couple of pics:

z111.jpg

z111vr.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...