Packard coach/tour bus

[Earl Marischal]

A friend of mine sent me this image. Seems to have been used for tours. Hope it gets restored!

steve

 

[espo]

Looks like the top is open or has some sort of canvas cover. Many state parks used to use this type of vehicle for park tours. 

[Joe Handley]

Wonder how much work it would take to put that on a Cummins Ram chassis...............

[Fabrux]

The Packard chassis is probably beefier...!

[Mark]

Anyone for a top chop?

[David G.]

Oh Wow!

That just has Steampunk Zombie Apocalypse written all over it!

David G.

[thatz4u]

like to have the VIN to trace its' history....

[showrods]

Anyone know the year?  '39 - 41?

This looks like left hand drive.  Was the photo taken in the UK or USA/Canada?

Were vehicles like this; busses; and ambulances built in house or were they subcontracted?

Edited May 7, 2022 by showrods

[Earl Marischal]

Believed to be Stateside. Sorry no other details.

steve

[Earl Marischal]

Found this: http://www.finecars.cc/en/detail/car/366539/index.html

steve

[Tabbysdaddy]

Reminds me of the one from Big Trouble In Little China.

[TarheelRick]

With that cavernous trunk space, if this one was cleaned up it would be great for wine tours (a rather new industry here in NC). Of course, you would probably want to have rubber floor covering; wine 'spew' can be messy on a carpet.

[thatz4u]

 this could be it....

[showrods]

1 hour ago, thatz4u said:

 this could be it....

It's very close - a few differences, but very close.  Great sleuthing!

[Spex84]

I'd say Al nailed it...I counted the snaps along the side of the roof for the canvas top; 22 in each photo.  The only difference I can see is the mirror on the survivor car, and the missing trim rings and hubcaps.  Everything else is the same. The hood-side emblem is obscured in the survivor shots (it's behind the fender marker light). The fender-top indicator lights seem like they're missing in the vintage photo, but they're actually there, just drowned in glare from the sun. Someone painted the headlight rings black at some point.

What a cool rig! I can also imagine it on a stretched modern frame with a diesel and a lift, something kind of like the Red Bull Sugga:

 

 

[Smoke Wagon]

7 hours ago, TarheelRick said:

Of course, you would probably want to have rubber floor covering; wine 'spew' can be messy on a carpet.

In that case, a Checker Aerobus would be the ticket.

[showrods]

10 hours ago, Spex84 said:

I'd say Al nailed it...I counted the snaps along the side of the roof for the canvas top; 22 in each photo.  The only difference I can see is the mirror on the survivor car, and the missing trim rings and hubcaps.  Everything else is the same. The hood-side emblem is obscured in the survivor shots (it's behind the fender marker light). The fender-top indicator lights seem like they're missing in the vintage photo, but they're actually there, just drowned in glare from the sun. Someone painted the headlight rings black at some point.

What a cool rig! I can also imagine it on a stretched modern frame with a diesel and a lift, something kind of like the Red Bull Sugga:

 

 

The 4 horizontal chrome strips on the front and back passenger's side fenders are missing on the survivor as is the front door decal.

In Earl's link, there is a decal on the driver's side door but I can't make it out.  As well, there may or may not be those 4 horizontal chrome strips on the driver's side fenders.  I just can't see them well enough.

 

[Spex84]

2 hours ago, showrods said:

The 4 horizontal chrome strips on the front and back passenger's side fenders are missing on the survivor as is the front door decal.

Agreed, they're missing, but check out how damaged the fenders are...I bet someone removed the strips because they were toast. And if the headlight rings are painted black, that suggests to me that the whole lower half of the car was repainted at some point, possibly covering the door emblem. I still think it's the exact car! Of course, if I'm wrong, that means there were at least 2 examples of this magnificent beast and that would be awesome!

[Ace-Garageguy]

On 5/6/2022 at 2:03 PM, Joe Handley said:

Wonder how much work it would take to put that on a Cummins Ram chassis...............

 

On 5/7/2022 at 8:57 AM, Mark said:

Anyone for a top chop?

How about the world's longest gasser?

[Mark]

World's longest rat rod...Tractor Supply flat black, red rims, whitewalls painted on with roof paint, and more saw blades and rebar than you've ever seen on one vehicle before...

[Rodent]

This is what I see on the door:

Gray Line Smoky Mountain Tours xxx (behind spare tire)

Asheville, NC Knoxville TN

[Brian Austin]

Long vehicles with chopped roofs seldom look right.

Putting an automobile on a modern truck chassis might also cause havoc with proportion.  Modern wheel track will probably be wider than the Packard, messing with the wheel openings, and the relationship of the radiator to the Packard's front end might differ a bit.

Given the vehicle's uniqueness. I'd go with a stock restoration.

[Russell C]

11 hours ago, Brian Austin said:

Long vehicles with chopped roofs seldom look right. ....

Jury might still be out if a chop would work on such a thing .....

[Joe Handley]

In wouldn't chop it, just too long to look right, though if you would take a  450/4500 series 2wd chassis with a long WB might be close, track with being the exception.