1938 1604 Touring Sedan TRUE SURVIVOR- ALL ORIGINAL- RARE MUSEUM PIECE

  • Price: Ask a price!
  • Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States
  • Condition: Used
  • Make: Packard
  • Model: Super 8
  • SubModel: 1604 Touring Sedan
  • Type: Sedan
  • Doors: 4 Doors
  • Year: 1938
  • Mileage: 1,735
  • VIN: 11132041
  • Color: Black
  • Engine size: I8 5.2L
  • Number of cylinders: 8
  • Fuel: Gasoline
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Interior color: Tan
  • Vehicle Title: Clear

1938 Packard Super 8 1604 Touring Sedan Description

1938 Packard 1604 Super 8

Touring Sedan

Extremely Well Preserved SURVIVOR!!

134” Wheelbase

320cid Straight 8 w/

3 Speed Manual Transmission

2bbl Carb / 130hp!

5 Person Touring Sedan

All Original

3 Owners – Incredible Provenance!!

Previously on Display in a Museum in Northern Ohio!

(1951-1963)

Vin # 1113 – 2041

Motor # 216130 – Original!

CALL TODAY 773-267-2684

We purchased this from what is believed to be only the third owner!

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PPI's WELCOME

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Evolve Motors is pleased to present this gorgeous 1938 Packard, a true original survivor!

If these wheels could talk… I could only imagine the places this Packard has gone or the people it has carried in it’s 78 years on this planet. Let’s start with a quick history lesson on this beautiful old survivor. What we know is that the car was purchased originally in 1938 by an affluent woman. Since we don’t know her name at this point, we’ll just refer to her as “Miss Daisy”. And since Miss Daisy was only planning to be driven in this pristine automobile, she opted to have the jump seats removed for more leg room in the rear passenger area. We do note that the car was also optioned from the factory with a rear speaker out of the accessory catalog (we were told was a rare option) and white-wall tires, a $23.50 option in 1938.

As the story unfolds, we discover that the car was later put into a museum in Northern Ohio, where it sat on display for 12 years from 1951 until 1963.

Here’s where it gets good… In 1963 the museum went belly-up, causing them to liquidate their entire collection. As the Packard was heading to a local auction to be sold to the highest bidder, Charles Millner (Millner’s Cafeteria – Urbana, OH) literally chased the car down and bought it before it went across the auction block. He picked the car up for $600, an all original museum piece.

In 1967 Charles had the local Packard shop rebuild the engine. He noted a high water temperature issue since then. His son, Dave, informed us that he never went through the cooling system to ensure efficiency when he did the rebuild. This story is consistent with the most recent owner. At the time, Charles had his large car collection widdled down to only 3 cars; a ‘35 Ford Phaeton, a Model-T Roadster, and this gorgeous ‘38 Packard Super 8.

In 1998, Charles and Dave sold the car to Wally N. in Chicago. Wally corroborated the high temp story with us, and informed us that he was the one who installed the electric fan and temperature gauge in the driver side glove box. Wally kept the car in a garage here in Chicago for the better part of the last 2 decades, where we discovered it.

*Dave Millner – son of Charles (Millner’s Cafeteria) – Still lives in Urbana where he is a professional photographer. We would like to thank him for giving us such a neat history lesson on this rare old Packard.

Now let’s talk about the incredible condition of this luxury sedan…

First of all, let’s just get this one word out of the way now:

Patina – This car has so much original patina it is unbelievable! I don’t want to mince my words here, I don’t mean patina as in rust, wear and tear, and overall rough condition. I speak of patina as a light age spot, a character mark, or just a sign that the car has been used, and is surviving in original condition. There’s a pretty big difference between a rusty old clock, and a beautifully aged brass bell, and we’d like to keep your mindset in the latter if possible.

The exterior of this large car is an all original time-piece. The body is all original tins with the only repair noted down inside the pocket of the driver’s side side-mount wheel well. Three of the four fender flares were refinished by Wally (previous owner) at his shop, as the paint was obviously worn through and heavily faded in spots. A quality job was done, and he took care not to spray over any original hardware. It’s hard to tell which fenders were refurbished and which are original, but we do note that the left front fender was left in original condition. The car shows incredible checking in the original lacquer paint, especially up the rear roof supports, as noted in the pictures. The paint is nice and consistent throughout, with only a couple light burn spots down to the primer on the rear deck lid. The original chrome bumpers and trim shine like new. Even the chrome grille is nice and straight, and it even opens up at higher temperature to allow air flow to the radiator! The glass lenses on all lights are scratch-free and flawless. The side-mount parts are all intact and in excellent condition. Even the side-mount rear view mirrors have the distinctive Packard logo, giving the car just that much more character. It appears as if the spare tires were never used! The wheel centers appear to be restored, or just in absolutely fantastic original condition. The glass throughout is all in great shape, showing very little sign of aging. The tracks move freely up and down and without slop. Even the rear side vent windows crank open freely, as do the front side vents. All of the seals and gaskets appear original and well preserved. There are absolutely NO RUST HOLES WHATSOEVER! The rockers show normal paint chips and patina from driving and are as solid as can be along with the rest of the original running boards. The final touch was done by the previous owner, Wally, as he painted the white pinstripe red. He says he did it by hand, and he did a high quality job with it. I think it gives it just the right flare, adding to the red centers of the hubcaps and bumper emblems. This car could (and should) easily roll into another museum for another decade and attract just as much attention as it did back in the 60’s, if not, more!

Now that we’ve walked around the outside of this gorgeous time capsule, lets take a moment and appreciate the sound of the nearly 80 year old door, as it opens and closes so crisply, and with no squeaks or creaks. The latches click tight like a suit-case, requiring very little effort to open and close a door that probably weighs more than you! The interior of this car is original, and absolutely unreal. The Mohair floor and door panel material is superbly preserved, as is the broadcloth material on the seating appointments. Again, we note that this car is all original. Take a stroll back in time with all of the art decco door handles, cranks, and visor brackets that are in excellent condition. Mind you, these small accoutrements were only used in the year 1938, so it’s nice to appreciate such timeless originality, that was by far in a league of it’s own. The seat springs are still in their individual sacs and look like new. The seats feel firm and solid, free of sag. We do note some minor separation on the driver’s side seat edge, mainly from entry into and exit out of this large car. The gauges deserve to be a museum exhibit all their own, showing perfect patina and aging throughout, all evenly worn. As we climb into the back seat we’re please to find the rear side shades moved freely and are still in great shape, with just one string undone on the passenger side bottom “guide wire”. The headliner is original and in excellent condition, free from sag, or excess moisture build up. Again, we note that this car was optioned with a rear speaker, which was a rare option for 1938. We’re assuming because “Miss Daisy” was only going to be riding in the back seat, she wanted to have the most enjoyable experience possible, so she paid the extra money to have the speaker factory installed. The best part; normally you open an 80 year old car that’s sat most of it’s life in garages and storage, and you expect to smell that “smell”. We are pleased to announce that this car is “funk-free”, and has no noticeable odors of mold, moisture, or moth balls.

Now that we’ve got you drooling, let’s pick those jaws up off the floor and open the hood. What we’ll find lying between those beefy fender flares, is a well preserved, all original “Straight 8”. This large engine produces an impressive 130hp. Now that may seem a bit light, especially given this Packard’s boisterous size, but remember this was 1938. To have such an amount of power in such a large car was a true sign of prominence in it’s time. This car commands attention, not just with it’s good looks, but with it’s rugged reliability and horsepower left to spare. The motor checked out well, with great compression on all 8 cylinders, along with a nice smooth, rattle free idle. We serviced the car mechanically with a full tune-up, rebuilt carburetor, checked and reset timing, etc. The car runs beautifully, accelerates nicely, and shifts properly. It doesn’t burn oil, and it tracks straight and stops straight. What more could a guy (or gal) want or need in a classic cruiser? The prior owner did add a 12v electric fan and a temperature gauge, as noted in the car’s history.

All in all we were extremely excited about this entire Packard as a whole. To have such a true original time capsule, that’s been so well preserved over the years, is almost unheard of in this day and age. An all original, unrestored, unmolested, museum quality Packard doesn’t just show up on the internet everyday. Take advantage of the opportunity to own this beautiful time-piece today. Call Evolve Motors to hear more!

We are here to answer any questions that you may have. We would love for you to come see the car in person but understand that many of our buyers are out of state or international. Please do not hesitate to call us and have one of our sales representatives do a 'walk around' with you on the phone. It is our goal to do everything we can to make you comfortable with your purchase and to ensure that no questions are left unanswered and that you are 100% satisfied with your purchase.

Please note that we do charge a processing fee for state compliance of $150.00 on all vehicle sales.

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