A Little Side Project

Date: July 18, 2023Author: Automotive American 7 Comments

7 thoughts on “A Little Side Project”

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Rubens Junior – Passionate about classic cars, motorcycles, airplanes, and watches.

Rubens Junior says:

July 18, 2023 at 7:08 pm

This is pretty cool! I would clean the rust and keep the patina.

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1. Automotive American – Classic Cars, Americana, History, Internet Broadcasting & Podcasting
  
  Automotive American says:
  
  July 19, 2023 at 9:13 am
  
  Agreed, looking like it’s patina with a bit of clear coat 😀
  
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Bill McCoskey – I was born with a greasy wrench in my mouth instead of that silver spoon. My parents and their friends all said I could tell them make, model and even year of most cars by the time I was 5. I bought my first car [1948 Packard] at age 14, and by the time I had a driver's license, I had 2 more Packards. My education was electrical and electronics engineering, but also having ADHD, I realized it just wasn't going to be a good idea to sit behind a desk 5 days a week. After school, The US Army decided to draft me, sending me to mechanics school. On arrival in Central Germany, I discovered the attraction to rare and unusual European cars. Once back in the USA, I started my own antique car business, and I've owned, bought and sold over 1,500 vehicles to date. My interests tends to run towards the rare and unusual, 1930s thru 1970s. Auto Union SP1000 to Tatra V8, Studebaker Golden Hawk to Rolls-Royce Cloud I, 1938 Ford convertible sedan to 1959 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, my tastes are pretty eclectic and wide ranging. My profile photo is me behind the wheel of the 1956 Packard Predictor, at the National Studebaker Museum.

Bill McCoskey says:

July 18, 2023 at 10:46 pm

I used to attend the Beaulieu Autojumble back in the 1980s, and was finding nice original 2 gallon petrol cans for sale from 1 PS to 5 PS, with the original brass caps. I used to buy mostly ESSO and Shell cans to bring back to the US, because most Americans wanted those brands. I would generally buy special cans like Shell Aero Petrol for my own collection.

About 1985 I had to go identify a big box of empty petrol cans at US Customs at Dulles Airport. As a result, I quickly learned to put each can in a plastic bag, sealing them tight. Seems a sensor for various possible explosives had been set off by the package, because one or more cans had tiny rust holes in the bottom.

I assume you know that when first used, your ESSO cans would have had brass caps with the oval ESSO emblem cast into them. I understand that caps with brand logos are getting harder to find now.

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1. Automotive American – Classic Cars, Americana, History, Internet Broadcasting & Podcasting
  
  Automotive American says:
  
  July 19, 2023 at 10:14 am
  
  Hi Bill
  
  Great story as always, I attend Beaulieu as it’s not too far from where I live. However as you know you pay a premium much as you do at places like Hershey and Carlisle. Luckily the cans are still quite plentiful and cheap in this kind of condition. This one has the unmarked brass cap, but as you say the logo caps are scarce.
  
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Bill McCoskey – I was born with a greasy wrench in my mouth instead of that silver spoon. My parents and their friends all said I could tell them make, model and even year of most cars by the time I was 5. I bought my first car [1948 Packard] at age 14, and by the time I had a driver's license, I had 2 more Packards. My education was electrical and electronics engineering, but also having ADHD, I realized it just wasn't going to be a good idea to sit behind a desk 5 days a week. After school, The US Army decided to draft me, sending me to mechanics school. On arrival in Central Germany, I discovered the attraction to rare and unusual European cars. Once back in the USA, I started my own antique car business, and I've owned, bought and sold over 1,500 vehicles to date. My interests tends to run towards the rare and unusual, 1930s thru 1970s. Auto Union SP1000 to Tatra V8, Studebaker Golden Hawk to Rolls-Royce Cloud I, 1938 Ford convertible sedan to 1959 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, my tastes are pretty eclectic and wide ranging. My profile photo is me behind the wheel of the 1956 Packard Predictor, at the National Studebaker Museum.

Bill McCoskey says:

July 19, 2023 at 6:55 pm

Yes, I know there is a premium to be paid at all the larger events, but coming from North America, I didn’t have the option of hitting the smaller events very often. For many years I was one of the Vendors at Carlisle spring & fall, with 3 spaces in building T, also at Hershey, and for about 10 years I was a regular vendor at Beaulieu [being a vendor gave me access on Fridays!]

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Bill McCoskey – I was born with a greasy wrench in my mouth instead of that silver spoon. My parents and their friends all said I could tell them make, model and even year of most cars by the time I was 5. I bought my first car [1948 Packard] at age 14, and by the time I had a driver's license, I had 2 more Packards. My education was electrical and electronics engineering, but also having ADHD, I realized it just wasn't going to be a good idea to sit behind a desk 5 days a week. After school, The US Army decided to draft me, sending me to mechanics school. On arrival in Central Germany, I discovered the attraction to rare and unusual European cars. Once back in the USA, I started my own antique car business, and I've owned, bought and sold over 1,500 vehicles to date. My interests tends to run towards the rare and unusual, 1930s thru 1970s. Auto Union SP1000 to Tatra V8, Studebaker Golden Hawk to Rolls-Royce Cloud I, 1938 Ford convertible sedan to 1959 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, my tastes are pretty eclectic and wide ranging. My profile photo is me behind the wheel of the 1956 Packard Predictor, at the National Studebaker Museum.

Bill McCoskey says:

July 19, 2023 at 6:56 pm

Do you know the tiny town of Michelmersh, on the road between Romney & Stockbridge? I ask because while driving south on the road, on the way to the Autojumble, I was stuck behind a slow tractor and noticed a shed on the left, very near the road. I could barely see the front of a 1948 Packard. I stopped and walked over to the fence and could see a Packard Super 7-passenger limousine, with RHD. I checked with the house nearby, but it was in poor condition & appeared no one was living there. When I returned the next year [1992 ?] the shed, car, and house were no longer there.

Years later I found info about the US Embassy in London having a pair of 1948 Packard Super limousines, both with RHD. The cars are very rare, even in America, and I figure the car I saw was likely a former Embassy car. I’ve always wondered what happened to the Packard. Feel free to contact me by email using my name [without the blank space] at aol.com

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1. Automotive American – Classic Cars, Americana, History, Internet Broadcasting & Podcasting
  
  Automotive American says:
  
  July 23, 2023 at 4:28 pm
  
  Thanks Bill, will
  
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