Peter,

One of my "hobby-vocations" has been running steam locomotives (I actually did an inspection for one of the insurance companies of the Grand Canyon RR in the early 1990's which I think is about 46 driving miles from you). At one operation, we used to coal the engine with a worn-out old Case that had a gasoline engine and hardly any brakes. I also remember one that a plumbing contractor used around my hometown when I was growing up. These two were definitely manufactured as backhoes although I've also seen a couple of gas farm tractors with conversion kits on them. I'll bet that those gas backhoes were probably late 50's or early 60's vintage because I haven't seen a gas one in years.

That Case of yours is a nice unit. You don't need a huge engine when you've got gear reduction and good hydraulics on your side. Case makes a dandy hoe.

You're so right about the economic sense of your Excursion purchase. If I was purchasing an Excursion in today's market, I'd go with the V10 in a heartbeat. I'm now tending to two elderly parents in nursing homes and have had to curtail the old car touring considerably over the past couple of years so I'm not trailering nearly as much as I used to.

Why don't you bring that big 'ol Packard and go with us on this year's Glidden Tour? It's in LaCrosse, WI this year on September 7 - 12th and I think they're accepting 250 pre-WWII cars on this year's tour. There's always a number of nice classics in attendance, and I do mean classics in the literal CCCA sense. It's only about 1750 miles from your ranch.

We always see some really interesting vehicles on the tours. On one Grand Indiana Auto Tour, there was a 1934 Auburn Sedan participating that had an aluminum block sleeved 6 cylinder Cummins diesel in it. Mr. Cummins bought the car new as a frame and body and outfitted it with his own driveline. The Cummins company also acquired a 1938 Cadillac Convertible Sedan that a physician purchased new and immediately took it to Columbus, IN to have the Cummins company remove the V12 and then install a Cummins 6 and a larger fuel tank. They said that he drove it home to Florida with only one refueling stop. The Cummins Company brought the Caddy along on Grand Indiana Auto Tour the following year after they brought the Auburn.

Have you ever run across my good friend Bill Swope from Elizabethtown, KY at any Packard gatherings? We had hopes of attending the Packard Centennial a couple of years ago but we couldn't make it because of other committments. Besides, with everything on my plate right now, our poor old Packard hasn't run in at least 5 years and there really wasn't anything wrong with it when I parked it. Now I'll have to at least get rid of the bad gas in the tank and pressure prime the lubrication system before I attempt to start it again.

You might be interested to know that I've got the only surviving chandelier light fixture that came from the lobby of the Packard administration building on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit and a pay phone booth from one of the main assembly buildings that still has the old porcelain dial phone and the writing on the walls from the Packard employees. I've got pictures of when we acquired them from the facility in the early 1980's. It's rather sad that they finally had to tear down the old plant. There was a lot of fine machinery that came out of there over the years.

Now isn't life better when we play nice?

 

Hi again Bill!

You DARE you ask me to "play nice" ? You have ANY idea how much effort I have made, down thru the years, to get what was in my "jacket" ? ( "jacket" = military term for personnel file...."this guy's mean-spirited vicious arrogant smart a$$ "know-it-all" brutality makes him ideal for the job of Basic Training Instructor for the "discipline platoons"...one look and listen to him, and the recruits KNOW he will TEAR off the head of anyone who disagrees with him, pee down what's LEFT of their spinal cord...then rip out their intestines and EAT Them so the kid can watch himself die...." (and that was when I was in a GOOD mood....!).

Seriously, thank you for your gracious invite to attend the Glidden. I have always wanted to do that. Each year something else gets in the way - wife & I have way too many expensive hobbies for an old guy on a smaller fixed income. Never seem to be able to get done all the fun things I'd like to.

I used to drive the Packard V-12 all over (they are one of the few pre-war cars that can handle any combination of brutal driving conditons at extreme speed) but have gotten paranoid in recent years over the various possibilities of storm damage, road damage, vandalism, etc, so THAT's why I bought the trailer and now have an Excursion.

This year I can't afford to come back east again - i do have one more expensive trip planned coming up this Sept. That is for what we amphibious aircraft owners call a "splash in", at an isolated resort on the north side of Lake Huron. (A "splash in" typically winds up being a combination technical session, flight re-training, beer drinking, and liar's contest - not necessarily in that order).

However, given the dates you noted, it MAY be possible for me to meet you guys for a day, as I will over-fly Wisconsin to get there. Let's keep in touch about this.

I dont know why the name "Bill Swope" rings a faint bell; or where I saw that name in what context - so, nope, can't comment intelligently about your question about that.

P F H

 

If a guy is just trying to get mileage and not concerned w/ towing, going to 3.55 rearends would be cheaper than a GV.