1938 Eight 1601 Richards 120

Car information

Richards 1601 Packard Eight Touring Sedan the “Hot Rod”

This 1938 Packard Richards ( South Australia) 120 was an absolute derelict. I purchased the vehicle (actually 2 vehicles ) for $600 and spent another $10K on the restoration. The leather upholstery was the most significant expense. The original 282 was not restorable so I fitted a 1954 327 bored out to 340 Cu inch. The comp was raised to 9 to 1 and I fitted a Holly 600 CFM to aid breathing and an R6 overdrive to give longer legs. There is no muffler, just a “hot Dog”. I must confess that I have seen 190kph on the GPs under favourable conditions. I don’t do this speeding crap any more as the “Federales” do not have a sense of humour.