I know quite a few old Cadillacs and such were cut up to be converted to motorhomes, thanks to their sturdy underpinnings. But this is the first time (I think) I’ve seen an old Packard be sacrificed to this higher calling. Curtis Perry shot this in Goldfield, NV, which apparently has quite a few other things worth of shooting. I’m sure the big Packard straight eight was up to the task.
Here’s a Cadillac of similar vintage:
The Cadillac gave up more of its body for greater living space. But they both have a fondness for blue and white.
Looks like a prop for one of those prestige dramas that are popping up on TV – like “Manhattan”, “Preacher”, etc. I could see this lurking in the background of a scene completely stealing it for us car guys.
I would love to pull into a KOA with a straight face and see the reactions of the other tenants with their fancy pants fold out extension custom Prevost bus rigs costing a couple of hundred big ones!
CC Effect strikes again. Just saw this 1960 Lincoln Camper Conversion in my eBay saved seach feed.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/332378374107?ul_noapp=true
Bidding currently at $549.29 (reserve not met)
Here’s a better (or worse) picture.
This had to be a difficult conversion to make. The 1958-60 Lincolns, unlike their Cadillacs, were unibody, and notoriously flimsy.
The fuel consumption of that Lincoln must be comparable to that of a battleship, but I’ll bet that the battleship handles better.
Who knows, maybe someone found a way to stiffen one of these. 🙂
I’ll take the Packard! The car:camper ratio is the best here, for one thing, and the guy who snores can sleep in the well-padded “basement”! I would imagine that flathead 8 would be awfully hungry, but it’s easily the best-built engine of this lot. This is far and away the prettiest, too!
Well, the Packard got rid of the upside down bathtub look. Looks solid as does the Cadillac, which looks to be on a commercial chassis. Both should be solid comfortable motor homes. The Continental looks to be on a sedan instead of the Landau Hardtop (post butting shell). It also looks as though the rear fender still exists inside the shell, and they left the floor/rocker sections alone. If a tube frame was constructed the shell should be solid enough as long as you don’t drift corners. Saw a ’59 Continental in one of the mags like Mechanix Illustrated years ago (also saw it on TV once) a farmer cut a section out of the car so his horse could walk in the car to dash level, and the horse could drive the car around the farm. In the segment on TV it was moving very slowly, but the horse looked happy.
Where else could I read about a horse driving a car.
Mr. Ed’s agent should have insisted he get a similarly converted Studebaker from that show’s long time sponsor.
Amusing read to kickoff the weekend.
There was an episode with Ed driving a Studebaker stepvan, the kind with the driver seat that would fold out of the way so it could be driven with the driver standing.
Ed was standing when he drove.
The Packard and Lincoln make sense in that driving it would be similar to driving the pre-conversion car, albeit with no rearward visibility and worse handling. The Caddy conversion may be more space-efficient but it’s probably a rather odd driving experience as I can’t imagine the dash survived.
Been awhile since I saw the video, type in horse drives a car, images will show a blue 60 Lincoln with the horse driving. The Cadillac makes sense, Limos and hearses as well as ambulances usually had fixed seats, the dash can be adapted to the flat area and have an adjustable seat for comfort
In the ’60’s and ’70’s there were a fair share of these housecars around. Old Cadillac’s were the most common of the bunch. This Packard is probably one of a kind, especially after all these years.
That poor old Lincoln has been flogged and beaten mercilessly with an ugly stick. It is a great example of natural patina.
Goldfield, Nev. is an interesting place to say the very least .
These photos look to have been taken out side the now privately owned fire house .
That Packard was parked there 10 + years ago the last time I drove through .
The Caddy is a dead ringer for one I saw for sale in Az. twenty years ago ~ I wonder if popping the hood would reveal the original hearse chassis builder’s tag from Kentucky…..
Neat rigs, these .
-Nate
I had a car mag from the seventies that showed one of the Mexican road race Lincoln Capri’s converted to a camper.
The reason it stuck in my mind was I remember the article saying the car was still capable of 100 miles an hour which said to me those Lincoln’s must have been pretty powerful in their day.
As soon as I saw the Packard, I went ‘Goldfield’. I took the same shot back in 2011. I might have a photo of the interior on one of my PCs.
The Packard is a 22nd Series Custom Eight, their top-of-the-line luxury car. If its a 127″ wheelbase, would be the touring sedan. If its 148″ it would have been a long-wheelbase seven passenger sedan or limousine, far rarer at 281 cars.
The engine is the big 356 c.I. nine main bearing unit introduced in the 1940 160 and 180 lines, a marvelous unit. It was built through the 1950 MY.
Any time I see sometime like this I can’t help but remember the bit in Herbie Rides Again involving a Cadillac like this keeping the titular VW on the beach after payment from the villain.
A cousin of mine got a 2 door version of that Packard in the same color as your photo for his high school graduation from his mother. My favorite great-auntie didn’t drive. Cousin Joe had to drive her around. Pretty good deal for a new Packard Custom. I understand the front seats were filled with duck down.
I always wondered if a flat windshield on these was such a good idea?