eBay Find of the Week: This ‘53 Packard restomod will surprise everyone
Classic car enthusiasts constantly argue about modifying cars. Should you or shouldn’t you? Do updates spoil a historic artifact, or simply make cars more drivable and enjoyable on modern roads?
This week’s eBay find is a “restomod” 1953 Packard Patrician sedan. The appeal here is a stock look with modern performance and upgraded safety features. It is certainly hard to argue against front disc brakes and seatbelts from the perspective of a modern driver. Air conditioning doesn’t hurt either, especially in this car’s home in California’s hot central valley.
The modern Chevrolet crate motor may horrify purists, but it also produces more than twice the original straight-8’s horsepower and weighs less, too. A new 4-speed automatic continues the modern drivability theme. The floor shifter is the only interior modification that is glaringly out of place. Even the modern gauges were well-chosen and integrate into the dash. Skipping oversized billet aluminum wheels is a bonus as well.
As of Tuesday morning, the bidding on this car sits at $10,504 with reserve not yet met. The same car failed to sell recently with a $25,000 buy-it-now price. It seems unlikely that one could reproduce this car for anything close to that amount. Yet, the question remains, do the modifications here increase or diminish this car’s value?
