Tony Podloski shares something in common with legendary film star Clark Gable: both owned 1932 Packard Coupe Convertibles.
The big difference is Tony still owns a ‘32 Packard drop top and loves to wheel his big car around to shows in his area.
Jim Sutherland
We caught up with Tony at a car show in a small rural Alberta Canada community. His stylish Packard was parked on the town’s Main Street and caught our attention in a big way because these beautiful cars were not common anywhere in 1932, let alone 94 years later in a prairie town in western Canada.
Tony’s Packard was parked in a row of pre-war cars, and he was in the middle of a crew of like-minded car guys who love vehicles from a bygone era.
We learned very quickly that Tony is a well-liked and ultra-talented car guy who built his ’32 Packard over the course of 6 ½ years. The result is a spectacular car that represents the best of pre-war luxury cars and showcases Tony’s skills.
Tony is a retired welder who used his sizeable talent to fabricate body parts during the project. He told MyStarCollectorCar his Packard convertible “was a sedan to start”. Tony is well-connected in the Packard community and obtained a roadster body so he could build a rare model with a convertible top similar in appearance to the famous Gable Packard.
It was a difficult process that required hand-built body components like the doors and rear fenders. Tony created an English wheel and power hammer combination to help in the process, noted he “had to learn how to mold metal” along the way.
One of the more unusual features on Tony’s Packard is its wooden frame. Tony was able to locate a custom wooden frame builder in the United States, and he created another frame out of ash. It is a very strong wood that could handle the stress of a heavy Packard body on top of it.
The Packard still has its Straight-Eight flathead engine coupled to its original three-speed manual transmission, but Tony added an overdrive unit from a Ford truck to drop the RPMs at higher speeds. The process was easier because the Packard had a split driveshaft, and the front section was a good fit for the overdrive unit.
The net result is a big car from the 1930s can handle higher speeds with ease, according to Tony.
As mentioned, a 1932 Packard was a luxury car sold to people who had plenty of money, so it should be no surprise Tony used leather for his seats when he had a local upholsterer tackle that part of the restoration.
The local guy also built a convertible top for the Packard and was clearly the right choice for Tony.
The ’32 Packard is a slightly different shade of Burgundy Red from the original shade, but Tony noted it is a two-tone paint scheme with a slightly different shade on the fenders.
The headlight covers are a practical touch because Tony likes to drive his Packard and wants to protect its expensive factory headlights from rocks.
It’s a good idea because Tony loves to drive his Packard whenever an opportunity arises-and who can blame him?
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
- CLICK HERE to Sign Up for the Newsletter
- CLICK HERE to Like us on Facebook
- CLICK HERE to Follow us on Twitter
- CLICK HERE to Follow us on Pinterest