Posted on 09/18/2012 6:20:58 AM PDT by JoeProBono
CANTON, Ohio, - A 102-year-old woman who brought her 1930 Packard 740 Roadster to an Ohio car show said she still changes her own oil and spark plugs.
Margaret Dunning of Plymouth, Mich., said at the 18th annual Glenmoor Gathering of Significant Automobiles at Glenmoor Country Club in Canton the car was in rough shape when she bought it in 1949 but it has since been restored with four upholstery jobs and 22 coats of hand-rubbed lacquer, the Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal reported Monday.
Dunning said she still often finds herself crawling under the car, which was the first vehicle to ever receive a 100-point score by the Classic Car Club of America, with a funnel and an oil pan.
"I love the old cars," she said. "I love the smell of gasoline. It runs in my veins."
"The lines of a Packard car are very artistic as far as I'm concerned. My family drove Packards, and I was very proud of the fact. I guess I got indoctrinated," she said.
Dunning, who has been driving since she was 8 years old and was about 20 when her Packard rolled off the assembly line, said motoring in her everyday car, a 2003 Cadillac, sometimes gets her in trouble for speeding.
"I have lead in my feet," she quipped. "It disturbs the policemen very badly, but it doesn't bother me at all."
59 seconds. I owe you a Coke.
Well, my husband has seen a ticket, or two, in his 2003 Cadillac. Those caars can get away from you because they are so quiet and smooth. It idles at 40mph. LOL.
Remarkable lady. The first thing my husband said was “That car doesn’t have power steering.” I though my mother was something because we got her to give up her car at 99, but Margaret Dunning is something else!
My folks owned an especially ugly ‘49 Packard when we were stationed in Japan in the mid 1950s. Most roads outside the cities were unpaved and it took a tank like the Packard to survive any kind of countryside travel.
One day in May (May 1st) the Packard was parked in front of our house when an anti American demonstration took place. The rioters spotted the Packard and with great effort, flipped the massive sedan over on its top and set it on fire.
Dad was out of town that day but when he returned, he walked right past the big scorch mark on the pavement (and ignored the hammer and sickle painted on our front door) and his first words were, “What the hell happened to the Packard?”
That was the Rolls-Royce aircraft engine.That engine made the P-51 Mustang the premier fighter of WWII!
My grandfather always bought used Packards (pre WWII) for his teen-aged sons to drive because he said he “wanted people to see them coming!”
The rumble seat is open.
They would probably get it wrong. What were those horrible retro cars of the 70's, Excelsiors? All the proportions were wrong.
Old car bodies used to sit on top of the frame rails. Hot rodders would "channel" them to lower the body between the rails. Now, all new cars are effectively channeled in their unibodies.
You'd probably have to build the replica car on a truck chassis to get it to look right at all, and it probably wouldn't pass any of the regulations.
Best scenario, save an old car.
Yes,she could drive to her death panel meeting in style!
Bless her heart. Neat lady. Is she still available?
In one of the shots, you can see the ole' gal has pretty good arm muscles. And I say that with utmost respect and admiration.
It is called a rumble seat. Commonly used to transport your mother-in-law or children you don’t want to listen to. It is an antiquated concept since people bring their kids everywhere with them these days.
Indeed! But, I’m a lot younger; and I couldn’t heft a big car around without power steering! My mom, at 99, is in pretty good shape, despite her recently broken leg, but this woman looks like she’s 75 — not 102.
Disregarding the remarkable Margaret Dunning — that is one gorgeous car. No wonder she babies it.
Do you mean the Excaliber?
Whoa! Nice curves.
Leni
Yeah, that's probably it.
I believe “that red thing” is the rumble seat.
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