Making one change can lead you down a slippery slope. Modifying cars is a great example. Say you want to lift your XJ Jeep Cherokee for a little more ground clearance. Once you raise it up about three inches, you realize your tires look a little wimpy, so you upgrade them to chunkier all-terrains. Those changes enable you to take on more challenging trails, which means you need to protect the body of your rig with a brush guard and rock sliders, and on and on and on. Whoever altered our Pick of the Day, a 1949 Packard Eight Station Sedan posted on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Colorado, seems to have made that same rapid descent.
This Station Sedan (which looks an awful lot like a wagon) was recently restored inside and out, according to the seller. The bathtub-like exterior was repainted in the current cream color and accented with fresh chrome and new wood trim on the greenhouse, doors, and rear end. A new set of wide-whitewall tires makes sure this woodie can log miles for years to come.
The cabin also got some attention when the seating was reupholstered with brown vinyl and red, orange, and black plaid fabric inserts, which give this unusual vehicle a bit of an outdoorsy flair. Those colors also coordinate well with the brown dash and door panels, and tan carpeting. An automatic transmission and power steering add convenience to that style.
On the way to the bottom of the slippery slope of alterations, the seller made a major change under hood. Unlike many of its competitors, Packard was slow to offer a V8 of its own, instead carrying on with its straight-eight. That changed in 1955, by which time the Station Sedan had been out of production for five years. Luckily, this ’49 was upgraded with a 425ci V8, albeit one from Cadillac.
Whether you call this 1949 Packard a sedan or a wagon, just know that if you want to call it yours, it’ll take $42,500.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com