1939 Packard big block HotRod

Ingemar Åsenlund from Kvissleby Sweden has his own style with his belongings. Original Packard freaks can only look away in disappointment. However in Worldkustoms case we nearly broke our necks as a screaming silver bullet shot past us. Translation Stefan Blautzik

 

1939 packard, the best of the best in the 20’s and 30’s. An American crafted masterpiece that stood head and shoulders over its American cousins and challenged the best luxury brands in the world.

 

 

Ingemar saw the Packard equipped with a  Chevrolet 454 V8 in March 2013 on a network advertisement. He quickly contacted the posting demanding pictures and a better description of the car and just as quickly he got a response back.

“I’m Moving to LA, I’ll get back to you later.”

A month later he tried again. Determined to buy the car all he wanted was some questions answered. Was that too much to ask for? This time the seller responded with the “My camera doesn’t work” story. A story that answers all the wrong questions and yet Ingemar still had the silver Packard on his mind.

Sitting in Ingemar Åsenlund sunroom talking cars, horsepower, and previous cruisings puts me back in my “happy place”. His sunroom sat high over looking a beautiful Swedish landscape.

Ingemar Åsenlund thinking about the fable Packard contacts SFRO to verify what size the brakes the Packard needs to have since the engines been modified. He learns that a hotrod can have only 204 horsepower for every thousand kilos on stock brakes. American’s of course get lucky with little to non regulations but for a Swede trying to bring a car over thats been modified they better do their homework!

 

With a new understanding on import regulations he sends another email.

“Can you please do me a favor and measure the brake diameter?”

Ingemar, followed up with no response and the advertisement taken down was left hopeless.

 

A couple of months go by and Ingemar spots the packard on ebay. Never frustrated or angry he tries his luck again. He sends the same message he did in March over ebays secured email. Shortly after he receives message after message with detailed answers to his regular email. The American had obviously noted that it was the same Swedish  guy asking.

The seller finally gives some details. He apparently bought the car and has only driven 1200 miles on a 454 crate engine. The motor was previously installed in another car that was short lived and only driven 2500 miles, TH700 backed the big block with a Ford 9” in the rear. On top of that, the front end came off a 60’s T-bird and had disc brakes all the way around.

Music to Ingemar’s ears!

Now knowing what he was up against Ingemar excitingly contacts Pontus Billström in Jacksonville Florida and gives him the go ahead to send someone out and run a proper Swedish inspection and get take some real life high megapixel pictures for him to see.

Followed up with a 100 quality pictures, Ingemar now had the Packard at he’s figure tips for inspection.

With a click of a bottom the car was his! Just like that the seller had his money sitting in his account and Billström had shipping back to Florida taken care of. The car then left the States and was imported to Holland by “roll-on roll-off” where the slick transporters avoided the 25 percent Swedish tax fee and got stuck paying a whopping 6 percent! And just like that the car was now making it’s way through Europe to Goteborg Sweden.

It was now November and the cold, dark depressing Swedish winter was upon us. Ignemar excited with his new purchase pays the extra cash for home delivery.  Awaiting the same car he saw in pictures he watched in horror as his Packard rolled off the transporter. Covered in dirt, dust, dents, broken windows, and a dead ignition, the Packard limped out of the transporter.

As Ignemar tells me of the horror he calmly shakes his head. “What kind of cork heads would leave the ignition on.” Resulting in a frozen battery, burnt fuel pump, and a couple other headaches Ignemar had no choice but to tackle one thing at a time.

With two insurance policies to tackle, Ingemar was in for a bumpy road. He gets together pictures and picks out every damage detail and has to cross his figures that Lloyds and the shipping company’s insurance policy’s are understanding.

 

It took months. In the end, he got 4.000 to repair the damage. Ignemar had Sundsvall Custom & Styling in Sundsvall Sweden handle the damage. With the admittedly talented Ulf Kusendahl behind the wrench and spray gun Ingemar and his 39 are now back on track to getting on the road.

The glass and ignition was left for Ignemar to tackle. With a new battery he turned the key to a hell spitting 454. A sound way too loud for this sleek classic. A set of cats and bigger mufflers, Ignemar finally had his dream car.

SFRO came and complained that the brake pedal was sitting on the wrong side of the steering column plus a few other points.

-Good Stuff said Åsenlund as he scribbled down the info to his growing to do list. SFRO complained about the poorly done wiring, incorrectly mounted brakes and a couple other small fixes.

 

When SFRO came back, they had forgotten to bring along the papers “but it was not I,” said Ingemar, that had keept his notes  from witch they checked off the car.

The August 8, 2014 the car finally got a registration inspection. It weighed 1700 kg and the bigblock motors 245 horses passed Swedish inspections with flying colors.

It took a year, summed up Ignemar as his eyes rolled off his car and back to me. He lowered his glasses and offered a ride.

I With the beast back in it’s cage  Ingemar can finally rest knowing his Packards right where it belongs.