The Packard straight-eight was dead by 1954, the Buick Fireball 8 dead a year earlier. That means that the newest engine in ColdWarMotors’ straight-eight showdown challenge is is sixty-five years old. It’s old enough to retire. And that’s one hell of a punchline, considering that both cars involved in this battle of the antiques were parked in the 1960s and left to sit for decades. These are beyond your average revival…these are engines that only have small, dedicated followings and it’s promised that you aren’t going to find parts easily…or at all. That’s why we are paying attention to this build-off…because this is the equivalent of a Master’s examination complete with a practical demonstration. Things don’t work? Make them work. Things broken? Fix it or build another.

Both of these ancient Yank tanks were parked, probably because nobody wanted to deal with the hassle of fixing what was a worthless old car at the time. What’s the difference between then and now? That depends on your viewpoints, but to us we see one of the best ways to start learning about any kind of project: quit complaining, roll up your sleeves and with a bit of common sense and basic knowledge, get in there and just get started. We fully expect to see both engines running at the end of this build-off, we just wonder how well they will actually run! Follow along as the valvetrains on both of these relics of the past get attention: