was able to make a trip back home this past weekend and got the a/v vents connected. Initially the adaptors I designed used a 4" duct tube, but there was not enough room behind the dash board so I changed it to 3" and got both sides hooked up. Now it was only in the mid 70's when I was driving around but the thermometer I used said the outlet temps were hovering around 48-45 degrees. Not bad!!

however I dont know if I will have enough volume of air moving to make that interior feel cold during the summers. The door seals are kind of worthless in some areas ( you can see daylight coming through), but I installed the new ones where the old ones were. Could be a door alignment issue, but for now I am pretty happy with how everything is performing.

Ok ..I polarized generator at the regulator batt to field for quick spark…then disconnect the Field terminal on the generator leaving the ARM and GRD wires attached…I then clipped a ground wire from FLD to a good ground on frame with NO change at all in voltage reading ..when idling I’m at 6.1 volts…if I did this correctly am I to assume the generator is no good?

I looked up the generator 4801 before I got regulator so I should be good…I will double check after doing gen test

Thank you again everyone. My bad on the plumbers teflon tape, I meant Blue Monster PTFE resin thread seal tape. But I will go with new copper crush 5/8" ID x 7/8" OD copper crush washers. Stay tuned.

It sounds like your accelerator pump is not doing its job adequately. If your metering rods (if present) are adjusted a little too lean, it could contribute to the problem. A vacuum leak anywhere could also contribute to it, But the accelerator pump function and adjustment is the most likely problem. The engine should respond readily to the throttle.
Another possible contributor is a choke set too lean, or a stuck or missing manifold heat valve. Those 2 issues usually diminish when the engine is fully warmed up.

You will need to set your base timing with the idle down in the 400-450 range. Otherwise, the centrifugal advance inside the distributor begins to kick in and you will get a false reading. I just had in a 52 with the idle set way high. When I got that cranked down it turned out the timing was about 8 degrees retarded which explained the overheating and poopy performance.

At low idle the carb is so constructed that the vac advance receives no vacuum and thus does nothing. I usually don't bother to disconnect them when checking timing --I just make certain the idle is good and slow--and there is no need at all to plug anything.

A short observation will show if everything is basically correct: while using your timing light slowly give gas. In very short order, the vac advance will kick in and the timing will jump. Give more gas and the timing will slowly increase with speed as the centrifugal advance does its job. Then snap the throttle shut and the timing will instantly jump way back as the vac advance goes out of the picture. Then as the engine slows to an idle the timing will return to base.

The sides and floor were flocked. Which usually wore after the first suit case was put in the trunk.

The bulkhead is just the fiber board divider.

There was no carpet in the trunk.

The trunk lid had a tar paper like insulation that was sandwiched between the inner structure and outer skin during construction and was then painted as a whole.

Come on Joe, do you think an owner showing off his new Packard to the neighbors would have accepted a car that could not take wide open throttle? The thing would have been back at the dealer with a loud complaint the next morning.

If it does it the instant you quickly give full gas, then likely the accelerator pump is not doing its job.

If it does it after a couple moments of full gas accel, then the fuel pump is not keeping up.

What happens if you give full gas at say 20 mph?

Right Don, I only applied my might to the rotational ends of the drive bar thingy. I was only swinging the hammer up and down, no side-to-side hammering. When I re-assemble everything I will have to check the side to side end-play and shim accordingly. I wasn't planning on doing anything with the preload on the differential.

Does anyone have a picture of a how a 53 Cavalier trunk was finished at the factory?

I believe the inside of the fenders and wheel tubs were flocked.

The parts book list right, left & center "Insulation-Trunk compartment floor" and right & left "Lining-Trunk compartment floor", but I don't know what these look like.

I have the original "vinyl" mats that go on the flat areas on the left and right of the spare. Was there another mat, or carpet, that went on top of this, or maybe this went on top of something else?

Also I'm not sure what went on the hump over the rear axle??

Did the trunk have carpet at all?

Did anything go on the bulkhead, or did just the wood show?

Let me know what you know! TIA