Re: 1955 Packard Caribbean Convertible
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Thanks for posting photos of the convertible top. This one indeed appears to be a real original! Very nice.
Posted on: 2018/4/1 15:43
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Re: '53 grill modification
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With amber turn signals/parking lights introduced in 1963 for the USA, this might be a good clue. Amber lenses were thought of as "modern" in the early 1960s. They were also a new federal requirement for new cars that year.
Posted on: 2018/4/1 13:45
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Re: '53 grill modification
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Eeeek! Actually Packard had little or nothing to do with the grille modification and other modifications shown on the car in this posting. The car here is what's left of Packard Pan American #1. It was repeatedly morphed and modified and morphed again. The morphing was insisted upon by styling head Ed Macauley and done (somewhat reluctantly) by Creative Industries of Detroit. By this time, Pan Am#1 was carrying a modified 1955 eggcrate grille with a 1955 instrument panel and steering wheel, 1955 senior cathedral tail lights among many other changes. Addendum and just to clarify... while Ed Macauley was Packard's styling head, from 1952-on he was in this position largely in name only. By the time of the 1955 modification on Pan American #1, Macauley was largely persona non grata in Packard management and (as stated by former styling personnel) spent his last time at Packard never venturing into the styling studios (which had been themselves split into two parts-one at Creative Industries of Detroit). It was said that Mr. Macauley spent most of this period sitting alone in his office clipping coupons and reading the Wall Street Journal. A working condition known in Japanese business as "having a window seat" (one gets no official company assignments and sits watching the world go by out of the office window). This situation was revealed in at least two articles in The Packard Cormorant magazine, one entitled "How Now Brown Cow?" It is also important to remember that by the 1955 model year, Pan American #1 was Mr. Macauley's car... not Studebaker-Packard's car. What he did independently with Creative Industries (see the Creative Industries of Detroit book) to that car had absolutely nothing to do with Packard-at least not on any official basis. Also, the photo in the above posting is labeled "1954 Panther" but is actually the 1952 Pan American in its 1955 morphing.
Posted on: 2018/4/1 13:39
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Re: 1955 Packard Caribbean Convertible
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This is a very nice-looking 1955 Caribbean. Two questions immediately arise:
1.) If the top is original, it would be very nice to see detailed photos of the outside and especially the inside(which should be in red color). So many of these cars for sale today claim to have original tops, but almost never are the tops on such cars originals. Of course, the top on this car may be the original, but it would be nice to confirm this with photos. Original exteriors of the 1955 convertible tops were pure white, but the fabric could easily darken over the years both from soiling and age. Again, it would be nice to see photos of a rare original. 2.) For some reason, this Caribbean is hiked up in the rear and dropped down in the front. This just isn't the way it ought to be sitting (body should be level). So... one immediately has to ask...is the Torsion-Level Suspension working or broken? If broken, what is wrong? Of course an upper radiator hose made of flex-hose isn't original, so despite the low miles, this component has been changed. Anyway, thanks for showing and sharing this beautiful Caribbean.
Posted on: 2018/4/1 13:23
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Re: Radiator swap or universal fit recommendations
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I cannot understand why all this is such a difficult matter. There have to be dozens and dozens and dozens of used Packard V8 radiators laying around. These are not Saturn rocket fuel tanks, they're just car radiators.
If a person is on an extreme budget... go buy a used radiator from one of the many people with used Packard parts laying around. Bet Mike up in MN or the fellow in San Diego must have a dozen radiators between them. And weak tanks or no tanks... tanks are just tanks. I was lead engineer for a major car company for 20 years. if a tank is "weak" fix it. Or get another one. If a tank has a hole... solder it or braze it. Or replace it. All this subterfuge of adapting a truck radiators or stories about a local shop that is too lazy or lacking in knowledge to bother re-coring an old radiator are a mystery. Of course if budget is not an issue, get one of the many sources (try going through SEMA or Hemmings or Kanter) out there to simply make a new aluminum radiator up from scratch. There are plenty of people doing this now and all you need are the flow rate, external dimensions and use the old mounting brackets off of an existing Packard radiator. All of this labor-intensive modification is really just plain unnecessary.
Posted on: 2018/3/19 14:38
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Re: Random questions about 51-56's, Ultramatics and A/C
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Hello... as far as I know, the V-8 Packard factory air system was designed jn-house with assistance from at least one Creative Industries engineer and other out-sourced air conditioning engineers. It was intended to be the creme-de-la-creme of factory automotive A/C systems. Also as far as I know.. and according to everyone I interviewed about the factory A/C system for V-8s, "Modern Aire" was a Packard idea and name, not something strictly adapted. It was intended to look and sound cooler (pardon the pun) than the former 1954 "Frigidaire" name ... which, after all, was GM. Now Jim Nance thought that Frigidaire's system was antiquated and ineffective. So. Doesn't "Modern Aire" sound more up to date-at least for a mid-50s mentality??? The logo was just one of several that were trying to call attention to brand-new ideas and systems . Everything had to have a name. There were several such names and logos dreamed up for other things such as the Torsion-Level suspension and other features. But as the money wore down, so did the frivolity.
Posted on: 2018/3/13 18:59
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Re: Random questions about 51-56's, Ultramatics and A/C
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I have ridden in several V8 Packards over the years with functioning factory air conditioning systems. I had two that functioned and one that didn't courtesy of a broken fitting at the base of the firewall. And yes, I've seen Lehigh compressors on all manner of commercial refrigerated equipment and cases. A very sturdy piece...at least for its day. As for the reason Packard didn't stick with Frigidaire, this was simple. Jim Nance knew that rear air systems were absurdly inefficient and he wanted cutting edge stuff only on the new Packards. A nice as Cadillacs were at the time, the rear air system with vents mounted blowing forward over the rear seat (even and especially in the convertible) were ridiculous. Everything about the new V8 Packards was moving to cutting edge technology and state-of-the-art. Frigidaire was hanging onto a system that could be adapted to a bunch of different cars and sold in a fairly standardized package. For instance even the Frigidaire brochure was almost the same for Oldsmobile as it was for Packard. That strategy just didn't pan out for what Packard wanted and frankly, for what the industry ultimately wanted. Only a theater-format (front-to-rear) air system was logical for optimum cooling and for the future. When Packard's V8 factory air system was working, it was magnificent and yes, was fully capable of allowing a modern mix system in the system of cool and hot air... much like systems that followed decades later and even today. As for having one functioning today, the nature of factory air-ANY factory air unit-not just Packard is that the older they get, the less likely they are functioning. Seals go, valves go and charges go. Eventually many people driving these cars give up and quit servicing them. Of course to have one of the V8 Packard factory air units functioning today there are other matters aside from parts. For instance using R-134 rather than R-12 freon and other possible issues. I have installed several V8 factory air units in Packards that did not orgiinally have them and I would not hesitate to install another. As long as one can find the proper parts, this is a very bullet-proof system. And remember, while little Japanese Sanden units may work, they were never designed and engineered to do the kind of duty required to pump a comparatively huge Packard V-8 factory air conditioning system.
Posted on: 2018/3/11 10:13
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Re: LA CLASSIC AUTO SHOW
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From what I can see with bad eyes and the photo cutting off ends of the car, the black car in the photo you asked about appears to be a Cadillac.
Posted on: 2018/3/5 17:41
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Re: Jean Marais' 1955 Caribbean and other French V8 Packards
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Wow! Great information and photo of the film opener. Here is another one for "Packards In Film" fans and listing.
Yes, agree the Caribbean in this film sequence certainly does not appear to be the original factory color scheme of MTV as indicated in the original records. The "M" would have been Dover White on top, which this car obviously is not. Again, if you get to see this Caribbean in the museum, I for one would love to see photos. Thank you very much!
Posted on: 2018/2/23 10:57
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