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Board index » All Posts (Lee)




Re: Tonneau Cover bag
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Leeedy
Hehehehehehehe... okay... touche!

And figured you knew Nat Danas. A very kind soul and knowledgeable man beyond words. He knew the automotive trim biz backwards and forwards.

We corresponded for many years and of course I was a subscriber to his magazine.

We used to have great times over dinner in Las Vegas at the SEMA shows over the years. Guys like that only turn up once or twice in a lifetime. Yes, the industry lost a gem and he will never be replaced.

Thanks for the memories.

Posted on: 2017/3/1 9:57
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Re: Tonneau Cover bag
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Leeedy
RE: the Howard Hughes/Jean Peters Caribbean... Yes, I took that photo and published it back in the 1970s when I wrote the article about the car's discovery for The Packard Cormorant magazine. I thought it was important for everyone to see this rare part that usually got tossed. The fellow who bought the car from the Hughes people was my friend, Stanley Zimmerman who was a member of PAC Earle C. Anthony Packard Club Region in the 1970s. This very Caribbean now resides in Stan's museum... the Automotive Driving Museum. But no-it is not driven with the other cars there.

RE: the Packard Parts Book for 35-41 term "envelope"... One of the oddities of the car biz is that different car companies (or technical writers) sometimes make up their own names for things that have standard terms. And thus defy or drift askew of industry standard terms that both OEMs and aftermarket people know and understand.For instance is you went to a trim shop anytime between say the 1930s and the 1970s and asked for an "envelope" for your convertible, the most likely response would have been... "business size or legal? Manilla or plain?" But in the overall sense of things, "top boot" or "dust boot" is a very commonly used standard trim shop and convertible industry term. It was used throughout North America for most of the golden years of convertibles. "Envelope" is whatever the guy who wrote that Packard parts book decided to call it. Just like some Ford tech writer decided "cigar lighter" was more appropriate than "cigarette lighter." Or a Packard tech writer somewhere decided to use "Cormorant" and somebody else along the way decided "Pelican" was more appropriate... and since the only standard would likely have been "bird," that particular controversy will continue on ad infinitum ...after all of us are long gone.

Anyway, many of North American trimmer's terms were attempted to be defined by the godfather of that industry, my old friend Nat Danas. Many decades ago, Nat wrote the Auto Trimmer's Handbook (yesss, I still have mine) and did his best to keep definitions straight in his automotive industry periodical, Auto Trim News-which was once the bible of the business.

As for a boot storage bag of the late 1930s being like the one used for 1955-56. That's a bit of a stretch since the parameters of the top differed considerably. But I will say that somewhere back in the recesses of my wretched salvaged Packard components tucked away is a top boot back from the early 1950s and one from the 1940s. These (the ones I saved out of old desert cars) were not made of vinyl, but rather of canvas. They appeared original and are the only ones I have ever seen. Saved them back in the 1970s.

And before we end up back on this 3rd aspect... yes, I know "boot" is the term much of the world (particularly Europe) uses to describe what is known as a "trunk" in North America. There was a lively discussion about this terminology of boot vs. tonneau and boot vs. boot in an issue of the Packard Club's Cormorant News Bulletin several issues back. Now... see what ya started? LOL.

Posted on: 2017/3/1 0:23
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Re: Creative Industries of Detroit book
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Leeedy
Thanks to everyone for the kind words. This book contains information and photos never published before. Of course it goes into many other makes of cars and especially reveals a lot on concept dream cars. But it also has a lot on Packard that was previously unknown or never published.

Packard prototypes, history, personalities and concept/dream cars are extensively covered. These include Pan American, Balboa, Panthers, Request and Predictor-all with inside info never published before. I had personal friends who worked on these cars at Creative Industries, so the stories are primarily first-hand.

This is not a self-published book, therefore I have no control over the sales but it is available at most book stores and on Amazon.com. If your local bookseller does not have it, they can order for you. The ISBN number is: 978-1-61325-213-0.

I have made an errata sheet for anyone who has the book since a couple of errors managed to find their way in anyway during the editing process. You can PM me for an errata sheet in PDF form which can be emailed to you.

Attach file:



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Posted on: 2017/2/28 10:35
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Re: Tonneau Cover bag
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Leeedy
Tonneau cover? Or top boot? Some people use these terms interchangeably, although they are two different animals.

I don't recall a factory tonneau cover for 1936 120. Why not take photos of this item and show them here? Let see this tonneau.

Posted on: 2017/2/27 17:07
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Re: Albert Kahn and the Packard plant
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Leeedy
I saved many Kahn architectural booklets and blueprints for the Packard Plant back in the 1970s.

The booklets there would have been tossed out if I had not saved them. There were many, many more I had to leave behind simply because I ran out of space in the vehicle! These are just a few... most are prewar like teens, 1920s, 1930s and some pre and postwar from 1940s. Take a look...

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Posted on: 2017/2/27 14:11
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Re: Albert Kahn and the Packard plant
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Leeedy
And... submitted for your approval... Here is a page from a Progressive Welder Company (predecessor company to Creative Industries of Detroit that did work for Packard). You can see a clear reference to B-29. And this fixture, the welding machines that worked with it and some of the B-29 wing construction itself was done in Detroit.

Also note they were building what car folks today call "rotisserie" fixtures for automotive and truck frames in the 1930s and 1940s!

By the way, both Progressive Welder Company and heir Creative Industries of Detroit were contractors to Boeing.

While the few people who today know of Progressive Welder and Creative Industries think of these companies only in relationship to automobiles, they were involved with lots of aircraft ranging from the B-29 to Sikorsky and Hughes helicopters to BD-5/BD-5J to Boeing 757 / 767, to the almighty B-2 stealth bomber. They did it all!

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Posted on: 2017/2/27 12:37
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SEEKING LOST PAN AMERICAN PACKARDS
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Leeedy
Over many years I have assembled a large amount of information and photos on the Packard Pan American concept cars of the early 1950s. But one thing has continued evade me.

There are two Pan Americans whose whereabouts are unaccounted for today. One car went to Europe in the 1950s. I have photos of it taken there. However, it is unclear as to whether this car ever returned to the USA. There continue to be rumors of a Pan American in Europe. Some claim it is in France. Others say Germany. Still others say it is in a museum, but the museum I contacted claims to have no knowledge whatsoever of a Pan American. So what is fueling all these rumors? Is there a Pan American in Europe? If so... where?

Also there is another Pan American rumored to be in a garage somewhere in the eastern USA. Supposedly this car is disassembled and in parts. Does anyone know who has this car and where it is located?

The big reason why I'm asking about these cars is to complete a full and final history of the Packard Pan American. This history will appear in The Packard Cormorant magazine once completed. Many years of work have gone into this history but these pieces still remain to complete the story.

As you may know, six of these cars were originally built. I have followed most of them since the 1950s, but where are they all today?

Please feel free to respond here or PM me.

Thanks much!

Posted on: 2017/2/25 19:53
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Re: 1955 heater duct clamps?
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Leeedy
While there does not seem to be official mention of clamps in the service literature, over the years I have indeed seen two different types of clamps used on these flex conduits. As to who and where they were installed? Who knows?

Two of my Caribbeans had them and the clamps were (or appeared to be) identical to those used for modern household clothes dryer vents (as from your laundry dryer). These clamps had the appearance of radiator hose clamps on steroids. Larger diameter but easily removed by squeezing the two bent ends together (there is a tool for this but the name escapes me at the moment).

My nearly NOS 1955 Patrician from Los Angeles Earle C. Anthony dealership with extremely low mileage (and yes, I have all of the original papers) came with these clamps.

I have also seen more than one V-8 Packard in SoCal with Aeroquip-Marman screw-type clamps with stainless steel bands.

Again, I'm not saying the factory did these, but somebody (possibly ECA, Inc.) did.

One thing is for certain: you want these flex hoses tight and unperforated since they are supposed to be delivering fresh air to your passenger cabin-not carbon monoxide!

Posted on: 2017/2/16 19:50
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WANTED: 1956 Caribbean convertible
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Leeedy
Wanted: I am looking to replace my 1956 Caribbean convertible that was stolen from my barn in 2001. My car had factory air and wire wheels. While I am sure it is out there somewhere being hidden with the present owner not realizing he or she is awaiting a surprise someday, I have decided to look for another Caribbean to fill the emptiness. Will consider any restorable or good condition Caribbean. PM me if you have or know of a 1956 Caribbean convertible I can buy.

Posted on: 2017/2/11 20:52
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WANTED: 1956 Patrician or Four Hundred, factory air preferred
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Leeedy
WANTED: Looking to buy a 1956 Patrician or Four Hundred. Prefer decent unmolested original (consider cars needing work) and prefer factory air.

Solid dark color on Patrician is a plus. Four Hundred could be 2-tone including Scottish Heather (pink) or solid dark color.

I once saw a solid dark blue 1956 Patrician with factory full leather interior-low mileage unmolested car in Illinois in the 1970s at a PAC National Meet. This car also had factory air. Does this car still exist today?

Send me a PM if you have a car for sale or know of one.

Posted on: 2017/2/11 20:43
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