(you have thrown it out there that you aren't concerned about originality)
It's not so much that I'm not concerned with originality as it is that a lot of the parts for this car are missing and since I want to build a "driver", I'm more interested in the creature comforts.

(What's wrong with the wiring harness? '55-'56 Packards have a plastic insulation wiring harness and I've yet to see one on a functional car (not a junkyard car or left outdoors for 40 years to rot) that had a bad wiring harness.)
My harness has hardened and a number of the circuits show high resistance when measured with a VOM. This would lead to reduced power to the circuit and would ultimately cause long term problems.

(The torsion level compensator box will have to be gutted and fitted with new relays so that the box sends out a hot (+)12V when leveling is called for)
I spent a few minutes looking over the wiring diagram for the torsion system and it appears that the conversion should be pretty straightforward. Unless I'm wrong, the relays should not care if it is positive or negative ground since they only rely on a completed circuit to activate the coils, so they could just be wired in the opposite direction. Same with the limit switches. My concern would be the compensator motor since I'm not sure what happens to make it run in a reverse direction. If it just applies a reverse polarity to the same windings, then reversing the wiring on the motor should take care of that as well.


(You are pretty much going to have to use a stock starter, I don't know of any replacements in the Summit catalog. The '56 starter is negative ground, so it sounds like you had a happy accident with that.)
Agreed. It is big and heavy though!! ;^)

If you are able to clear up the issue regarding the TL motor reversing, I would be very appreciative.

Thanks,
John

Hello All,
New to this site, but have had my Packard for about a year, and am really just starting to get some work done on it. My biggest problem is that the car was disassembled when I purchased it and I am now up against the wall on a major decision. The vehicle is a 55 Constellation and has the 352 ci V8, but is missing the starter and generator. I purchased a starter a while back and just discovered that it is from a 56, and not a 55. I also need to replace the wiring harness and have decided on one of the EZ 21 circuit harnesses. My plans are to build a driver, not a show car, and to ultimately add AC (I live just outside of New Orleans), and maybe some other power options, so originality is not paramount.
What I'm asking is: Should I just pursue acquiring a stock starter and generator, or should I consider changing over from 12V positive ground to 12V negative ground? What impact on things like torsion level controls and motors, gauges, etc., would be encountered when changing from positive to negative ground?
TIA,
John

Hank,
It looks like you and I are in similar scenarios. I also have a 55 Constellation that I am restoring. Mine, however, was disassembled when I purchased it, and I am in the process of putting all the pieces back together again. Please let me know if you locate an alternate source for the windshield and rear window gaskets. I have heard rumors that the "Tri 5" Chevy windshield gasket is the same as the Packard, but I have not been able to verify that fact. I have a couple of friends with early Chevys (55 and 57) and am waiting for one of them to replace his windshield so I can get the old gasket, intact, to test fit in my Packard.
Please contact me via private messaging if you would like to chat about the rebuild process.
Thanks,
John