What do you know about the fuel tank? Have you pulled the sending unit and looked inside?

Owen Dyneto--the reason I espouse the braided cable is not for the sake of authenticity, but for the superior current carring ability that a braided ground offers over most round cables. You would need double or triple "ot" fine-wire round cable to come close to handling the current that a braided cable offers. I've seen ot, double, triple ot welding wire used, and that's fine, but the braided cables were used by Packard (and many others) are not some obscure thing you have to pay botique prices for, nor are they hard to find. I've had this very discussion over on the AACA website, and there is a "wirez is wirez" attitude some folks have. I've seen the difference on more than one 6V vehicle.

Turbopackman is absolutely correct re: battery cable gauge (size). If that car came with a braided ground cable make sure it has a good one now. You can still buy braided groud cables from NAPA, Tractor supply, etc. in many different lengths.
Make absolutely certain that someone before you did not put 12V cables on the car--they won't do the trick.
You might also consider getting an Optima 6V battery after the one you have dies. They put out a lot more amps than the lead acid 6 volters we're getting these days.

Nick--Loyd put it correctly, Lycoming was part of E.L.Cord's conglomerate during the period the ACD cars were manufactured. Packard was a centralized manufacturing entity, they manufactured their own engines, transmissions and rear axles (until the 1956 models, which used purchased Dana rear axles) in a central plant beginning in 1899 in Warren Ohio, then moving to Detroit in 1903, through 1954. The 1955-56 models were assembled in a plant leased from Chrysler, the former Briggs manufacturing plant on Conner ave. that had been suppling all of Packard's post-war bodies. For the 1955-56 model years the (V-8) engines and transmissions were built at Packard's Utica, Michigan plant, a very modern, state-of-the-art facility, and shipped to the Conner plant for assembly into the cars.
ACD at their peak was operating plants in Auburn IN, Connersville IN, Indianapolis, and the Lycoming engine plant in Pennsylvania. The combined size of all those facilities may well have excceded the size of Packard's East Grand Boulevard plant(s)

I received Bob's unit from GA today and began cleaning it up. It appears to have beenpainted the metallic green color like one I did for a Clipper. I have seen ('56 senior) bronze units, "natural" units with no paint, no evidence of there ever having been paint and I've seen green ones. Has anyone ever found a Green painted actuator on a senior car with a bronze trans?

It is a good example of Packard craftsmanship and deserves a place alongside any Packard at a gathering.

those bezels thread on to the threads on the front-pilot of the individual switch assemblies. There is a special tool required, but you can make one yourself easily. Take the knob off of the shaft of the switches you wish to remove. You will see a hexagonal shape around the shaft on the bezel. That is the "drive" for the nut holding the bezel on. Buy a 1/4" wide x1" long aluminum (hexagonal) electrical circuit board stand-off from radio shack or other electronics supplier. Drill through the length of stand-off (starting with the smaller diameter female threaded end) with a drill bit larger than the diameter of the shaft of the switch. That in essence is the tool, you can mount it in a wooden handle like a nut driver, or simply use a 1/4" wrench to turn it.

Good on 'Ya, mate!

Mr. Pushbutton here!, checking in after his sojourn to Kansas (where I got a ride in the hybrid synergy drive Patrician!)

Check all of the above things the other esteemed '56 owners have pointed out and get back to us. we'll get you running again. Look at my post re: Pushbuttons from about a month ago, I threw out a good deal of info on that one (it is under the V-8 forums)

DON'T TAKE THE MOTOR OFF OF THE ACTUATOR UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY KNOW IT IS COOKED (it never is) chances are there is a power problem as Randy recommends or there is a bent finger in the actuator, in which case you'll really want to read my last P-B post re: access to the finger bridge.

Aren't there two versions, one with the extra A/C pulley and one without? I'm not where I can look at a parts book.
I think those were balanced with the crank @ Utica, ergo the differences in the number of holes.