I have a small "portable" floor jack also but this electric scissor jackhttp://www.mygaragestore.com/detail.aspx?ID=1752 with an optional impact wrench is interesting now that I am getting old and decrepit. Too bad it is only 12v. Amazon also carries it and has 4 good reviews there.

Am sure you'll get a lot of opinions but I think it is accepted that 55's had some teething problems. All the following were first year efforts with the learning curves associated:

A new plant with Packard building their own bodies after many years of farming it out. Some fit and finish issues & places prone to rust.

A V8 engine that was rather rushed and didn't get long term testing. Oil pump issues have been found.

Ultramatic transmission with new features, barely tested on a few 54 models beforehand and then mated with the new higher horsepower engine. Some components do not like the extra strain.

New and quite different suspension system. Of all the new features, this probably had the least problems though.

Overall, most of the problems were taken care of fairly quickly but I think the Twin Ultramatic was the weakest link that year and still causes issues today if mistreated. The engine oil pump issue has had several "fixes" over the years but now seems to be resolved with development of a modern replacement kit by some of the posters here with the kit now available through another.

I don't have a catch assy handy but here is a picture of handle showing those parts. There is not much to lube on this part. S.M. suggests lubriplate on the moving parts of catch.

When you remove the handle, you will see a lever arrangement centered in the hole the metal piece from handle inserts into and collar pushes against. With door closed, push against that lever with a screwdriver or other tool and see if the door opens easier than with the pushbutton. If there is no difference, then possibly the striker is too tight or the catch assy is in need of alignment or service. If it does open easier, then when you reassemble the handle into door, move the collar just a slight bit closer to the catch lever.

When you disassemble the handle, suggest using some PB Blaster on the set screw on collar. Screw & collar are both steel and probably rusted. You may even have to use some heat on the collar. Whatever you do, make sure the allen wrench is new or in excellent condition with sharp edges on the hex so it will not slip inside the screw socket. If you strip that socket head, it will be extremely difficult to remove or adjust if needed.

The long metal piece will come off lock cylinder if necessary. It is a combination of press fit and a recessed center section. It may give you some trouble removing without damaging the pot metal ears on cylinder so be careful to back up the side opposite your press.

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You will probably have to remove the bottom window stop and lower the glass past the lock if it will go that low or even remove it to get a fairly straight shot at the clip. At the very least, I would start right now and liberally use some PB Blaster or penetrating oil of your choice--particularly on the slide tracks at top and bottom before even thinking of removing--dose it a few times. Clip will undoubtedly be rusted but if soaked long enough, may come out without damage. Usually they won't pull out as the book shows without breaking but may if tapped with a long screwdriver from the end inside door. I don't know of anything but the repro clips and haven't kept up with prices.

Once you get the clips out, the handle will pull out and no further disassembly of door should be needed unless the catch assy itself is damaged. If the button is hard to push, could be lube but also could be the striker is adjusted a bit tight. Does the door close easily or do you have to force it a bit.

Once the handle is out, there is a small round tube like retainer with ears that fit into holes in the handle. That has to be manipulated a bit to clear the holes but once removed, lock and spring will slide out. There may be a collar held on via setscrew on the straight shaft which works the lock. Take measurement of where it is so it can go back in approx same place. Saves a bit of time on readjustment

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That black boot as you call it like I show a picture of should be the electrical connector if it is per original. The wire from harness should pull out and can be grounded as was suggested on the second post.

Not knowing any of the particulars, can't recommend anything on money back but it is possible last owner didn't know either. Replacements using service engines were a known fact of life even when Packard was in business--although unless the owner specified otherwise, would have assumed the same size engine would be replaced. There is a thread here on the subject in a 1939 model just in the last 2-3 weeks. It is also possible that a long ago owner just went to a junkyard and found an engine when there were no more Packard dealers. With that numbered engine, that would be the more likely scenario.

Not sure where you are getting that number but it almost sounds like a casting number on the head. The engine number is stamped on a smoothed area on drivers side of engine block just below the head. Usually located somewhere around distributor or between distributor and back of engine above starter.

What can I say. Could be the direction of your prevailing wind vs the ocean generated breezes here and I guess a few million people with cars in SF area and a few million more in the LA area also have a little to do with it.

Congratulations. Here's a start on the numbershttps://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/modelinfo/viewmodel.php?modelnum=2452&ButtonLookup=Go . 2452 is a Patrician Sedan 6234 would be the 4233rd Patrician sedan built as they started sequentially at 2001. Firewall tag is the number assigned by Briggs when the body was made and yours happens to be one where both that and the door tag number assigned by Packard match. The engine numbers are a bit of a question. A 51 Patrician should start J6xxxxx for the original enginehttps://www.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/PackardEngineSerials.pdf .