I just browsed the article in The Cormorant on the MacArthur car, it's Spring 1975 issue. It doesn't cover the staff cars as a group, just this particular car. So it's a bit off the topic, but let me continue and paraphrase a bit:

The car, a 1942 Clipper 120, serial 1512-5747 had been ordered by General MacArthur as a personal car. Attached to his letter to Packard was his personal check for the car, which was returned to him with an expression of gratitude for his confidence in the product and with their best wishes for his use along with the his military duties.

The car was a 2011 120 Clipper with factory A/C, electromatic clutch, radio, heater/defroster, fender skirts, and a cormorant ornament. It was factory painted in olive drab with the usual white star and other military markings. External military equipemnt included adjustable louvered shutters fitted over the headlights, 2 driving lights, a black-out light, siren, canvas covers and snaps to cover the windshields, and flag mounts. None of the exterior trim was chrome plated but rather painted olive drab.

At the time of the article, the car was owned by Don MacLellan of Texas.

Hopefully The Packard Club will forgive me for including their cover photo of the car.

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I don't really know much about this topic but can offer some thoughts for further comment. How many Packards in government service stateside? Probably impossible to answer but remember, the government took over many of the unsold 1942 cars for government service, Packards included. And the White House and the various Cabinet offices had their share even before the war broke out. There were also a fair number overseas at the various embassies.

Packard provided Clipper-style staff cars to some (?) army generals and navy admirals perhaps, don't know how many, I've heard that there were 6 or 7 but that's just gossip. They were perhaps left-over unsold 1942 models reworked to adapt to government requirements. I suppose it's quite unlikely they were new production after the cessation of manufacture. Of course the MacArthur one has been to many Packard events over the years and is pretty well documented; I believe when MacArthur was coming home from Japan he gave it to his chauffeur and somewhere I've seen copies of that documentation, perhaps in an old PAC Cormorant magazine article on the staff cars. There are also a couple of perhaps bogus staff cars floating around.

Good topic, it will be interesting to see what comes forward.

Bob, that's great that your making donations to the Proving Grounds, it's just our last good chance to save a bit of Packard and hopefully some of the other regulars on this site will begin doing the same, every little bit, even $5 and %10, will help. I likewise have not visited the site yet though I do get their newsletter, each time I learn of one of their open houses or events, it seems the event is already passed; I would have flown out for the one just passed had I known in time. I guess I need to get tuned it a bit better to their happenings.

And thanks for remembering about that transmission number, I don't think I've collected any more data since we last spoke on the subject, though I remain hopeful that more will be forthcoming. Another 56 convertible has landed here in NJ for restoration and I should be able to get some new data from the owner (Joe Grossi).

May not be the right explanation but it sure sounds logical to me. But there must be better things to think about when going to sleep?

John, the 55 and 56 dual Rochesters are quite different. The 55 has an antipercolator valve on the float chamber, in 56 it was an internal vent. In 56 they added a set of air velocity-activated baffle valves in the secondary that only allowed the secondaries to function when there was sufficient air flow. The 55 and 56 duals had different main jet sizes, and as well the single Rochester 4 bbl was jetted differently that the 2 x 4 Rochesters. For example, the single Rochester-equipped 5680 had primary and secondary main jets of 0.052 and 0.065, whereas the dual setup had 0.048 and 0.054. I believe the corresponding numbers for the 55 Caribbean were 0.050 and 0.058.

Craig, you're certainly right that setting 4 idle mixtures is a bit tedious and I really don't know if the GM or Packard-recommended sequence makes it any easier or not. But simply getting easy access to the mixture screws is also a pain, especially the rear left.

I think it's pretty well accepted that there were 3 different crests used, I've actually seen all 3 (though again, not with the original packing). I suppose there could have been supplier problems but if not, you wonder what was going on; with all the problems Packard had in 1956, you'd think they could have found better things to do with their resources.

I don't have one with the packing, but my 56 Carib appears to have the all-chrome with cloisonne (NOT anodized aluminum) shield. I've looked at it very closely to see if just the gold wash wore off, but I don't believe so. It's a one-owner car when I bought it 11 years ago. It's a bit strange in that its got a mid-range thief-proof number, a late (#254) car number, a quite early Utica numbered engine, and late Utica-numbered transmission, both with correct Utica codes for the Caribbean. It has Bendix steering, generally correct for Seniors but not always found. Single door-jam switches, gold anodized grille backing, the late replacement Delco distributor, and the last style oil pump, though that could have been changed.

Not sure what all of that means, though I've been trying to collect that kind of data from other 56 Caribbean convertible owners (without much success) for some time.

Some of you may be getting tired of hearing me make this pitch for the Proving Grounds, but if they're to be successful in meeting their obligations to Ford, get the other 7 acres, and continue the improvement programs, they need our financial support. Forget the factory, it won't be saved and this is our only chance to save something significant.

From time to time I look at the list of supporters and am suprised not to find the names of some of the people here who profess to be lovers of Packard cars and the company. It's important, and it doesn't have to be a lot of $ to make a difference, even a few bucks helps.

Thanks for that link, I wasn't aware of it and it surely has some great photos!

My 56 Caribbean has the Bendix system and there are no interference problems with the two short hoses (or the others either). As someone else stated, the two short loops do extend down a bit below the frame, perhaps an inch or so. I'll try to remember to take some pictures when I have it up on a lift for an oil change next week.