Most if not all of you on here know I plan on building a 4 door Caribbean, but I'm not sure how many know that this was done by dealers in the past. The only thing is with the ones I've seen, is that they didn't go as far as I plan to, ie, removing the "Patrician" script, and replacing it with "Caribbean" script in the appropriate locations on the car. (along with other numerous mods that I have in store for the old girl) My question here is, does anyone have any pics of these cars? It is my understanding that 25-30 Patricians were modified by either the factory or the dealer to include Caribbean side trim and the hood.

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Oh, you're from Canada, eh?, Ya, thaaat's a lot of dollors, eh?.

Really though, it would be a hard book to borrow from the library, as it is 828 pages long, much important text to read through. Perhaps your period of borrowing it will convince you to buy it.

Thank you MrPushbutton, I shall try and get the Kimes book on interlibrary loan - I am a renowned cheapskate and have my reputation to consider.

Interestingly the book is going for $44 Canadian on amazon.ca, so if ILL fails me I shall just swallow the financial pain and buy it!

You guys are gonna hate me. The tank is new, so i know there aren't any issues there. As for the condensor, we have used three different condensers on it, so i am quite positive thats not it. That was my first inclination, check the points and condensor. This is why i said ive never had this issue. I have tried everything I could think of. I even played with the climatic control, but that didnt help it either. i'm stumped.

Boro,

On the wheel cylinders, buy them from Napa. That will same you a few bucks and they are the exact same thing (Wagner Wheel Cylinders) you will get from the Packard Part houses. Also is cheaper to buy them brand new, then it is to try to rebuild old ones. If you check the Parts X-ref database I think I may have the cross reference to the Wagner part number.

You may want to test the condensor, it is possible that you got a bad one even though it's a new one. Some parts like condensors, and coils make work perfect when cold, but as they warm up they might start acting weird.

Quote:

Have you checked the heat riser thermostat spring and trap-door to make sure they are operating correctly. My '54 was missing it's spring when I got it. Not sure what the configuration for that thermostat spring is on the prewar models, but I figure it must have something similar.

There are two books I would recommend, the first being "the bible", "Packard, a History of the motor car and company", edited by Beverley Rae Kimes, published by Automotive quarterly. sometimes referred to as "the Kimes book" or "the Automotive quarterly Packard book". three inches thick, chock full of pictures, great writing, the whole story. A few factoids in that book have not withstood the test of time and additional research, such as the business of the senior car dies (falsely reported as) being sold to the USSR for the production of ZIS cars, but whatever small quantity of such errors there are more than made up by the wealth of accurate information and pictures, as well as a unified text that gives the reader a sense of the company, the men who ran it and the customers who were its patrons.
It was originally to be produced in limited numbers then the plates destroyed, I have a first edition copy, but they thought better of that idea and it is still available, you may find a copy on Amazon or Alibiris.com
The second book is "the fall of the Packard motor car company" by James Ward. A straight foreword examination of how a company like Packard failed, told without rose colored glasses, but with an honest admiration for the company and its products.
Here's an Amazon link for a two-fer special they are running for both books, at considerably less than I paid for each (especially if you adjust for inflation!)

http://www.amazon.com/Fall-Packard-Motor-Car-Company/dp/0804724571

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

John, Loyd, Mr Pushbutton - thank you very much for your insights.

Is there a good general history of the Packard firm in print? Something that details the financial ups and downs of the company as well as the story of the design and development of vehicles?