That is just it, I know where I can get a set of Cadillac wires locally. Otherwise I would not have thought of changing. This is purely theoretical as I have not bought the Packard or the wheels yet. It was just something I was wondering about.

Let's come at the coachbuilt question from another angle. The way your limo was built, is very much the way stretch limos are built today. Much more like a stretch, than a 30s coachbuilt body with wood framing and aluminum panels tacked on.

Now the question is, are today's stretch limos coachbuilt or custom built or something else?

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I have gone into this with other old car guys and my advice is always the same. Have a good front end man inspect and repair or replace worn parts, and have an alignment done. Pump up the tires to 32PSI especially if they are radials and for good measure, put on a set of new shock absorbers.

2 or 3 have done this and been very gratified at how easy and nice their car now drives. In one case,the owner was contemplating cutting the frame off and welding on a Camaro front clip to get PS. An alignment job and a set of shocks, took away all desire to do this.

A car can slowly get out of line over the years and if you do not have PS they do not have to be far out to be cranky. Also, stock shocks are only good for 20,000 or 25,000 miles. They may look ok and not leak but they don't work like new anymore. A new set will give you back that new car ride, a lot cheaper than buying a new car ha ha.

O ya am surprised they used the same shocks as a Chev. Don't know how such a light shock can control a heavy car's suspension but I suppose they knew what they were doing.

OK thanks for the info. If it's all the same to you would rather not go smashing things with a hammer. I or someone else, might want to go back to stock wheels some time.

How about drilling a pin hole in the wheel? I have done this to fit later wheels to older Chrysler products. Is the center register the same? What about wheel bolts? Are the Packard bolts compatible with the Cad wheels? It so happens there is a 54 Patrician for sale near here, and a 1986 Cadillac with wires.

In the 70s and 80s you could get real wire wheels on the big RWD Cadillac coupe de ville and sedans. They used a 5 X 5 wheel bolt pattern like the senior Packards of the fifties. Wonder if they would fit a Packard? Has anyone tried this?

Are you sure they are bypass not full flow?

This will answer your question, a documentary on the last Zil limousines. See the factory in action.

https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=17559&forum=13

For that price you should have no trouble finding a buyer. I would be interested if I was not 2500 miles away in a different country.

Companies like Ghia and Pinin Farina are much different from Derham or Henney.

The Italian houses are known for designing cars that are then mass produced by others. So far as I know Derham and Henney both specialized in one off custom orders.