at the risk of asking an incredibly stupid question, how does an automatic improve "driveability"? Not looking to start any tirades, it's just not obvious to me, unless you do a lot of heavy city traffic driving.

I would suggest that the Trippes could find a good home on a prewar car and cash would be left over after a set of factory accessory lights replaced them

Packard did not offer red as a body color for the 22nd series. However , there is Borg Warner ad that shows red wheels and interior on a blue Super 8 convertible. Anyone know if this contrasting wheel color was offered on certain exterior colors?

aren't these roll formed stainless rather than chrome plated?

as Roger cites from the Salesman's book, Bedford Cord was an option. It is like a corduroy as you say, but the Packard one is much finer/shallower than the Lincoln type. It's what came on my car.

Roger explained the dash plastic much more clearly. the radio grille is Senior style, and the garnish molding inserts are 160. You can look on Yesterday's Radio website for the replacement cost on the inserts.

I wonder about the stripes too. The car is attractive and generally authentic, but the stripes look "louder" than expected. This is certainly not the Bedford Cord. The other cloth interior is the two-tone, and it's not that either.

I hope your value estimate is good, but I think it is a bit high. Anybody have their $.02 worth?

another easy to fix nit - Junior dash plastic (ribbed).

Optional K wheel

Galling is basically when you transfer material from one part to the otherbecause they are made of the same thing. (Don't mug me metallurgists). The valid concern is that it will lead to stuff getting stuck on.

The much more popular dress up would be the acorn nuts for the straight eight head, I think.

since the hubcaps were used for several (by Packard standards) high production years, they are relatively easy to find used, and they are reproduced. The wheels are also still around in some quantity - if you run across the 15 X 5 which looks similar, it's the immediate prewar wheel.

would this have been late enough for Packard to be talking to Mercedes about how the MB system was faring?