Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Here is another data point. If still available, this Packard has been for sale for several months. If available and you are near New Orleans it might be worth the investigating. It appears there are not as many things to do and there's the wire wheels.

https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1013599/1953-packard-clipper-for-sale-in-new-orleans-louisiana-70119

There was a attractive 54 Panama that sold at an RM auction in October 2018 for $20,900. I think the market has softened a bit since then. Go to the RM website and take a look. It was probably the Hershey auction.

Good luck.

That's a very nice looking '53. I've always liked that color combo. It appears to be in good condition with not much to do. Unfortunately it's out of my price range at this point.

I missed out on a '52 Mayfair a couple months back that had been sitting for 30 years, but still had the original interior in near perfect condition. Sold for $5K. I've been kicking myself every since.

This Panama is definitely a project car, but one that would allow me to get into the Packard ownership crowd on a budget, and would teach me how to properly maintain/restore these cars. I have to start somewhere I guess.

-Kevin

I belive the 54 Panama is missing the flutted wrap around grille extensions that 54 Clipper Deluxes and Supers had. Is there a small hole in the edge of the grill surround and also two hole in the fenders?

I believe the Panama should look like my 54 clipper grille.

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Hi Kev,

Yes, those wings are supposed to be on there. The holes are there on the grille, but the wings are not installed. I found them in the trunk when I was looking over the car. Also found the Packard crest back there that is supposed to go on the center of the grille.

This picture shows the holes
<img src="https://obwpea.bn.files.1drv.com/y4mF8dxBSFFssvqitRCmc0EfMghQVbsWfbBgDN25CyLhSKsqmOfuR0qTZ6uPY8Hj73y5A6M43rVaP9VNpmR0iSxlSUuEYJ-pKrJRxuYbN0vH-JuU6XO1M8TTKWitpfn2q63My75mkW8JW1Y7Qakzr272E1-FhFXQf3HNt73-U6dfkTcSlU5v1E6X4cLBXaFJo2GE9MKy4_6aBkmHDDQRM3YWA?width=1024&height=716&cropmode=none" width="1024" height="716" />

The wings are on the left, and the right has the crest. All other miscellaneous trim is stuffed in the trunk also.
<img src="https://obwmea.bn.files.1drv.com/y4mbQwDC_fgDeTHZaza_Z2SmoqvqM-SHeWt-Tlfog8KZnyfZN-R6h_wbbDrOlXPsoj3KIZqlOQzgFtrOktivsx5P45I4yN7NaBHX2-hjHSX2oFwwsno021ED6ERp7XzNSzwJbs-ZetQYFh8XIotchYq3WDPrOmFf6HXCQargU6K_-ozgtM_0XQS83jtHdYGIuvejX08ZXUlY0PYkEy473n4Xg?width=1024&height=683&cropmode=none" width="1024" height="683" />

-Kevin

That's quite a beefy spare!

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Lol, I said the same thing when I saw it. He said it's just a random tire he had laying around that he threw on the rim. Not only is it beefy, but it's scalloped to no end. Totally useless.

Buy the best car you can afford. Many a project has been stalled due to too many problems discovered after the purchase and/or a drain on financial resources.

Here two holes BigKev.
Wes

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Yes, definitely. As of right now, this car is probably about the most I can afford, and that depends on what the next month brings. Lots of stuff going on right now obviously, which makes things a bit uncertain.

At this point I've been waiting around 10 years to get a Packard, and various other things have rightly taken priority....schooling, starting career, moves, buying a house, the births of our children, etc. At this point I'd be happy to enter the Packarding world with a less-than-perfect car just to get my feet wet. I would purchase a car with the intent to restore to good driver quality over time. I take a lot of inspiration from BigKev's blog on how he brought his Clipper back to life.

The whole goal for me is two prong....one, to get a Packard for myself to work on and enjoy, but two, and probably more important is so that we can enjoy it as a family. Taking my wife on date nights, the kids on daddy-daughter dates, etc, in a car like this would make memories that will last.

-Kevin

That 1953 model has been for sale for at least 3 years. I wonder if it is still for sale?