Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

What is the production number of the manual transmission 400s from 1956? How many have survived?
Thanks.

West, I think the only way to estimate that would have to be based on both 400s and Patricians. They share a common Utica plant engine code and the code for flywheel-equipped engines is unique (Prefix DD for standard shift, D for Ultramatic). So the highest known Utica number for the standard shift engine code minus 1000 would be a good estimate. You could then take a percentage of that number based on relative production of Patricians and 400s to get an estimate of the number you want. Maybe someone has already studied this but I'm not aware of it.

I suspect that very, very few were built and I haven't any idea how many survive but we know that some of them today were not originally built that way, no doubt dealer or subsequent owner conversions. The Utica engine code is the clue.

PS- looking at TSB 56T-20 of May 3, 1956, it would appear that the first standard shift engine for the 5680 chassis had yet to be built as of that late date, only about 6 weeks of production remaining.

Years and years ago there was one in New Jersey. It was a stick shift '56 400 with dual carburetion as well.

It was in very poor condition and I doubt it survived.

I don't know if it was original or dealer installed, but there was a 56 400 with standard shift and dual quads that was advertised on eBay around 3-4 years ago. The car was painted all white and was located somewhere in Colorado. A friend was interested in the car and called the owner who wanted something like $16k for the car that was a bit out of his price range. I think the car ended up at the Packard museum in Dayton and was eventually sold to someone in Tenessee.
I thought it was an interesting vehicle but I was interested in finding a Caribbean and knew I would not be able to restore two cars.
I have not run across another since.

My father had a 56 400 column shift standard. Here is a picture. I have often wondered where this car ended up. It was sold in the late 80's.

Thanks

Paul Tacy

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Hi

The '55 & '56 400's I've seen with stick shift were obviously converted from Ultramatics. In every case, the selector indicator and mechanisms were still on the column and a later aftermarket floor shift stuck out of the transmission hump.

There may have been a handful of factory-built cars so equipped on order but remember the 400 sold in competition with Cadillac, Lincoln and Imperial hardtops. None of those had manual shift optional because there was no demand for them.

Full-power and automatic transmission convenience was perceived as luxury in those years. While a dealer would order one if the customer insisted, he'd hate to take it in trade later...a 400 darn near impossible to resell.

Steve

Here's the excerpt from the May 3 1956 TSB; my error - the effective date was April 10th. The single letter prefix indicates an engine built with a flex-plate for Ultramatic and the double letter indicates an engine built with a flywheel for standard transmission. Numbering, like the vehicle numbers, began at 1001.

So, what we do know is that as of April 10th they had yet to build their first 5680 (Patrician and 400) engine equipped for standard transmission. And note there was no code for a Caribbean built for standard transmission. So, doing the math, the percentage of cars that came with standard shift as of 4/3/56 are:

5640: 4.2%
5660-70: 1.26%
5680: 0%
5688: Not available

The engine numbers given was to advise of the first engine numbers to be equipped with the latest oil pump revision.

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I remember seeing a scan of a TSB (?) on another manual-transmission thread, wherein Packard explicitly stated that they were THE only automobile company offering a manual transmission option for fine cars.

It might have been for 1955, come to think of it.

Packard explicitly stated that they were THE only automobile company offering a manual transmission option for fine cars.

Well, clearly they "offered" it on the Clippers, Executives, Patricians and the 400 in 1956; whether any Patricians or 400s were actually so built between April 3rd and the end of production remains an open question.

I bought a 56 pat 3 speed, need to haul it down ,,its local, don't know when it was built yet,,