Re: 56 Patrician Info

Posted by Dave Brownell On 2014/11/20 11:33:15

In my humble opinion, in addition to the mechanical differences from the earlier years that might be classed as improvements, it's the cosmetic changes that made a 1956 car a better one. From the front, where the more deeply hooded headlights overshadow the gold mesh grille to the unique re-shaped trunk lid, the car just looks more substantial and less cluttered.

In addition to the aluminum cast Ultramatic housing, there's the unique way the 1956 wheels attach to the brake drums (not interchangeable with the 55s because they use nuts/studs instead of the earlier bolts). But the downside is that the 55s were the last Packards with a home-built Packard rear axle and differential. There were teething issues with the 1956 Dana Spicer axles that eventually got corrected and probably none of the problems exist to this day. But the silver lining, at least to some, was that this change enabled Twin-Traction limited slip differentials to be sold, only in 1956.

All in all, I agree with the critics who call the 1956s some of the best of the post-WW II Packards. Every time I pass by mine in the garage I think I like it a bit better. Buying a carefully examined good one will only hurry up that process. I'd do mine again, in a heart beat.