Re: 1956 Clipper Deluxe

Posted by Brian Wilson On 2020/4/2 5:34:53

This dialogue prompted a little more digging. Discovered some interesting things:

1 The wheel covers are Packard rather than Clipper. They are exactly the same design, but the Clipper covers had a ships wheel emblem in the centre.

2 There is no evidence of different rims being grafted to the centres. If they were, it's a masterpiece of welding skill! Most likely they are Packard wheels. But off what?

3 The rim width is more like 6" than the standard Clipper 5". Hard to believe cars this size would have run on rims that narrow, but that's what the book says. Specified tire size was 7.60x15 tubeless for 1956, which would also have fit a 6" rim.

4 The dimensions and offset of the wire wheels are exactly the same as the steel wheels.

Brian