Re: My New 1956 Packard Clipper Deluxe

Posted by HH56 On 2009/5/4 10:41:13

Be interesting to see the pictures and all of the plumbing & hookup, but 2 things come to mind.

There was a "fad" in that era for toilet paper filters but that would take 2 lines & usually replaced the original oil filter. Another was a pre-lubrication device that stored up a charge of oil during running that was released when the ign key was turned on before starter engaged. That needed wiring or some mechanical way to trigger though.

Other than that, nothing rings a bell. Best of my knowledge, pre-matic was never a name Packard used for anything. Easa-matic, Mag-nu-matic, Ultramatic are the only "matics that come to mind.

JC Whitney, Western Auto, Sears and just about any aftermarket supply company you can name had some kind of gimmick back then you could add to prolong engine life or increase power or save money..so there's an endless number of possibilities.

Anyone remember the magic pills you dropped in the gas or the "turbo charger" that sat under the base of carb with a little propeller that spun in the air flow---until the rivet holding propeller came loose. It was supposed to save you money & boost your gas milage 50% or more by packing more energy in the air density--but that one alone probably kept several rebuild shops going chasing loose rivet damage--(no I didn't learn that one from personal experience but one of my best friends did with his mom's 54 Plymouth).