Re: Henry's 55 Constellation

Posted by 55PackardGuy On 2009/11/10 2:56:12

Agreed, Eric. I think maintenance was a key, especially fluid changes. I believe the lockup mechanism had a tendency to produce some hotter running temps, and the fluid would break down a bit faster. I sniffed a lot of Packard dipsticks in my day... wait, that didn't come out quite right, but YOU know what I mean.

i don't think many would argue that the original Ultramatics were also the best automatic of the 40's

Man, could you imagine an automotive company with the kind of engineering chops that Packard had could do today if it had continued to evolve and keep their tradition of excellence? We would have been riding in cars with lockup torque converters all through the remainder of the '50s and all of the '60s and '70s. And, I think, on vastly better suspensions.

I could imagine how Packard was a thorn in the side of the "Majors" as they were constantly challenging them to keep up with engineering innovations.