Quote:
Leeedy wrote:
You will want to be very, very, very careful about mixing dashes on this factory A/C car. HVAC controls are different. Graphic indicators will be different. Cable lengths and routing are different. Electrical harness is different. Ducting is different. Glove box inners are different. AND there are other differences. Best to leave a factory A/C dash alone unless you are very familiar with the car and the system... and most people aren't.
And disconnecting A/C lines at the firewall may seem very straightforward, but most Packard V-8 factory A/C disasters start right here with someone disconnecting lines without using two fitting wrenches (instead of one). Usually the evaporator core is thus damaged and this usually doesn't show up until one goes to pressurize the system. Then the nightmare begins since the dash and evaporator core need to be pulled to do any repairs. All of which could be avoided by knowing ahead of time and using the right tools and techniques. And the workshop manual does not tell you this!
Someone in the past has apparently done a lot of parts swapping in this Patrician. The more you swap parts, the more you invite problems and unintended disasters. I seriously doubt the manual transmission is original-especially on a loaded A/C car. And you'll be sorry if you don't put the steering back to power steering... unless the driver is a bodybuilder.
Thank you Leeedy for that information!! that is incredibly helpful about the dash boards! I guess I should elaborate on what I wanted to do with the dashes:
The dash board had a Mopar radio fitted to it and a speaker that was mounted by screwing through the gold faced trim. So I don't know if the dash was cut to get this radio to fit (on the list to find out), but at least the gold faced trim needs to be replaced due to the holes created to mount the aftermarket speaker. Luckily one of the other dashboards was an A/C dash if I need to use that frame. I only have the one wiring harness and that was removed from this Patrician. The parts I was thinking of swapping was stuff like gauge bezels, switches etc. Essentially finding the trim pieces that look the best cleaned up and installing onto the dash that goes into the car.
On that topic, is there a polish that can be used on the gold faced trim? I got the turtle wax polish you get at the parts stores and that works great on chrome and stainless, but not so much on that gold faced trim.
Thanks for the warning about the evaporator. I already got the lines removed from the firewall and it appears someone used thread locker on those connections... So it was a pain to remove those lines even without the engine in!! I have no idea how you would be able to do it with the engine in there. But I was interested in doing what HH56 did with one of his A/C cars and retro fit a newer style evaporator, compressor and condenser in. I do have the original style compressor but from the research here no one has been able to find replacement parts for that. Also, the byplass valve (I believe that's what it is called) is more than difficult to source.
My dad removed the power steering and installed that 3 speed. I would like to install the power steering once the car gets on the road, the hoses and power steering pump was still mounted in the car when it rolled into the garage and I believe the power components that were removed are sitting up in our Packard shed. To my understanding the car was running and driving after the 3 speed was swapped in. I don't have information on if the overdrive worked, but the wiring is there, and the transmission will be gone through.
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