Re: First Production 1955 Patrician

Posted by BH On 2014/2/8 16:55:31

I've seen vehicles with much worse body and mechanical problems that have been completely restored - inside and out. Usually a project like that is a labour of love. Of course, you'll probably be upside down on most any Packard that requires such a restoration.

If it's only surface rust and not a lot of hidden rust-through, then this car certainly is salvagable. Not sure how long its gonna last outdoors in the TX clime, though.

However, unless you restore the matching engine and trans, I suspect whatever value it has as the first one off the line would drop dramatically.

This car could and should be restored to its full original detail as a historic piece, but a project of this magnitude is never gonna get off the ground with a four-figure selling price.

Mike, are you talking about the stainless piece that runs between the top of the fabric upholstery and the bottom of the door window finish molding at the rear of the door? I don't recall such a molding on the 55 Pat I once owned (sold it 20 years ago), and I can't find it on the parts book, either.

However, it does appear in a couple of photographic images (pp. 17-18) in the brochure PACKARD Presents Two Great Lines of Cars for 1955 - the one that kinda looks like a magazine or Sunday newspaper supplement. Interesting that other brochures for 55 seem to avoid views of that area. Meanwhile, other illustrations in that piece also show painted fresh air and heater control panel.

Then, there's a showroom scene (p. 6) with 55 Senior cars that have no ribbed stainless side trim (or lower spear molding), no script plates on the front fenders, no P-A-C-K-A-R-D letters on the hood, and a completely different style of wheel cover.

Of course, this piece is clearly an early announcement, and I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of things were still up in the air, going into the 11th hour. Interesting that some made it into production, however briefly.