Re: The Packard Request

Posted by HH56 On 2016/9/16 14:47:45

What I was specifically referring to was Packards AC venting in the 53-4 era when Cad and Packard used the identical units. For a car aiming at the same lux market segment there was quite a discrepancy. I will agree the 55-6 dash AC was a large step in the right direction and even though crude, the bilevel feature didn't appear on other units until later. Unfortunately very few took advantage of it. Compared to the numerous cars you find advertised as factory AC very few are real factory but are actually the ARA unit. It is unfortunate that either Packard didn't push or incentivize the factory unit more or dealers were more concerned with profit over substance and pushed aftermarket units.

On the 53-4 vents, Packard originally had the flat louvers in the package shelf as did Cad but Cad had originally planned or quickly made provisions on their top line models to use clear ducts and carry the air above the rear window to connect to a duct above the headliner which had a pair of vents on each side. The cold air was distributed more quickly and directly to the front seat area and the frozen rear passenger neck was eliminated. Packard kept their flat neck freezing louvers. It was much later before Packard even made available the clear plastic ducts to at least get air to headliner level. That was a large improvement over the flat louvers but still took time before the front seat passengers felt the cold air.

A heater for rear seat passengers is another detail. Again, on some models Cadillac had heater outlets on either side of the car at the rear passengers feet. Hot air came from the front via a duct thru the front doors and then out a finished grill into the rear passenger area. On pre 51 models they did have the dual underseat heaters on limos and LWB cars but after that Packard made do with the front under seat heater on one side. On most cars that was OK because those heaters do put out but on their most senior 56 Caribbeans, even that was not officially available. Caribbeans that do have the underseat heater installed for the benefit of the back seat passengers IMO, look very tacky. A large box with a very vulnerable exposed heater core in full view of passengers just doesn't scream luxury to me.