Re: Original Part List?

Posted by BH On 2007/6/9 12:26:44

BigKev -

I may be wrong, but I thought the original parts books were shipped to Packard dealers as loose pages (but wrapped with a wide paper band to prevent shifting/shuffling), to be inserted into a rack binder or hardcover binder for counter use. (The hardcover binder was recycled from on year/series to the next.) The intent of using loose-leaf pages was to permit periodic update, to keep up with part number changes.

That's the way parts books were issued when I first worked in the parts department of a GM dealership, many years ago, but I also have an original set of pages that Packard issued in this manner, to update the Packard Service Manual to cover 56th Series.

However, instead of only sending update pages (perhaps also due to the wear-n-tear factor), GM reprinted parts books in their entirety - as often as quarterly, but later semi-annually, then only annually, as the covered models aged. GM did issue some glue-bound soft cover editions, but only at a point when the covered models were so old than part number changes were not very likely - except for discontinuation. For example, the catalogs that covered models 1976-81 were last reprinted in 1987.

Yet, I digress...

Seems to me that every 1955-1956 Packard parts book that I've seen in softcover form has that beige cover stock and a revision date of April 1, 1957 - same as the three reprints I have; the first purchased from Kanter, the second purchased from a club, and the third left in the trunk of the first '56 Pat that I purchased. However, I have seen one softcover edition of the 1955-56 parts book with gray cover stock that appears to be genuine factory-issue (after Detroit operations were shutdown). Therefore, I have concluded that softbound editions with beige cover stock are reprints that one of the clubs had made.

Earlier this year, I acquired an original edition of this parts book in a hard binder. As best as I can recall, all examples of the 1955-56 parts book that I've seen show the same issue date on the first page (November, 1955). However, revised pages show a revision date on the lower outboard corner. The 1955-56 parts book that I now have appears to be updated with revised pages through July 1, 1956.

Unfortunately, I am so backed up with projects at home and work (and with no time to work on my own cars) that I will not be able to scan anything until the snow flies, and several pages in the edition I have will require some cleaning (at least, digitally). If you want the 1955-56 parts book up online sooner and are willing to take on the clean-up work, I can ship the pages, sans binder and the originalindex tabs (the latter is something reprints NEVER have), to you. E-mail me if interested, with destination address, and I'll get back to you.