Re: Utica Engine Number Prefixes

Posted by Let the ride decide On 2013/2/7 14:15:56

Packard34, I did not mean to indicate that your car has been changed, rather that mine with a later production number had no numbers on the firewall, between the triangles. I was just wondering about yours. I wonder what is on 5588-1001, the Dawes car?

OD has explained about the randomness of the firewall number, which just adds to the Packard mystery! OD, I should look this up, but did 55-56 use the I in the 1st position, or what has been the the 1st position number/letter? Where were the firewalls stamped, at Connor, or East Grand?

As far as the resurrection of a deralect Caribbean, a 400 hardtop would have to be used. (I have another story, but another time). The man I referenced takes cars that have seen better days, and makes them look and drive like new again. I may be wrong, but what I remember from his pictures, was he took the 400 body off the frame, turned it over, and put in the inner rockers that the convertibles have.

He either welded a strap on the inside of the door, or took the door off and used a jig of some sort, to keep the alignment , and then cut off the top. He then took and welded the inside cowl bracing and set the bronze windshield in place, matching it to the convertible top header, and inner wheel well keeping it all aligned. He used the old convertible frame, because as OD has pointed out they have the extra strapping, and the outer boby mounts are different because of the extra inner rockers.

One suggestion on finding out if the firewall is the one that came with a 55-56, is that the ones I have and observed the data plate number was marked on it before painting. Look at the picture from the Finish magazine. I don't know what was used, but it seems to bleed through the paint. You might have to squint or look with one eye closed! One other place to look is the front fenders on convertibles, look for the extra bracing.