Re: packard parts needed

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2009/2/15 18:31:02

Most of the items you're looking for should be easy enough to locate, NOS, repro, and used are all a possibility. I'd use the parts book on this site to get the correct part numbers first, and then try Max Merritt, Kanter Bros, eBay, and Joel Ray at Patrician Industries. You might also try Bob Stolzfus from PA, a Packard vendor who also owns a 54 Patrician and drives one to meets on occasion. Contact information is all in The Packard Club directory and newsletters, but let us know who you can find and we get it for you.

A 54 Carib is potentially a very valuable car and you should attempt to keep it as authentic as possible if you want to preserve the maximum value. In that regard there were 2 different Ultramatic transmissions that could be fitted, the conventional model in the earlier cars, and if the car is a fairly late one it could have the prototype for the 55 Twin Ultramatic which was known as "Gear Start" for 1954. I'd try to keep the correct one with the car.

You may also encounter some interesting problems with the aluminum cylinder head, if still fitted. If it's already been replaced with a 327 cast iron head, that's probably just as well as it's almost inevitable and is a deviation from stock that is pretty well accepted.

I'm fairly familiar with the 54 cars, but not the Caribbean so I'll leave the details to others. But be encouraged to do it right, it's one of the premier postwar Packards.