Re: What is the most unusual bit of Packardiana in your collection?

Posted by Dave Brownell On 2013/12/22 12:40:23

My 56 hardtop came to me with a device, located under the dash, just to the right of the TL switch, that used vacuum to draw up either engine oil or transmission fluid into a split sight glass. It has two pushbuttons labeled T and C and has a single light bulb to illuminate the fluids from behind. It is now disconnected, but the previous owner said it was in lieu of both underhood dipsticks. If you pushed the button and no oil appeared in the sight glass, you knew that you were low and should add some. I'm supposing that the vacuum would have nothing to draw up but air if the levels were below a certain point. Wisely, the car now has real dipsticks for both functions, but it leaves me to wonder if anyone knows the name or brand of the device, or how it worked in real life. The color matches the rest of the dash paint, so I am wondering if this might have been sourced by the dealer and probably not from a J.C. Whitney catalog?

No vacuum-powered ashtrays, but there's also a nicely done pull lever that retards the distributor timing for easier warm weather starting. It is still connected but the car seems to start nicely, warm weather or cold, without using it.