Re: 1955-57 What-If Line-Up
Posted by 55PackardGuy On 2010/12/1 22:21:01
Well, I guess that did bear repeating. 
On another note, I'm quite amazed that you mentioned the '51 Frazer, with which I also have a little personal experience (dad seemed to like to go against the flow with car choices). I had many adventures as a passenger in a '51 Vagabond, which I thought, along with other short-lived Frazer models, was one of the nicest renditions of the early '50s look (dad also seemed to have some taste in styling).
Anyway, I'd be most interested in a styling take on a '55-'56 body based Packard, with front clip sheet metal work that accommodates quad headlights. I was literally losing sleep last night thinking of how to achieve this ultimate late-'50s styling requirement without having to come up with a completely different body.
I don't do renderings, but I did get a few ideas on how to achieve this with a different front clip, including hood, and a re-worked deck lid. It still includes the "hooded" headlight look in front (without the '56 peak), a reworked grille with classic Packard upright bars (like the '55 Clipper knocked off the old style). You could still achieve the "wide" look with the vertical bars if they were set at a rake angle from the top chrome piece back, and the entire grille shortened a couple of inches to a give it a prominent thrust.
Also, imagine subtle differences in paint shading instead of those rather undignified two and 3 tone sides. Lose the Reynolds wrap and keep the dual chrome strips, with a tastefully contrasting color between them, and a matching colored roofline. The deck lid would be a different stamping, squared off in the rear, following a curved horizontal across the back that flattens at each end (reprising the elongated Packard style grille on the front.
Keep the cathedral tail lights, but surround them with a tasteful 1/2" chrome strip around the outer edge (visible from the side) and shape the chrome to give a peaked hood ending in a point over the light. This would give the illusion of a longer rear fender with a more sleek look.
The bumpers could both be re-worked, de-emphasizing the dagmars in the front by using a smaller, oval shape terminating in a flattened black rubber bumperette. The rear bumper would need to be more squared-off to match the look of the trunk, and the exhaust ports would look very nice if they were louvred and rectangular rather than the round, open look.
I hope the description makes some sense. I can visualize it, but I don't know if a description really conveys the ideas... and I can't render anything for spit.
On another note, I'm quite amazed that you mentioned the '51 Frazer, with which I also have a little personal experience (dad seemed to like to go against the flow with car choices). I had many adventures as a passenger in a '51 Vagabond, which I thought, along with other short-lived Frazer models, was one of the nicest renditions of the early '50s look (dad also seemed to have some taste in styling).
Anyway, I'd be most interested in a styling take on a '55-'56 body based Packard, with front clip sheet metal work that accommodates quad headlights. I was literally losing sleep last night thinking of how to achieve this ultimate late-'50s styling requirement without having to come up with a completely different body.
I don't do renderings, but I did get a few ideas on how to achieve this with a different front clip, including hood, and a re-worked deck lid. It still includes the "hooded" headlight look in front (without the '56 peak), a reworked grille with classic Packard upright bars (like the '55 Clipper knocked off the old style). You could still achieve the "wide" look with the vertical bars if they were set at a rake angle from the top chrome piece back, and the entire grille shortened a couple of inches to a give it a prominent thrust.
Also, imagine subtle differences in paint shading instead of those rather undignified two and 3 tone sides. Lose the Reynolds wrap and keep the dual chrome strips, with a tastefully contrasting color between them, and a matching colored roofline. The deck lid would be a different stamping, squared off in the rear, following a curved horizontal across the back that flattens at each end (reprising the elongated Packard style grille on the front.
Keep the cathedral tail lights, but surround them with a tasteful 1/2" chrome strip around the outer edge (visible from the side) and shape the chrome to give a peaked hood ending in a point over the light. This would give the illusion of a longer rear fender with a more sleek look.
The bumpers could both be re-worked, de-emphasizing the dagmars in the front by using a smaller, oval shape terminating in a flattened black rubber bumperette. The rear bumper would need to be more squared-off to match the look of the trunk, and the exhaust ports would look very nice if they were louvred and rectangular rather than the round, open look.
I hope the description makes some sense. I can visualize it, but I don't know if a description really conveys the ideas... and I can't render anything for spit.
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