Re: Individual Packard Historys

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2008/5/15 8:23:53

PackardV8, I think perhaps you're confusing the engine number stamped up front by the oil filler (also the VN, stamped at the time the vehicle was assembled) with the Utica engine plant number applied when the engine was built and before it was shipped to Connor and assembled into a car. These numbers are sequential and begin with a prefix to indicate whether it's a Clipper, Patrician/400, Caribbean, or Executive motor. An additional prefix was used if the engine was equipped with a standard transmission flywheel. These #s, as with the transmission numbers, are the keys to when various changes were made in production. According to Packard's Service Technical Bulletin 56T-20 of May 3, 1956, "the Utica Plant engine number is now stamped on the casting at the same general location as the engine serial number and not on the right rear exhaust port flange as has been the practice previously".

As to the oil pumps, the fact that Caribbeans were late production doesn't mean they have late engines. My own Carib is a late car (#254), and yet it has a very early Utica plant number (#137), ad a late casting date, yet also a very late Ultramatic number (#509). The Ultramatics, also made at Utica, also use a prefix number to differentiate which series of car the transmission was intended for. The "C" prefix is for Caribbean. All of the above has at best of curiousity value, but it does shed some light on how Packard rotated inventory received from Utica into the production line.

As to the door jam courtesy light switches, the very first 56th series cars used two switches (presumably one for the interior courtesy lights, one for the side running light?), then they switched to a single with a plate over the unused hole, and the last bodies only had a single hole and switch. This is somewhat documented in the 1956 Caribbean roster data published by PAC back in the 80s I believe, the same report which indicated which cars had which equipment, like which had the underseat heater, seat belts, rear radio speaker, etc. Lots of interesting trivia for the Caribbean fan.

Its also interesting to see how many convertible Caribbeans came with wire spoke wheels, I forget the exact number but it was less than a dozen as I remember.

One of the many Caribbean items that has eluded me to date is the correct paint color for the steel wheels. If I had to guess, I'd say the middle color.

Postscript: Let me add a bit more. The changeover to the plugged relief valve in the oil pump occurred in Caribbeans at Utica #C1400, meaning that of the 500+ Caribbean engines, the first 400 were not so equipped. As to the double door jam switches, the earliest Caribbean I have data on (a number less than 10) has the chrome rather than gold mesh behing the grille, and has both holes for dual jam switches, with on plugged off. The prototype 56 Caribbean convertible, made by the factory by modifying a 1955 Caribbean, was fairly well photo-documented some years back. It had dual door jam switches if I recall correctly.
As to the Utica engine plant prefixed, "A" was for the 5640 with Ultramatic, "AA" for 5640 with standard shift; "B" was for the 5660-5670, "BB" for the same with standard shift; "C" was for the 5688 and there was no "CC" code for standard shift, and "D" was for the 5680 and "DD" for 5680 with standard shift.