I've chatted with Dan Kanter several times over the years on this topic. He believes the pump should have a top bushing and doesn't fault the vacuum pump but thinks there is another possible issue which has pretty much escaped attention and is based on the fact that noisy lifters are often overcome by running 1/2 quart over full on the crankcase oil. He believes the oil pump floating intake screen may have it's lower level limit set a bit too high. I did lower mine a bit when I had the pan down.

Love the date on the data plate.

The seller notes body type #1035, which is a 7 passenger limousine.

I do believe there is an oiling issue with some V8s that gives rise to the symptom of unusual lifter noise, which can lead to catastrophic failure of the engine.

Yet, I could never fully buy into the notion that the vac pump cover and/or separator plate actually warped and admitted air into the oil stream.

IMHO, the wear on the driving shaft and oil pump body, as addressed by Bob Aller, is the main culprit, but the lack of an oil channel, as noted by Keith in recent years, is a contributing factor to that.

However, there may be additional issues involved. I'm gonna looking into alternate solutions, but won't have time to make any real progress on that until I get a new garage built to store the old cars (and get out from under the sunk cost of rent) and can return the attached two-car garage to workshop status. Yet, there's a lot of groundwork ahead of even that.

I think the problem can be solved a lot more simply than adapting some other pump.

Looks like one novel way to recycle an old fishing boat. Some body was practicing ecologically sound recycling before it became popular..

probably lost at the chrome shop and hasn't been replaced yet.

My thought is why didn't the photographer notice it. Further, why didn't the editor see it. The last I looked that's their job.

Oh well a beautiful car anyway.

Yup. Interesting, isn't it. I have seen cars with just one front bumper guard, but it was centered on the bumper. I wonder what this story is all about?

With regard to the external mirrors, yes the ones on my car were Yankee mirrors, not the correct Packard accessory mirrors. Since the mirrors were generally (always?) a dealer accessory, I'd guess a lot of dealers used Yankee and either pocketed the difference, or told the customer he could save a few $.

As to the mounting positions, the original Packard template which I have gives both mounting positions, on the door or on the front fender. I could make a copy if anyone wants it. I found the fender-mounted position to be poor, and the door not a lot better as the wing-window post interferes unless you sit way back or way forward. The mirror I ended up buying and installing is the Jay Fisher reproduction, pretty decent and a bit easier to mount than the original as you don't have to get access inside the door; externally looks correct with the little allen head screw.

As to the repainting of my car, there was a 2nd repaint before the S-M-S, Holland Blue over Dover White over Roman Copper. The original owner must have been in the paint business and couldn't stop fidgeting around with the color scheme. But now it's back to M-E-S.

Randy, my windshield and front vent wings have been reglassed but I checked the rear quarter windows ont he car and two I have in the cellar, they are all marked "Solex Duolite", as was the original windshield.

I was comparing his SMS picture to his MES picture in the registry. He could have removed them for the same reason you stated but I have no knowledge if fender mounted dual mirror where original or not. Mine happens to be on the driver's door.

My dad's '56 Exec, which he purchased brand-new, had 74,908 miles on the clock in 1963.

When I first learned of the PI modification, decades ago, I aksed him about lifter noise, and he told me that his car never had any problem with engine noise; in fact, in all those miles and years, he never had the engine opened up for anything.

However, the trans had been rebuilt once by and independent shop (at a time when there was practially no dealer support left). Parts were becoming difficult to find by 1963 - had to scavenge stuff to replace the exhaust. Rust had also set in on the body. All things considered, and with a family of three and another on the way at that time, he parked the car in a field and picked up a new '63 BelAir coupe (with a 283-V8 and three & over manual gerbox).