Joel -

None of the wheels on my Packard cars were painted on the inboard side - except for a bit of overspray that found its way through the cutouts whee the center meets the rim. The dark primer held up amazingly well on the Carib, which spent all but its first few years on the road in AZ, and one of the Pats that was found in WV, but came from southern OH. The wheels on another Pat, which spent most of its time in the Cleveland area, did not fare so well - except for the spare in the trunk.

What strikes me about the original wheels on your Four Hundred is that they were painted to match the interior color, which seems to be darker than either shade of green on the exterior. Perhaps that's another case where they were using whatever material they could find during the final weeks of production.

Seems, then, like the wheels on the majority of two-tone cars were painted to match the main body color (hood and tops of fenders) - unless it was white. Has anybody found a set of wheels on these cars that were painted white by the factory?

What's funny is that years later, the GM cars I remember from the 1960s and into the mid-1970s their had wheels painted same as body color only when they had the small (standard) hub cap, while the wheels on cars with (optional) full wheel were painted black by the factory.

For NONchrome:
Paint the top of the valve cover and the script the color that u want the script to be when finished. LET IT DRY for about a week so that it is NOT SOFT PAINT.
Next, paint the entire valve cover the other colr u want it to be and use a tounge depressor or other flat piece of wood like instrument wrapped with a cloth and dipped in thinner to rub over the top of the script removing the wet paint after each coat. DOn't let the stick and cloth become too moist with thinner nor too caked up with wiped off paint. Experiemnt wit hthe cloth and get the right spongyness to the set up for wiping. Its been several years since i've done this but if i remeber rite i used a flannel shirt cloth wrapped about 3 thicknesses around the sucker stick and kept it only damp with thinner by wrapping it in a wet rag between uses.

Turbopacman, my wheels are untouched originals. The factory was in such a hurry to get them out the door that the back side of the rims are still in factory primer. The back side of my original fender skirts are in primer also.

Bkt off a 55 but there is only one listing in manual for 55-6 compressor with bracket so this is probably it. I have another Lehigh (no mount) that came off a 56 with an ARA trunk system. It has a stamped steel piece bolted to compressor using the round pattern but then a 4 bolt pattern to bracket like a York or Tecumseh would use. I'm thinking that since Stude also used those compressors, maybe the bracket you have came from them or even aftermarket maybe ARA or Frigikool. Perhaps the fellow with the GH can tell us if the oil filter is in same place and how AC was done on the Stude application. If you could post a pict of your bracket, would be most interested. I want to also mount a Sanden and would like to explore options.

THANKS for the pic !!!! I never realized that the bracket was actualy part of the pump.

Question: Is the CAST IRON bracket for 56 ONLY???? I have in my possession (not installed) a steel plate bracket that will fit perfently the Packard V8 (just like the CI bracket) and some how i am under the impression that it is 55 only. Altho It has NO provision for a oil filter.

P1--I figured that might be the case. I've looked at a lot of repainted/restored cars at shows and seen many variations--I thought I'd address the panel to see what the consensus was.

Underside of factory bracket.

Attach file:

---

  (20.19 KB)

For reference, here is stock AC bracket. This is a casting and is part of and forms the bottom of the Lehigh compressor. It bolts to left head in place of oil filter, spans and bolts to thermostat housing. Oil filter then goes on Rt side. No clearance problems with oil filler.

Attach file:

---

  (23.78 KB)

On painting Chrome: I am told by tech at House of Kolor, EastwoodCompany, To paint on Chrome, clean well, spray on their "P-20" then apply any top coat. I think the product is called something like "Adhearall". I'll check and get back!
Dan

pic from right side. NOTE: this is NOT a factory air con bracket but i made it to fit just like the factory bracket including the oil filter. Oil filler tube presented NO problem.

Attach file:

---

  (31.79 KB)