Well I figured it was time to update my project blog:

The PI Swap Meet ended up being a sucessful treasure hunt for my '54 Clipper Project. I was able to pickup a Carb rebuild kit for my Carter WGD 2102S. The kit was $50 and is made by Daytona Products. It looks to be a pretty complete kit.

I also found 4 rims off of the same '53 Clipper for less than the price of buying one of them from a part house. My car had two 15" rims and two 14" rims when I got it. This now gives me a 15" spare tire, and also 1 extra rim. The 14" will find a good home somewhere. I just need to buy 2 more 15" tires now. I have to buy two 15" tires and two 14" tires when I moved the car here from the old house. But before I do that I will take they 4 new rims and get them sandblasted and painted. Once that is done then I will worry about the tires.

I also found a new bumper guard cross bar. The one that came with the car was pretty dented. The entire grille on my car was bad when I got it. It looked like some kids had kicked it in while it was stored for so many years outside. I found a complete good grille shortly after I bought the car, but I still needed that cross-bar. So I was glad to find this for only $30.

I also picked up a brand-new reproduction battery retainer that was sold by the San Deigo PI chapter. My car came with the classic Billy Bob n' Cooter bungee cord retainer.

My tax return check came in today, so I was off to Sears to buy me a real compressor for the garage. I wanted something that would be powerful enough to run most shop tools without a problem, and also not rattle my wifes dishes off the wall in the kitchen when running. Also since my house was built in the mid 50's the electrical in the garage is not what one would call optimal. So this compressor had the best features, electrical requirements (115 15amp), and was in my price range.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00919541000

It also got great reviews from people that have bought it. While it may not be a good choice to use for media blasting, I think it will work for most other home shop tasks. I went to the store and looked at all the models, and the old-timer that has worked at this Sears for 20+ years recommended this one. He let me plug all the different compressor in and run them, and this was by far the quietest and smoothest running. The compressor is actually made by Devilbliss, but rebadged as a Craftsman product. Porter Cable also has a model that is very similar that is also made by Devilbliss. The salesman confided in me to stay away from the red craftsmen compressors. He said that while they work, and are usually cheaper, then are not of the same quality as the black craftsmen compressors. The online reviews seam to support that. I bought the compressor, but it was not in stock, so they had to order it for me. It will be in next week. I also like this design as it will fit under the workbench that runs the length of the wall in my garage. The upright style would have created a space problem in the garage. Also this compressor is 240 convertible once I get the A/C in the garage updated.

Finally I will be able to get some real work done in the garage!!!

Big Kev -

Glad you liked those pictures, and I hope other fans of mid-fifties Packards will enjoy them as well.

I've had these three pix for almost 20 years, but just couldn't decide where they'd be most appreciated, and least subject to piracy. Submitted at only 480-pixels wide, someone would have to be awfully stupid to try and make a fast buck off of these - especially when I have 'em in 8x10 (though not for sale).

Given the length of time that I've had these photos, the presence of the date card in the foregorund of a setting that is known to be "factory", and a few corroborating views of the Clipper and Four Hundred that have been published elsewhere, I am confident that these are not another example photoshopped phakery - likk we've seen in that terrible article on the 1965 V12 Revival that was published by both PAC and SDC.

There is a lot more to the story of the proposed Packards for 1957, which was part of a grand shared-body concept between the Packard, Clipper, and mainstream Studebaker lines, which included a revival of the Coupe Express model (think ElCamino or Ranchero). This was aimed at achieving some economies of scale and bringing costs in line, while evolving distinctive and competitive styling and engineering.

In fact, in the April 23, 1956 issue of TIME magazine, it was reported that troubled S-P was planning "only a face lifting of its Packard models for next year", but still had "hopes to rush through retooling of its highest-priced line and bring out at least one model like the Predictor".

In the July 23, 1956 issue, reporting on a "rescue" by Curtiss-Wright, TIME advised that S-P would "probably stop making Packards for a year, (and) wait until 1958, when it can develop an interchangeable body shell with Studebaker along the lines of its Packard Predictor dream car".

Then, in the Septemeber 10, 1956 issue, TIME reported that while the S-P would "start turning out either face-lifted 1956 model or redesigned and upgraded Studebaker bearing Packard name" by January, a "completely new model based on (the) experimental Predictor would come out in 1958".

Clearly, someone in authority (then) still held out hope that these clays would become a reality, but it was all downhill for the Packard brand after 1956.

Gee, imagine the fun we could have with a flux capacitor.

Thanks to Clipper47 (Dave) for spear-heading the effort in identifing most of the Picutres I took at the Swapmeet.

Thanks to John also for his continued help and support.

I can point the camera and take the picutres, but dont ask me to tell you what the heck I just took a picture of.

I knew that Cord was a Cord as the front end was pretty much a dead give away, but I couldnt tell you any more than that.

I'm glad we have people here that are far better in playing 'Name that Model', than me.

Brian,

Those 1957 Proposed Packard model pictures you uploaded to the Factory Pictures section are great. If only S/P produced those instead of the rebadged Studebakers for 1957, maybe the future would have been different.

Great photos!

For those that have not seen those yet here is the link:

https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/myalbum/viewcat.php?cid=64

I went ahead and fixed the photos that had comments left on them. If any one knows what the other unidentified models are please add a comment to the actual picture as this makes it easier for me to match them all up without making a mistake.

Thanks again,

-Kev

Quote:

Well the deal was to good to pass up for a set of 4 of them. I got them cheaper then probably I could have had them shipped to me from Kansas.

But thanks for trying to get those for me.

John, Don't bother I see the trunk lid. Well I did say it might be a '37 812 so I wasn't wrong just hedging my bet.

CLIPPER47: No time to explain tonight. Will post tommorow night the differnce between the 810 and 812 Cord. There is trunk on that Cord you to have a sharp eye to spot the truck. No I am not drunk.

John F. Shireman

Picture 1 is of 1937 Cord 812 Beverly because of the becasue of the visible truck.

John, Would you please say that I again? I don't see a truck anywhere in the picture? LOL

Ok.

Well if anyone comes across a step plate that mounts to the rear bumper. I just found out my car is suppose to have one.

Thanks