Maybe a long shot, but there was a clean solid original fairly low (80s?) mile car w/faded paint '56 Executive for sale about a year ago in Phoenix AZ, it was Norwegian Forest and forget if the top & stripe was white or light green. I almost bought it but the idiot backed out and decided to keep it after I'd already over-nighted the deposit towards his full asking price!! and I ended up buying the Clipper Deluxe that I re-sold last fall. The guy owned a golf course equipment repair business, maybe you can trace it, but do beware, he's a proven squirrel.

I think that's Silicon Valley... Silicone Valley might be closer to L.A.

Good luck finding the old family car!

For the door locks, try squirting in some graphite based lubricant, available at NAPA or the like. It should loosen the lock up and make it easy to manipulate! Getting a locksmith is like paying a Dr. for a house call, or even worse, a plumber!!

OK folks, I gotta come out of the closet here... I have to say that IMO the Chaika was actually, in some respects, a better designed car than the Packard/Clipper ... the grille design the Stude looking tailights, the Mopar clone windshield, all were incredibly well executed! Who'da thunk it? ... let the flaming begin!

Is there interest in replacing the missing images of the Packard-clone Soviet cars? Most of them have been removed, making the threads, in the words of another member, a "plucked chicken", with references that go nowhere. The Chaika thread went from 38 to 20 pages and now contains very few images of any kind. IMO it would be worthwhile to restore the reference value of these threads by re-posting some images, from wherever they still exist, the chief raison d'etre for this website being a reference tool for Packard folks, is it not?... just my 2 cents.

Starting around '53/54 the Mopar brands were well known for introducing "Spring Specials" with revised or additional trim and new colors to jazz up sales for the spring selling season. Even new model names, such as the '55 Newport Heron, were introduced. The Executive seems to follow this trend, in a last ditch effort to buck up sales.

Yet the K-F/AMC V-8 was reliable right out of the gate, by all accounts, not something that could ever be said about Packard's, unfortunately.

Wow, even NY is easy compared to that, we just take in a tracing. Had to do it with my MG. VT is even easier, they don't even title anything over 10 yrs old, you just take in a bill of sale with VIN on it and you get a temp reg, then a perm reg card in the mail. Good luck with the Verifier!

Many of the images and links that were once here on these ZIL/ZIS/Chaika threads were lost, and along with that, much of its' potential usefulness as a reference. Is it possible that a sticky with images of all of the various models of the Soviet made Packard-like cars might be created here? It would be a great resource.

On a similar note, I'd like to acquire, for my auto brochure collection, originals or sharp reproductions of Chaika and ZIL
factory brochures. Does anyone know of a source for these?

Gary, I, and others I'd assume, would like to see pics of your upcoming project, why not post some, as Ross has sent you, on a Project Blog as mentioned above. We all can then make recommendations and suggestions, and and you can feel free to ask away on whatever you need info on pertaining to your car.