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I always thought that, too! Sadly, a race driver with real experience with V8 Packards, even running at NASCAR as well as dirt tracks with a '55 Clipper Panama maintains that you just couldn't get the T-L set up right for optimum performance. The Panama retained its spring suspension. (See Pics at right of the late Jack Harlin's #50, if they are still there. Otherwise, go to the Packard Pictures 1955 folder.

Below is Jack's verbatim answer when I suggested to him that T-L would've been the hot setup at the track.

THIS IS LONG BUT GREAT HISTORY FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH:

HA I wish U luck in finding a Packard that raced let alone one with torsion Hope U do find out as I would like to know also.
We took the TL 56 to Darlington & it was a joke more or less. To give U a run down on Packards in racing. Since I wasnt doing a very good job we got Buck Baker to take it out. After 8 laps he brought it back & said if U guys make the race Im going to give U all the room I can & get away from it. We lowered the rear, cut the TL switch & I got black flagged.
Pit boss, Brunner, said the rear springs were broken, fix or leave the track.When told no springs on it he looked underneath . We leveled it out & when it raised up he thought we were a bunch of Yankees that modified a car that wasnt stock & red tagged us. They called the P dealer in Atlanta, to find out if a production car, or we modified it. Imagine now this was NASCAR not a local track. Any way no other Ps at that time were raced. Remember they were still fighting the Mason Dixon line back then & Junie Donlevy from Va. was furthest one North besides us from Harrisburg, Pa. This was a "good O'le Boys" group then.
I only told U this as to finding any that raced. We had the only P in local races also.

The # 50 had regular suspension. I think I mentioned we installed heavier coil springs from a Henny ambulance.
We bought a totaled 56 Clipper 2dr. HT with TL to race. Didnt matter what we did it just wouldnt handle. Both of us been in racing since 1947 running Ford coupes, & no stranger in setting them up, even though each required a different approach.
True torsion in race cars have 2 bars in front & rear, mounted side to side, & adjusting them at the opposite end. In other words the bar for RF wheel is adjusted at LF end of it.
If U adj. more weight in RF, it changes wt. in LR wheel also, & LF gets lighter along with RR. Thats why a scale is used under the wheels to go back & know what U have. Different tracks different setting like gear changes. With 8 to 12 lbs air in tires plus stagger on rear tires it becomes a science getting the proper balance hard to tacky tracks & choosing all these settings for last laps of race cause tracks change during the race. NO such control Of Packards TL A lot more involved than this but U get the idea. Jack

To all long-distance Packard drivers and Road-Trippers in general:

This thread was inspired by Kev when we started to talk about past and future ideas for Road Trips, especially those dealing with Route 66 or other famous routes. I'd especially like to hear about Lincoln Highway and Highwy 61 trips, which I would like to do someday.

I thought it would be nice to open it up here for discussion of Packard Road Trips as well as trips taken or planned in other, undoubtedly inferior makes.

Funny stories, mishaps, and narrow escapes are fair game, as well as carefully planned and marvelously successful journeys.

We could include:

1. Longest Road Trip in a Packard!
2. Best mileage you recorded in a day.
3. Farthest distance traveled in one day.
4. Fastest average speed in one day.
5. Funniest police encounter... traffic ticket from admiring cop, etc.
6. Special things that happened because you were on the road in a Packard

The first 4 include several sub-categories for including "awards" for brass era, pre-war, post-war, and V8 models.

Road-trippin'-- and American tradition that could be in danger if we don't do our part. The hell with the economy, we can travel like Okies and survive on the kindness of strangers... hey, another category!

Hope this strikes some as good winter entertainment.

(I'll wait for someone else to start before blopping my own little adventure here. It's not a Packard story, but I've got a lot of them from when I was a kid.)

Here's a pic some of you might recognize--maybe from personal experience:

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Kev,

Thanks for your kind words-- I think I have an idea for the thread and can move my post if I can figger out how. If you like, you can add your Route 66 posts over there and we can get something going.

My Subject idea is "Best Road Trips" for Packards and More. Look for it over on the General Board.

Kev,

Re Route 66

Several years ago I was traveling from MN to AZ and stopped at the Route 66 Museum in Clinton OK. I think almost anyone would enjoy that museum. They have much memorabilia, a film with lots of history, collector cars, etc. One of the nicest things they have is outside. It's one of the original cement mixers used on the highway--yes, they towed these things along and mixed the sections of good portland cement as they went. It is a long Rube Goldberg-ish contraption that is quite fascinating. I'm glad they put it out front, because without those machines and the crews that labored to lay down each section by hand, there would be no Route 66.

Also available at the Clinton museum is a little free "newspaper" publication that gives hints on how to find sections of the real "old road."

Some sections of the REAL Old 66 run just north and parallel to the blacktop of the so-called "Old 66". I kept looking to the right in that direction and noticed a flat area where there were several car tracks cutting across a weedy field.

I drove right off the blacktop and across the field about 1/4 mile to a very nice section of Old 66! One reason I think it hits those small towns is because it often runs right alongside of the RR tracks--another hint of how to find it, look for the tracks. The amazing thing is, although there were weeds growing in the expansion joints, the squares of cement pavement were PERFECT. No cracks at all to speak of.

One reason it's so hard to see these sections from the asphalt 66 is there are trees growing on both sides of the old road, draping right across it. I had my Dakota, which has been in the woods a lot, so I was determined to take it right through this canopy and really Drive Route 66 for a few hundred yards. It was an amazing experience, especially when you considered the people of Oklahoma just getting started on their journey in the Depression. I walked in the "ditch" between the road and the tracks and just imagined how many people changed tires, fixed engines, or just had picnic lunches there... it was like you could still feel them.

I have some pics somewhere and if you're interested will share some.

I'm sure the road marked as "Old Route 66" now goes over much of the real old road's pavement, but there are "virgin" slices of Route 66 like the one I found in quite a few places. Even the freeway kind of follows it, sometimes to the north, sometimes to the south--it crosses back and forth under the freeway, and there are exits for 66 marked occasionally that will put you on the "new old 66" but don't be fooled by cheap imitations, find the true Mother Road.

I'd like to do the Lincoln Highway some day too. Also, Highway 61 (revisited) goes through St. Paul near here, and that's another trip... Thunder Bay Ontario to New Orleans.

(I know this isn't exactly on--topic, but the Webmaster started it!

BH wrote:
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Brian,

That was my impression, too. The whole rear from the door jambs back hangs down. Not a pleasing stance.

Hm, 30 minutes in traffic and the brakes lock "on", wait 90 minutes and they "unlock" all by themselves.

Could this be a heat problem?

Using the brakes "in traffic" for 30 minutes would mean applying them several times. We know the brake fluid, shoes and drums would heat up some, but could anything in the system expand enough to lock the brakes in the "on" position?

Morgan, are there any peculiar conditions present on that fateful last application of the brakes?

And what about driving it without applying the brakes for 30 minutes. Do they lock up then?

When they lock, have you ever felt the rims for heating, like from a binding shoe?

Shoot, sorry. I didn't notice that showed up on two of my posts. They'll be edited.

If you reply to a post with a different Subject line (like I must have), your post will carry it on unless you change it.

I know, this is probably "old news" to most, but the confusion caused shows that it's a good rule of thumb to check. (Watch. I'll be the next one to do it again.)

If y'all really need to know what that darn deal on the firewall is, just go to the original listing link below and contact the owner/dealer.

(Notice I got the price wrong, too. It's a mere $22,000. But again, a nice "looker" in a lot of ways):

http://www.autotraderclassics.com/details?adId=90327851

Don't know, don't know, don't know.

Just posting the link.

Here's an address for a nice pic of a 1955 400 AC setup.

Note: This car is pretty, but it's been up for sale for $29K for a long, long time.

http://images.traderpub.net/img/10/dealer/4012540/90327851_5.jpg

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Thanks for the extra detail on the chrome strip. I agree on the planet thing. I can't imagine why it was never given even an unofficial name, or why it's seldom commented upon. You might even think "satellite" if it hadn't been introduced two years before Sputnik! But, the "Planet Ornament" sound pretty good. Or "The Orbit."

As for the '55 "bird" I don't remember seeing any eyes on it. They did make an attempt at giving it a pouch-like curve under the sculpted head. One thing about it, though, the wing tips were really sharp. Not only in terms of looks, but physically, hand-gougingly sharp!

I may appreciate the '56 senior version a little more if I "lived with" one for a while. It's hard to really get a good look from photos of what basically is a piece of sculpture.

The move to a simple badge on the Caribbean was a great idea. A hood ornament would have looked pretty strange between those racy scoops.