Until such time as someone can produce a piece of Packard literature that states that the dual quads were an option on cars other than the Caribbeans, I'd have to see it noted on the build slip to believe that it was original to the car. I have no doubt that some dealers bought the required parts from the factory and made the conversion to satisfy a demanding customer (anything to see a car in those last days); in the absence of a dealer invoice showing this, I think it most likely that the conversions were done after the cars were sold -- certainly the parts were available from SP and then SASCO for many years. Until such time as that piece of factory information legitimatizing dual quads on non-Caribbeans surfaces, the only cars that should have them are engines with the Utica plant "C" prefix.

MAYBE that's why they used two different PS sytems between Jr and Sr????

No, I don't think so. The reason they used both Monroe and Bendix is no doubt the same reason that they used both Autolite and Delco electrics and multiple brands of tires. Not because one is better than the other (remember, in the 40s the Senior cars used Autolite, and in the 50s the Senior cars used Delco). It was a simple matter of protecting yourself against supply shortages such as occured with the shortage of Autolite generators during the 56th series production.

Although the pumps used for the two systems look identical, the pressures are different; 550-800 psi for Bendix and 650-900 for Monroe. Other than that I believe the two systems can be used interchangeably. Sounds to me like someone has mongrelized your system.

The two short hoses (Bendix system) loop downward from the slave cylinder to form a "U" and back up to the control valve. They are quite easily visible under the car without even having to get down in the prone position.

Are you sure someone hasn't installed your slave cylinder upside down? The 2 short hoses shouldn't be even close to the torsion bar.

You mentioned two short hoses, which I take to mean 4 hoses total, and this would be the senior car (Bendix) system, the junior cars using the Monroe system. Pretty common to see Monroe on late numbered 56 senior cars, and I don't really know what would have been original to an Executive. In any case, on my 56 senior the short two hoses from the control valve have no interference issues. I'd offer to go out and take a picture but it's to damn cold in the garage.

JD - the body number you mention below the thief-proof number is the body builder's sequential number, Briggs, Henney, whatever. As I said above, it is not necessarily a match for the VN on the patent plate but is usually within 20 or so numbers. The VN on the build slip should match the number on the patent plate and if not, the car was renumbered.

You didn't mention whether the VN on the patent plate had a -5- inserted between the 2352 and the sequential #. If not, it's a 23rd series 1949 and if so, it's either a re-numbered 49 or a true 1950. But the best clue would be the Briggs body# tag applied by the bodybuilder (Briggs) who numbered the bodies sequentially as they were delivered to Packard; this tag is screwed to the cowl near the heater. Briggs delivered the bodies in small batches to Packard so that number should be within 20 or so of the patent plate number. If not, your car was almost certainly renumbered. Note that this doesn't necessarily apply to early 21st series cars.

West, if I implied in my response over on the AACA forum that the 1st edition of Kimes had a picture of the engine, pardon me, it was a picture of the car itself.

Reputedly the major problem encountered with the engine was torsional lag of the crankshaft between the foremost and last cylinders, but the implications for practical body space on a reasonable wheelbase must have been severe as well. Looking at the wear on tires in the picture of the engine, it would seem the car accumulated only a limited amount of mileage.

Neat little piece of Packard history, that one. And I think it also shows the influence Jesse Vincent had to spend the corporate coffers on such a unusual idea and one that must have seemed impractical, even at the time.

Hi Dan: I've not been very lucky about finding that slip at the gas tank vent; much more often but still not enough to satisfy is finding the build slip glued to the top of the glove box. And on a very few 51/54 cars we've found the build slip behind the rear seat cushion.

Some interesting things happened with the VN numbers in the 1948-50 run. Of course we know that over the 3 years there really were 4 distinct cars, a true 1948, a 1949 22nd series, a 1949 23rd series, and a 1950 23rd series. In order to avoid the inevitable discount for selling a "left over" when the new cars were identical, Packard dealers were able to send the VN tags back to Packard which issued new ones with the -9- or -5- inserted between the 4-digit body type number and the production sequence to make a left over 48 a 22nd series 49, and to make a left over 49 23rd series a 1950. Apparently on occasion the dealers got the plates reinstalled on the wrong vehicles, I have a friend with an Packard where the VN on the patent plate is about 40,000 numbers away front he vehicle number on the build slip.