14 quarts is a lot of oil--then and now. Wonder if that the normal capacity or something special just for break in. Always heard those sleeve valve engines were supposed to be better than "ordinary" ones. Sure doesn't sound like it if they have to be babied like that. Packard, in their 1928 manual, says prolonged high or low speed should be avoided for first 500 miles. On the Packard, wonder what is worse--lower oil pressure & splash from the idle & low speeds or the babbitt bearings suffering from high speed.

I think BH is right. Not enough red for opal or pink for quartz. I played with an image and by only making the grass greener, it changed the car color so it looks extremely close to the sardonyx chip.

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Quote: I really like the looks of the entire ZIL car but kind of a tossup on the lites. Will admit to preferring the 56 Packard lite with hexagon over the 55 "V" though, & will agree on the bumpers. The slit looks out of place. Is that a third lens on the ZIL or an optical delusion?

Might check out the 55 dealer album for possibilities.https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/article/view.article.php?174
Could also be fire opal with a slim possibility of sardonyx instead of the rose. Opal & white was a standard two tone combination whereas the quartz was supposedly a Caribbean accent color only. Having said that though, there used to be a quartz and white 400 here in town, and believe me, that was pink! Could see it coming a block away. Didn't think, care or know enough to check tag when car around to see if original--but don't think so based on vaguely remembered conversations. Hard to say about the CB antenna-- although that was the rage in the time period picture was taken.

Quote: Frankly, I don't know. This whole thread has wandered between Patricians, 300's, Customs, Cavaliers, chrome, paint and whatever.

This brochurehttps://www.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/1952_PatricianBrochure.pdf also calls the 52 a Patrician 400

The only specs I could find are for the twin ultras and that is 1.82:1 for low and 1.63:1 for reverse. Since all the transmissions, planetary wise, are virtually the same would bet the ratios for all are extremely close to those numbers. Some of the service counselors have an engine to wheels ratio so trans ratio could be figured out using the standard rear end ratio given.

I was going to guess some kind of guide the driver put on to keep his foot on the pedal instead of flopping over toward the tunnel and pressing against that instead but 55 PackardGuys explanation is as good as any. Think we can all agree it wasn't stock..

Well, looks like the 54 clippers have an ashtray where one switch used to go. Don't know about a template but the instructions and dimensions for earlier are on page 7 and on page 9, fig24 of accessories section of SM is a drawing of both speaker and antenna sw location. The curve on the bezel looks like there is only the one choice unless room for both side by side.

I think the drawing is correct. Prior to 55-6 parts book, there was only one pedal option and was same for both clutch & brake. All 55 & 5640-60 also used that same one. Then came a separate pedal with a 56 number to be used with Ultra for 5640-60. Since normally standards were not installed on the senior cars, that is probably why the number didn't extend to 5680. Seems to me, that sounds like they did make the change for 56. At least that's my theory and I'm sticking with it.