My own experience with the heat riser on my V8 Caribbean is that I omitted the entire unit when I installed a new exhaust system, and I regret it. The car is very "balky" for a few minutes until it begins to warm up, even with ambient temperatures as high as the 60s. I intend to reinstall it.

If your car is hard to start when hot, first thing I'd check is to see if there is fuel in the float chamber (just peek down the venturi and actuate the accelerator pump)and the choke is open. If yes, though you should have a free or at least frozen in the open position heat riser, I'd next suspect a deteriorating coil. Heat riser is open when the counterweight is in the down position. BTW, you didn't say what engine you had but a heat shield between the manifolds and carburetor is correct for most if not all 356 engines.

If the "extra nipple" you're referring to is brass or copper, very small diameter, about 1/2 inch long, at about the center of the motor and facing the driver's side, it's an air vent, not a location for a connection. Perhaps someone else will be able to help you with the balance of the problem as I've never had problems with the wipers. If it appears the motor itself needs service, I highly recommend Ficken wiper service, they've been in this business for decades and provide excellent service. They are a Hemmings advertiser.

A standard "manifold" wrench does the trick on those two lower manifold studs.

RedRon, perhaps one reason you didn't get much of a response is that overheating queries are so common that there really isn't any new ground to explore, so the same responses have been given over and over and over again. Perhaps some just get tired of repeating the same old info for those who don't search first.

That said, let me just reiterate some of the overheating culprits again. Retarded timing, blown headgasket, cracket head or block, excessive water pump impeller clearance or broken impeller, faulty thermostat, collapsed or soft radiator hoses, clogged water distribution tube, inadequate radiator flow rate (clogged), excessive scale build-up on water jackets, excessive bent or broken fins on radiator, or obstructed air flow, collapsed muffler internals and/or undersize tail pipe or exhaust pipe. In perhaps 75% of times it will be either a leaking headgasket or bad radiator.

Have you run the engine hot with the thermostat open and checked for gas bubbles in the top radiator tank (blown gasket or cracked head or block). Or you can use a sniffer and check for carbon monoxide. Have you checked the flow rate of the radiator - should be in the vicinity of 25-28 gallons per minute gravity flow.

I just want to add a little emphasis to Clipper47's comments about the distribution tube. It's purpose is to direct cool water flow, and most importantly to the hotest part of the engine, the exhaust valve seats. If it becomes filled with sludge and crap, a possible result is a cracked block, often between the exhaust valve seat and the cylinder. By all means despite the pain, remove it and clean or replace it.

Randy, my 56 Caribbean rear shocks are Gabriel 82066, and fronts are Gabriel 45653, gas filled as I remember. But if you just make note of the upper and lower mounting style, and the minimum compressed and maximum extended length, any auto parts guy "worth his salt" will give you all the alternatives.

Randy, my 56 Caribbean, a "late" (post #250) car, has the brace on both sides and I do believe the parts book calls for 2 per car so I think that clears that up. As to the really good question of whether its use was related to the heavier hoods used on Caribbeans, it would be enlightening to see if the 51-54 standard convertibles, and the 53-54 Caribbeans, had the same bracing. I think we'd all enjoy some feedback on this.

As to the fiberglass hood that was observed, the only postwar Packard I'm aware of that used a fiberglass hood was the '54 Panther Daytona and with only 4 made, I doubt there were many spares produced.

I'm quite certain the 53/54 Caribbean hoods were modified standard steel hoods, with the air scoop section added and leaded; thus the need for the hood support rods. 1955 hoods may indeed also contain considerable lead as they too have the support rods which 1956 Caribbean hoods don't; 56 hoods are VERY much lighter than 55s. Someone who has stripped a 55 hood in the course of repainting could confirm this.

Adding a frame-to-engine ground somewhere unobtrusive might be a good idea but really isn't generally needed because of two reasons: (1) there are MANY points of metal-to-metal attachment of car bodies to frames (for example, all the body mounting bolts), and (2) very few cars (our TL equipped V8 Packards the exception) have any electrical components that are frame-mounted. One the other hand the engine-to-body ground strap is important because once batteries moved out from under the front seat, they were generally grounded to the engine block and the driveline, being mounted in rubber mounts and further isolated by lubricants and moving connections, can easily lack a good ground. Another place to consider adding a ground is the gas tank; in restoration often the frame is heavily painted as is the tank, which itself is often isolated with webbing in the straps or retainers. If the fuel line (which is the tank ground) is interrupted for an in-line electric pump installed with rubber tubing connections, then this ground is lost. In such cases I usually install a ground from one of the fuel sender capscrews to a convenient frame rail.