Enough of me wagging the keyboard.

Here are all of the interior dash photos 'before' I moved her to Florida...

The garage was dark, the windows were dirty, and 'stuff' was sitting on the hood. Real barn find conditions, but it was just at my Dad's house.

-zeroCool

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Ernie Vitucci,
I believe that Uncle Larry became semi-retired in 61 and no longer needed the "salesman's" car. He had a GMC truck and my Great Aunt's car (maybe an Oldsmobile) available. It was my dad who 'moved' the ignition switch out of the normal position. I found it still wired up behind the dash. I had just bought a temporary 'compatible' switch and was sizing it up when I reached up under/behind the dash and felt the original. Made me feel silly (but happy) to spend the $30 and then find the original under there. Although the keys are still missing. Maybe that is why the switch is displaced, so Dad could jumper/hotwire it. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, Dad drove/moved it from Great Uncle Larry's garage to his garage in ~1984. The tires are 95% bald and the brakes were scary when Dad moved it. Maybe those were contributing factors that got the girl parked away.

Kevinpackard,
I admit that I posted the 'good' side of the ol'Girl. There are cracks in the enamel nitrocellulose lacquer, stains in the paint, wrecked and unnoticeable repair of the trunk lid, and several patches of white rattle can touchups here and there. ...But stand back while she is freshly washed and not dried, and she looks amazing. I also always loved the 'white jade/zircon/sapphire' combo.

'Let the ride decide',
As I said above, I will do my best to be the caretaker of my Great Uncles car. It was like opening a time capsule with wheels. I will post pictures of the trunk contents after I picked the lock. (It was really amazing and kinda musty.) I will petition WAVEtv for access to the video clip. I'm dying to find out if I can make out Great Uncle Larry or the car!


So the trunk was full of brick samples. Did I say that my Great Uncle was a brick yard operator / sales man? There were trade magazines, small amount of business correspondence, a spare tire that looks better than the four on the pavement, two florescent bulbs and some unopened auto supplies and the bumper jack still in the cardboard box.

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acolds,
Preserve is my intention. I'll post more of the 'before' pictures.

Ross,
"Original and correct" is my main goal, but I want to be able to drive it in a parade without the need for a tow half way. If I said 'restore' it is just my ignorance of the proper terms. I do want to 'preserve' as much as possible. I also am now aware of the term 'survivor classic car.' There will be a number of people that will have the opinion that I will devalue the car by cleaning the patina (dirt) off. Well the spider webs had to go, and the mildew surely added little value.

I am under full understanding that I am now the current caretaker of this historical beauty. She is not going to get a face lift, but I will apply a lot of a beauty cream and a touch Botox to get her presentable.

Odometer and last service sticker...

33,506 miles and last serviced 11-27-61 at 33,337 miles.

Its not due for an oil change yet?!? just kidding!

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On the trailer for the trip south.

The tubeless tires actually have tubes in them and hold air. Uncle Larry did not trust the new tubeless tires of the time and had tubes installed.

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Here she is in the garage where she sat since ~1984.

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Hello everyone. I'm new to being a Packard owner, and have been lurking on the site over the past few years.

The short story of me becoming the owner of this old girl, is that I inherited her from the first owner, my great uncle, indirectly. He was the last to use it as a daily driver. He parked it in his garage in 1961 eight years before his death in 1969. It later passed to my Mother after his wife passed, and then to my Father, and now to me.

This car was purchased in Louisville Kentucky by my great uncle. The 1955 Caribbean was a rather special car in its time. This one was actually part of the first Pegasus Day Parade in 1956 preceding Derby Day held at Churchill Downs race track in Louisville.

My Great uncle owned several brick yards in the Louisville area, and this Caribbean became a brick salesman's car. The trunk still has sample bricks and some business correspondence in it.

This last October, I moved the Caribbean from Louisville to Jacksonville Florida with the intent to restore her to her former glory and participate in a parade again. I have my eyes set on something like the Veteran's day parade with beauty queens sitting atop the back seat waving to the crowds.

The car is 99.7% complete. She is missing the ignition switch and lock, the glovebox lock, and the rear fender skirts. (does that sound like 0.3%?) She needs lots of care an cleaning. She will need to be woken up slowly and carefully. All of her systems will need to be gone through completely.

In the time I have been following the site, I have seen an abundant of knowledge and advice on Packard's and how to keep them on the road. I will try to absorb as much of this as possible before asking for advice myself. This site/community is a real asset that I will rely on.

The attached picture of my Great Uncle Larry and his car as it is now after the trip to Florida.

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