For what it's worth, I liked the 1955 ornament better because it still tried to resemble an actual bird, with definable eyes, beak and wings. Unfortunately, it can't be determined if it is truly a pelican derived from the Packard family crest or a Kirtland double-breasted ruby throated warbler. Or, a sparrow.

I do like the extended lines of the 1956 ornament, as they give more of a feeling of speed and modern elegance to the car, but it might just as well have been one of Gene Roddenberry's prototypes for the USS Enterprise. There's really nothing to the ornament's shape that suggests a living, flying bird. A ninja attack weapon or gigantic pickle fork, maybe, but a bird, not so much.

I find it interesting that the CCCA accepts the 2103 Super Clipper as a Full Classic and the Milestone Car Society accepts the 22nd and 23rd Customs and 2106 Custom Super Clipper but excludes the 2103 Super Clipper. Have you contacted the CCCA and asked how to apply to have the 1948 Custom convertible added?

I fully understand why the Custom Eight sedans were not considered ie. there is no pre war carry over.Packard, however, failed to make a pre war or post war Clipper Convertible.The post war Custom Eight Victoria is the closest thing to a pre war 160 Convertible and possibly a better built car.Why can't the CCCA expand there horizons a little?

Great pics Tom. Thanks for sharing.

Belt line, window trim and side fender trim are all stainless as they are pretty basic stampings. But usually the front grill pieces, emblems, scripts, headlight rings, parking and tailight housings, door and window handles are made of chrome plated potmetal. Basically if it's pitted and rusted, it's potmetal (or steel in the bumpers). If it's just dull with no pits or rust, then it's probably stainless.

Pat-

Is this your car from Empire of the Sun? 2 hours 6 minutes into the movie, Scene 38, Olympic Stadium.

From the novel:
"An hour after nightfall they reached a football stadium on the western outskirts of Nantao. This concrete arena had been built on the orders of Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, in the hope that China might be host to the 1940 Olympic Games. Captured by the Japanese after their invasion in 1937, the stadium became headquarters for the war zone south of Shanghai"

The stadium was also used to store what was looted from the wealthy foreigners' homes. The treasures had no use to the Japanese therefore they were left.

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To add to what Dave said. Some of the service manuals also have information on mounting dealer installed accessories. The STB/SCs also included some of this information.

Try and find someone who found a Packard accessory mirror in the original box; it may contain the template for locating the mirror. This is how Packard did in the later years.

But if there was no template and since most (perhaps all) were dealer-installed, I'd suspect the dealer put you in the seat and selected a position based on your individual physique and choice of seat position.

Nice website, Carl

We will try not to fiht over DVDs. Most of these movies may not be on VHS even.

DanL

Warning, warning, warning!

Expect a rise in video/DVD rentals of "Empire of The Sun" following Pat's post. I can see Packards owners fighting in the aisles of video stores over the last one available!

And Pat, as a result of ALL this free publicity, your "residuals" will rise accordingly.