As for "hood flutter", all I have to say to that is "blah". I've never experienced it in my '56 Patrician, even at speeds deemed illegal. I would say that one person bought a lemon and it's tainted they're experience for the whole brand.

Here's a '56 plate, albeit it's been painted over:

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For those looking for hubcap touchup, PAC also still advertises the accessory red Scotchlite reflective hexagons. Might be an option for some.

It's nothin', just means I'm "long winded"!

Sharp eyes, everybody, and a good thing to know for those who show for points. Packard was really spot-weld-happy. At least in the V8 years. I remember pulling a fender off a parts car--not only do they have a generous number of welds, but also quite a few bolts. For those unconvinced of the sturdiness and well-built designs of these post-war Packards, just try to take one apart some time!

And I heard mention somewhere, from someone, something harsh about lack of hood bracing and hood "flutter" in Packards.

I drove 2 of the '55s over "washboard" dirt roads many times with nary a flutter in either vehicle. Just a nice trailing throttle four-wheel drift through the turns--with virtually no lean or pitch. You might say, "I was there."

The hoods were made of a heavy enough gauge steel and were fit precisely enough to eliminate the need for bracing to prevent flutter. Now some postwar Packards may be different, I only testify for the V8s.

I just thought that should be set straight.

I add this in good humor with an emphasis on fair debate. And heck, it's partially on topic.

But I still can't understand why the empty holes in the door jamb plates and in the door jambs.

Excellent point!

Also, the ribbed hoses will fatigue and break off the radiator snouts over a period of time. I've used them for temporary repair or in cases of streight-length application like on some flat head fords but they should really be avoided when they have to conform to a shape that stresses them to any significant extent past their free shape.

West, memory is a bit fuzzy here but I also have seen the AC script on both the sidemount cover and hood side cover on 1941 models, but I don't think I've seen it at all on the 1940 models.

Sorry we didn't get a chance to meet in Hershey.

I believe the 55/56 plates are the same and have a location for paint and interior trim codes. The word "Packard" is reduced in size from 1954 and is in the center with the vehicle number above it and the paint and trim codes below. Also somewhere in the 50s, perhaps 51-52 or perhaps just early 1951, the tag was larger, silkscreened in black and was somewhat similar only smaller than the cowl-mounted plates used thru 1950.

BTW, though no doubt enforcement in the hobby is probably nil, tampering with VIN plates is a violation of federal law.

When I still have the correct size/shape hose but it's old beyond use, I just take it to the local auto parts store where the owner is kind enough to let me rattle around thru the hundreds that are in stock, and invariably I find a hose with a suitable section in it, buy it and just off off the unwanted end(s). Also, if you got the wrong part from Kanter, you should have called them and returned it for either the correct one, or a refund.

I just abhor those ribbed "one size fits all" hoses, to me they show an owner too lazy to do it right to attend to the smaller details - make you wonder how much attnetion he paid to the big issues.