Ross - Thanks for the reply. I checked the vacuum and it is holding at 16-18 inches at idle. I checked intake bolts and carbs and all in order. I switched the control valve on the rear carb with another used unit I had in the bin with no real difference. I will see if Merritt has a NOS unit but I am a bit perplexed. The car is not safe to drive- brakes barely hold at 5-10mph.
I follows the test mode from the manual- pump brake to vent the vacuum, put car in neutral with foot on brake pedal and start engine. Pedal moves a bit but still feels hard to me and .....doesn't stop.
I guess two rebuilt Tredlevacs could be the issue but.....
I will see if a new valve helps but I did not see any difference between the two I tried and vacuum was consistent.
Pedal seems to push smoothly enough and have the apx 1/4 inch free play at the top.
I am not a big fan of single line brake systems and I have experienced brake failures due to blown lines, failed,wheel cylinders and failure of master cylinders, but this is a Caribbean and I am reluctant to convert to a modern unit- particularly since every conversion ends up with a brake pedal arrangement that looks cobbled.
Maybe cut a hole through the floor boards and do a Flintstone?..
Any further help would be appreciated.
Thanks again.
RJR

I have completely rebuilt the brake system on the car- new shoes, hold downs , springs and wheel cylinders from Kanter; rebuilt Tredlevac/ master cylinder from Merritt, new stainless lines. The drums were checked and cleaned. We have bled the system adjusted the shoes per manual and adjusted the emergency brakes, installed all new vacuum hoses and checked for vacuum.
Brakes still feel like power brake unit is not working. The car will stop but not like I would expect - compared to Tredlevac assist on my 57 Lincoln.
I have followed the Service Manual troubleshooting instructions and have pumped the pedal to exhaust vacuum and then started car with foot on the pedal- seems to depress easier than depressing pedal with engine stopped. Pedal seems to operate smoothly without binding and when car is shut off, have about 1/4 inch of free play.
Actually removed a rebuilt T- vac I originally installed fro Tucson Packard which did not appear to be working since could not hear vacuum escaping when pedal pushed when engine was stopped. Had initial clearance problem with shoe on right rear binding on the inside of drum- corrected with minor grinding.
Any hints will be appreciated.
Thanks
RJR

I had similar problem with bad cable for the Caribbean . The fitting on the antenna is the hard part to find. I had cable for the front fender antenna lying around- pretty easy to find. Rather than buy or try to fabricate the long cable, I attached the front fender unit to the antenna and bought a 72"inch cable on eBay for around $6 with free shipping and plugged the old unit into it. The front plug of the new cable went into the radio.
Not original, but radio plays. Probably will never turn it on again since not much I want to hear on AM
Aside from the cost of a rebuilt radio and speaker and two antennas, it may be the most expensive waste of money on the entire project.

I remember the post but may have part you need. I cut quarters off my Caribbean. Wheel well area was shot but tailight area was pretty decent.
How much do you need to repair yours.
Shipping would be biggest issue.
Give a call any evening at 814 248-9140 or send an email to rjrussell13@atlanticbb.net
Can send you a picture.
Free if you can use it but shipping and crating may be a problem. I'm in western PA about 60 miles east of Pittsburgh if you are headed to Hershey , Carlisle or the Nationals at Warren- stop and pick up.

Painting and sanding with 1500 or 2000 grit works . Use a block and be careful. I have also used fine steel wool to remove paint from chrome or stainless. I have had little luck with lacquer thinner since it removes the paint from the channels.
Since you can use fine grit paper to remove scratches from stainless moldings before polishing with a buffer, the shine can be readily restored .
Any way you do it - it's a pain.e

Trying to create an executive convertible would be possible but a daunting task. The front windshield frame of the Caribbean is a three piece unit of cast bronze that is held into the shortened side frames with bolts that were leaded over from the factory. The panel behind the back seat and the trunk is shortened to allow the well for the top- hence the shortened deck lid . The X frame is reinforced as mentioned in the posts but the floor pan is also distinct from the 400 and presumably the Executive and has side bolster boxes that give extra support to the area of the doors. The body bolts directly to the frame without rubber biscuits . The wiring harness would need altered to accommodate the wiring for the top pump and a switch acquired for top operation.
Lots of work to build a car that would be different looking but would end up like the convertible conversions of the Continental Mark II- different but never accepted or valued.
The Caribbean is rough but could be put back in shape with less work and although I doubt that it would generate a profit, it would preserve a car that was the swan song of a great marque.
I hope someone restores it rather than parting it out.
I would like to inspect the car since the standard transmission , if original, would be a rare option on a Caribbean . I know the pedals for the standard go through the floor plate on the Constellarion a friend is restoring that has the standard brakes and the three speed trans. I have not seen a Caribbean with the standard shift nor one without power brakes. Maybe someone has pictures ??

There were only 500 Caribbeans built in 1955. Very few were in solid colors and I doubt that there were many with the standard transmission. The car is in bad shape no doubt but if someone does not step up to restore this car, it will end up like the car that Mike D. parted out.
There is no way to restore a Caribbean today without spending a lot of money. The parts are getting harder to find and the pieces that are unique to the car can be prohibitively expensive. Batwing air cleaners are running over $ 1000 and complete and restored two four set ups are pricier than a decent Comstellarion. A correct interior and top will easily cost $8000. Try to find the antenna masts or the chrome that holds them. The hood and deck lids......when was the last time you saw them on Craig's list or eBay?
The car needs someone with the time to do it right. Completed it may be worth the cost of the restoration, but if not-- who cares?
Anyone who works on old cars- particularly post war Packards- in the belief that they will make money on them may be delusional. We fix old cars because we appreciate the design and engineering and like the idea that we are not driving 57 Chevies or Corvettes.
I have been working on a 55 Caribbean for over 3 years that was pretty much the twin of this car. It will get done some day and I will not keep it in the garage and trailer it to shows. I will drive it to Hershey with a big grin on my face and the wind blowing through the remaining strands of hair on my balding pate.
If I were not in the middle of the current project, I would savor getting this car back on the road. It has every possibility of being as gorgeous as the black 56 shown in the ad--- and rarer for the standard transmission and custom interior.
Those who look at this car as hopeless should clean their glasses. This is the ruby in the bottom of the Cracker Jack box for someone who is willing to do the work.

Howard- Thanks for the quick reply. We opted to pull the steering back down and installed the box and shaft from below to save the paint on the column.
It is in but I am still thinking that the removal from the top as suggested by the Motors Manual may have had some basis. Either way, this would have been a horror show repair when the cars were on the road. With the interior in place or with a car with a hardtop/ headliner to deal with, pulling from the inside would have been a messy project. But, if you were dealing with rusty bolts and old tie rods and steering component, doing it from the bottom could have been nearly as bad.
Guess it is no worse engineering than the tight quarters of today's cars.
Just hope that I never have to do it again..
Thanks again
RJR

I am working on a 55 Caribbean and have encountered a problem in re- installing the steering box. The box and column were removed when we removed the body for media blasting of the frame. At the time of removal, the engine, transmission and exhaust system were out of the car and it came out through the opening in the floorboard upon removal of the brake/ Tredle- Vac unit.
When the frame was blasted and painted, we opted to install the engine, transmission and new exhaust system before putting the body back on the frame. The dash had been removed for painting and replacement of the dash pad and instrument replacement.
Today we finished installation of the dash and endeavored to return the steering column thought the same hole- per the suggestion of the Motors Manual( the Packard service manual will tell you how to rebuild or test the box but is silent on removal or reinstalling).
Guess what- it doesn't work. The steering box will not clear the left exhaust manifold. Trying it from below was no better since the clearance is restricted by the torsion bar and the power,steering assembly.
If there is a way to get clearance without pulling the steering assembly or loosening the motor mounts to jack the engine or removing the exhaust system to pull the left manifold- let me know.
If I do it again I will install the box before installing the engine.
Anyone else have this problem?
RJR

The mechanic you talked to is a thief in coveralls. I am not familiar with the cost of vehicle repairs or paint and body work in Europe but the suggestion that it would entail a fraction of those hours or that much money is absurd. We are currently doing restoration- nut and bolt/ frame off- of a 55 Caribbean and painting and general renovation of a 55 400 series. My friend is doing the body and paint work and I am consigned to mechanical and scud work- finding parts and cleaning and polishing .
My friend is a perfectionist and we have been forced to replace both quarters,one door and the entire front end sheet metal . There is a large amount of work involved but suggesting it will take that many hours is a joke.
The car that you own is not a high dollar item even if completely restored but if it is mechanically sound and you enjoy the car, why consider this proposal.
All good body and paint shops are charging more money these days due to the higher price for materials and the need to deal with environmental regulations that require extra expense.
Why not check around to see if you can locate a good technical school that teaches body and paint work to see if you can get an impartial evaluation of what is actually needed. Some here will actually do the work to afford the students the opportunity to deal with vehicles that are out of the ordinary. There may be training facilities that specialize in classic restorations.
At the very,least - get another estimate or three before abandoning your car.
Good luck.
RJR