I am pleased to report that the spring is now installed! I can feel it pulling the handle back to horizontal after it is twisted to the left. I also cleaned the toggle mechanism and lubricated it with PB Blaster. Now the handle does stay out when pulled, but most times it will retract if you hit the handle with your palm without twisting the handle to the left. I'll be rechecking and adjusting the system as part of a spring checkup.

Big Kev, if you're looking to get that spring, I found it at Kanter's. It wasn't cheap at $25.00, but it is NOS and showed no signs of ever being used. The rep. at Kanter told me they hadn't sold one since 1992, so it's certainly not a fast-selling item for them. It is a stiff little spring; I couldn't extend, bend or twist it using just my fingers. I doubt you could find a spring at an auto supply or hardware store that would perform its function.

Thanks to everyone who responded, attached files, and shared their expertise. Is Packard Info a great community or what?

Thank you for your inputs, Big Kev and Howard. The cotter pin that is in the handle rod end is there in error. My theory is that the prior owner's painter (who did an otherwise beautiful job) broke, lost, or just forgot the handle to toggle spring when he took the handle/rod assembly off of the car to paint the handle; the cotter pin wrongly was put on in place of the spring. This pin is malleable as Big Kev mentions but the longer leg is kinked so it isn't going to be easy to remove, it'll probably have to be broken off.

Howard, the technical bulletin you attached gives me a perfect view; thanks for posting it. I have the 54th series bulletins that had nothing about this in them, but I didn't think of looking at earlier bulletins. As you mention, the toggle to relay lever (bellcrank) rod is correctly fastened with cotter pins at its' top and bottom. This rod appears to have been undisturbed since it was assembled at the East Grand Blvd. factory.

I will post an update when I finish attaching the spring.

Well, another mystery solved! Thank you, Randy for providing the photo with such clear and concise captions. The dash handle rod end on this car has a cotter pin through it right now, which would seem to be correct. However, the parts list doesn't list a cotter pin for use with the handle so this pin doesn't belong there. I can see the toggle to handle spring ends are oriented to fit through the rod and engage the bottom of the toggle. The longer spring in the shop manual illustration has to be the toggle latch spring, which is already in place on my car. Once I get a chance to remove the cotter pin and install the toggle to handle spring, I'll post another message here.

Thank you, Ozstatman for your welcoming message from halfway around the world! I have followed through on your invitation and submitted this car's info to the registry.

The hand brake isn't working on this car. The cables pull, the shoes seem to grip, but the brake won't hold. Also, I don't hear or feel any ratcheting action when pulling the handle. I found that the toggle to handle spring shown as group 1.1045 on Plate 40 of the Parts List was missing. I've purchased this spring; now the mystery is just where this spring fastens. Plate 40 shows it floating in space below the toggle assembly, so that's no help. The illustration in the Shop Manual (page 1 of the brakes section) compounds the mystery. It seems to show it attached to the toggle where the rod going down to the relay lever is cottered. On this car, the rod's cotter pin and a washer are flush against the toggle body, with no wiggle room to fasten a spring to. The illustration also shows the toggle spring bottom end attached to a much larger coil spring that is just dangling there, unfastened to anything at its' bottom end. I've been unable to find a listing for this spring anywhere in the parts list.

So to me, the mysteries are where the toggle spring is fastened, the approximate size of the unlisted spring and where its' bottom end fastens. Does anyone have solutions to these mysteries? Thanks.