I just received a revulcanized front set from Steele for the 55 Patrician I am (slowly) restoring. They look very good. I have always had good luck with Steele rubber and I imagine they do the motor mounts for Kanter too.

It looks like a factory conversion to me. Note the nonstandard hubcaps.

I read about people having problems with their T/L system. What always amazed me is how little trouble I have had with two T/L Packards, considering that the system is 50 years old and hasn't been serviced by a Packard dealer since about 1957.

The Studebaker President was the top of the line Studebaker in the 30's and had a straight eight engine. The last straight eight President was the 1942 model and the line was not carried over after the war. In 1955 the President line was again offered as the top of the line Studebaker with a V8 engine. The 57 Clipper was a restyled Studebaker President with a 289 V8 and a supercharger. Same horsepower as the 56 Clipper, but much lighter and therefore faster.

Am I the only one to notice how much better the 52-53 Cormorant looks on the hood compared to the "whatsis" on the 55 and 56 Clippers.

I notice that this is an early 55, without the added white "blob" behind the front wheel that Packard added so the clipper would not have the same two-tone layout as the Pontiac. I always thought the earlier version was much better looking.

I put a set of Diamondback radial wide whites on my 56 Patrician two years ago. I was very pleased with the looks and the handling. What I like about Diamondback is that they use fresh modern blackwall radials on which they vulcanize a whitewall. Mine were Firestones. Other "classic" whitewalls use old molds and are made who knows where.

My experience working on two Packard V8s is that the gas tank drain plug is useless after 50 years. Most other makes don't even have one. In both cases my best efforts at holding the base the plug is screwed into failed and the base twisted, causing it to leak. Leave the plug alone and drop the tank so you can work on it, which is not too difficult.

3 speed and 3 speed with OD was available on all 55 and 56 Clippers, and I'm sure the factory would provide a senior car with a standard transmission if the buyer was willing to pay for it. This was certainly true in 1956 when Packard was desparate to sell cars. As for the "awkward" clutch pedal towering over the Easamatic brake pedal, this was the standard packard setup. A friend has a 53 Cavalier with 3 speed and OD and it has this rather strange mismatched pedal arrangement.

I have installed two mail order dual exhaust systems on two different 56 seniors. One was mild steel and the other was stainless. Both were from Keppich. I was very pleased with both systems, neither reqired additional bending. The hangers are hard to find, but can be fabricated. The hanger where the pipes go through the X frame are a pain.