HH56 wrote:
I have not read the book so not saying it is wrong but saying it is more a matter of opinion. I don't think there is any question Nance tried to upgrade Packard when he came on board but while there may have been some serious attempts to upgrade the 53 convertible and hardtop interior and upholstery to senior status, the exterior and mechanical is still almost identical to the earlier models so in that respect I think it barely moved the needle.

The 51 upgrade to 250 status primarily depended on adding teeth in the grill, a few options becoming standard, and a bit more interior chrome over their more junior siblings and that carried over mostly unchanged for 53. I believe the 53 convertible and HT models got the extra bar on the bumper to make it appear more massive like the bumper in the Patrician and 300 but that is a relatively minor senior change.

IMO, the initial look is still what most people would go by -- or at least I do -- so to me the 53 is still more junior looking compared to the significant changes in the 54s. Add in the top of the line engine for 54 and you have a real senior.

longjohn wrote:
I had one of the 8 tooth "step" type on my Cavalier and it kept rotating slightly on the wheel. I was afraid it would cut the valve stem. I tried prying the teeth so they would grip better but I was never successful in preventing it from slipping.

PackardDon wrote:
You can read about Safety Rims here but I can’t see how they could account for the difference in wheel cover design. It was more likely just a running change in details but I am curious now which types mine are! I have a good set on my 1954 Patrician and also an NOS set.

HH56 wrote:
If you go by other styling and mechanical cues that designated a junior or senior model, IMO while they did upgrade some items to bring them closer to senior, they would still be more like juniors because they had the 5 main engine and vertical tail lights used on the other junior models.

It wasn't until 54 that Packard went all out to make those models senior. Even though still crippled with the short wheelbase, they gave them the largest engine available, grafted on chrome pieces so they could accept the horizontal tail lights long used on the senior models and the same dash as used on the Patricians.

PackardDon wrote:
The “hub cap” site is interesting although only the first few are actually hub caps. The rest are wheel covers and a quick glance easily spotted errors so it is to be taken with a grain of salt for accuracy.

To the matter at hand, I wonder if it has anything to do with the new Safety Rims that appeared around then.

kevinpackard wrote:
No problem Chris. Yes, these are Junior hubcaps so the Seniors may be totally different. I have no idea.

Hope you get an answer!

-Kevin

Ozstatman wrote:
Does the Packard Hub Cap and Wheel Cover Identification Guide in the Literature Archive here on Site help?

PackardDon wrote:
The senior cars, as stated, had full wheel covers which were also available as an accessory on yours. For your 1953 Convertible, the Packard Parts Book shows same wheel cover was used on various models since 1951 but, as you did not show any photos of the whole thing, it's difficult to see exactly what you have from such close-ups.

I suspect that they were just made by different manufacturers using slightly different techniques as no other years or models used them or anything like them. I would just pick the best set and install them!

longjohn wrote:
Well, Chris, you are more observant than I am. I have several of each kind. I had never noticed they were different on the front.

I had noticed a difference on the back. The "smooth" ones have 16 mounting "teeth" on the rear. The "stepped" ones have 8 mounting "teeth".

I even have a NOS set of the smooth ones but no part number to be found!

PackardDon wrote:
Based on the super close-up photos, I thought these were the small type of wheel covers that mounted over nubs on the wheel but apparently they are the full cover type. If so, then the same were used for 1951 and 1953-1954. 1952 had a type with ribs on some models and 1951 offered the same covers but with Cloisonné emblems at the center for certain models. I have an NOS set of the full covers too (along with a couple with Cloisonné) but they are at my Oregon shop and I never noticed the difference you mentioned. However, as I suggested, it may be only a simple matter of one manufacturer over another.

kevinpackard wrote:
Here's what mine are like. These are from a '54 Panama. I think they would be the same as '53. I also have no way to tell if these are original, but I would assume so since everything else on the car is.

-Kevin