Since this is all personal opinion, there are no right or wrong answers. I prefer the 56s in both models, but the differences are minor. I'm not crazy about the 56 senior eyebrows, even if they didn't rust, but the 56 "C" pillar and trunklid are both improvements. The differences between the 55 and the 56 Clipper is considerably greater. The 56 Clipper is, IMHO, the best looking car packard built after the war. The horizontal grill, "flame" taillights, and two-tone style are all improvements over the 55's. The 55 two-tone that first came out was great, but Packard chickened out when they saw that the 55 Pontiac had used the same layout. Packard then added that strange blob on the front fender which I always hated. Notwithstanding anything I've written above I would love to own any of them.

I feel a little silly responding to a 2007 thread, but Jack Vines commented that the 56 Caribbean that had been dealer converted to OD had a high clutch pedal and low power brake pedal, thereby looking "clunky". A friend of mine has a 53 Cavalier with OD (which was a factory option on Cavaliers) and it has the same awkward pedal arrangement. The clutch pedal is high like a normal clutch pedal and goes through the floor. The power brake pedal is hinged and low. My guess is that all 55 and 56 Packards and Clippers coming from the factory with OD had this same peculiar pedal arrangement.

Maybe I'm missing something with all the talk about needing to go to 12v to air condition your beautiful 55 Patrician. 55 Packards were 12v, though they were positive ground. Aftermarket AC units usually call for 12v negative ground, but changing from positive to negative ground is relatively simple.

I put a Petronix ignition coupled with a "Flamethrower" coil. Did not change plug gaps. Car runs like a charm.

I've had very good luck using the rubber freeze plugs which are tightened by a nut in the middle. Any parts store carries them and they expand out to cover a number of sizes.

I bought a "swamp cooler" like yours in 1965 to help my 33 Rolls-Royce limo get across the Mojave desert. I think it was a Sears, but can't remember for sure. Fortunately the Rolls had 12v, which was standard for the big Rolls. It was a great help in the dry climate, useless in the East

75 and I have been an old car nut since my first car in 1950, a 37 Plymouth convertible. I'm retired from the Navy after 30 years. Have owned numerous old cars from the sublime (33 Rolls-Royce, 53 Bentley) to the not so sublime(48 Olds 98 convertible, 60 Studebaker Lark). Presently own a 56 Patrician, a 55 Patrician (undergoing restoration), a 40 Chrysler Saratoga, a 71 Ford pickup and a couple of modern cars.

When replacing the gas tanks on my 55 and 56 Patricians I drilled a small hole in the left rear flare where the two halves are joined. Then I connected a ground wire from the frame to the hole using a small stainless sheet metal screw. No problems, good ground.

I'm not ready to put the 55 Patrician in the registry. A little background, I bought the car in Georgia about two years ago. The previous owner had purchased it 25 years before, totally disassembled it and quit. So far my partner and I have removed the body from the frame (very little rust) and put it back. We have rebuilt the engine (20 thousands over and PI rebuilt oil pump) and are slowly reassembling it. When finished I will sen pictures. Gray and white originally, it will be solid dark green when finished.

I am in the process of restoring a 55 Patrician. I find that the rear universal joint has been badly damaged and needs to be replaced with a complete new unit. The joint looks very ordinary (unlike the front universal), does this unit cross reference with one I can order from Napa?