Took off the lower seat cover. It was two layers: Padding plus cover. Here is what I found. Not great, not terrible. The hole in the driver's seat is releasing what I believe used to be foam but now resembles clay bar.

Attach file:

---

  (31.01 KB)


  (25.44 KB)

How funny is that? Someone 1,000 miles away can spot seat covers that I missed when the car is in my garage.

Sure enough, there are seat covers which appear to have taken the majority of the damage. Very nice seat covers with at least three layers: base, padding, top. There appears to only be one spot where the seat cover has worn out to the point where the original fabric is damaged.

Should I try to save the seat covers?

I'll post pix once they're fully removed.

Well I received her in El Paso on Saturday. Extremely solid and complete. Almost every piece of trim that I thought was missing was in the trunk.

Front floorboards are bad as well as the bottom of the front seat that attaches to the floorboard. The right side seems worse off rust-wise than the left with the right rocker panel very rusted. However, the underlying frame as well as even the cross bracing is extremely solid.

The car came with a California Ownership Certificate with the engine or ID number stating M315644 and body type as SDCL5465. However, the engine in the car has number on the head "455139" as well as "312 54" and "327". The firewall has a plate with "5465-2650". The interior metal on the dash and door frames looks to be Galahad Green. The exterior has been repainted but I'm guessing was orginally light green (Orchard or Bellevue?) on the bottom and Gallahad on top.

It has the 1954 clipper full wheel covers (any suggestions on how to repaint them?).

It has the easematic brakes and Ultramatic transmission.

The rear emblem says "Super Clipper".

My initial forensics show the car to have been plated through at least 1978. It was titled in 1973 to Steve G. of Pasadena, CA and was later sold, but not title transferred, to Gabe of Yuma, AZ. From there it was acquired by Arizona Wholesale Classics who sold it to me. The odometer reads "00374" and, guessing from the wear of the brake and accelerator, is likely 100,374 and not 200,374.

The interior is a dark green similar to the galahad hued paint with a solid vinyl upper and what appears to be a woven vinyl with offset interlinked, squished "o's" or octagons? (Any idea what type of fabric?) Front seat needs to be redone.

I've pulled the front seat and the carpeting, which looks almost like grey felt, and found green carpeting underneath that appears to be green fine loop.

Anyplace else I should look to better identify exactly what I have? Is there a standard location for build sheets, etc?

Thanks.

Pictures attached.

I literally won it on Ebay less than 12 hours ago.

From the ad, it looks like it was in California and last plated/registered in 1973.

It's not running but the engine turns by hand. It has the Ultramatic tranny and Easematic brakes. Front floor pans and rockers are rusted through. Trunk and rear pans are good.

I will write more when it arrives in El Paso.

Attach file:

---

  (51.47 KB)


  (57.79 KB)


  (51.24 KB)


  (52.05 KB)


  (50.78 KB)


  (45.88 KB)

Hope I didn't just get in over my head. I just won a coupe on Ebay from Mesa, AZ. I've been in the Army for 18 years and have used working on cars as destressor. However, I've never worked on anything manufactured before 1965.

I'm from South Bend, Indiana orginally and was leaning towards Studebakers when the Packard bug bit me. The more I studied, the more I liked and, of course, all of the articles in Hemmings Motor Classics just piqued my interest more.

So any thoughts on my purchase? I'm going through the forums reading about awakening dead engines, etc.

I need to figure out how to add pictures.

Thanks.

Darrin