You guys are killing me! I want a 56 400 or Patrician pretty bad. I am not sure how you can tell it is a 56 over a 55 except maybe the eyebrows.

I called the seller on this ad and he said "some guy from Duluth said he'd buy it so I guess it's sold."

I have CASH IN HAND.

This car is in Iowa I am pretty sure. It's still on Craigs List. I have flagged it a couple of times, not out of anything mean spirited but if it's sold, it should be removed from CL. Some sellers never do , and these cars stay on my search list for a long time.

The car is evidently painted in my favorite colors, that Heather Pink, black/white. Favorite color, favorite Packard in the 50's model, and in Iowa. Wow. I am trying to bring a pre war Packard in from Nova Scotia Canada and so far it's expensive.

I'll contact Mike and see if he will change his mind. At the least, I would be buying quite a few parts from him.

Owen
Thanks. I received an email message from a seller in San Francisco offering for sale a 1954 Packard convertible project and they did not specify if it was a Caribbean.

A follow up email from the seller did not confirm it's Caribbean status, so I will for now assume it is a Convertible.

863 is still small prodcution and the 1954 Packard is arguably an attractive car, although I believe these were derided by some as not very "Packard".

As to the motor, this made the 'Convertible' in the same league as the reborn 54 Buick Century which had a 322 cid V8 and 200hp. On the same 122" wheelbase.

Howard
I apologize. I am still learning the website. Also, 2 months ago I gave away all of my periodicals, so I would have had this information at my fingertips.

Thank you. I will continue to check into this website.

Bryan

How many lines of Packard convertibles were available in 1954? I know the Caribbean but didn't Packard make a regular production 1954 convertible?

What would be it's name, engine size and total production if one was made?

Offer rejected.

Randy that is a great trophy to get. The younger folks 'eye' bodes well. There are still a few 50's Packards out there to take on as restoration projects and your car allows those younger members can see what the result will be of all of their efforts.

The seller posted the car for sale on the AACA Packard Buy/Sell sub-forum which is where I found the car. JD in KC directed me here.

Through that forum I initiated an offer by PM to the seller. My offer was an amount that would cover his costs to remove the car plus some profit.

I will likely be rejected but being in central Iowa, my costs would be over $1000 to transport. As we know the car is an artifact, and therefore it would be essential to get that very early production V8 and transmission to retain it's interesting story and character.

That effort to place the engine back in the bay for transport would fall on a dealer-seller who probably doesn't care, after getting paid.

So we will see.

Yes I saw that 400. For the asking price, perhaps some honest negotiating, you could have a nice car for $7000. Appears nice and the seller includes some photos most craig listers do not.

Still, it will have to reach the right audience, Craigs List probably won't cut it but if the seller was a PAC member, and put it in the CNB, I'll bet it would change hands within 8 weeks or so, especially in the middle of summer when it can still be enjoyed in the next few months before being put away.

Ultimately I believe, and I could be wrong, that the car will be parted out because as we know, and as I pointed out to Max Merritt, these cars, even senior Custom 8 22nd and 23rd series cars, are worth more in parts then they are in the kind of condition the car was in.

Interestingly, there are a fair amount of "tweeners" out there in the 22nd series Custom 8's that are neigher show cars or glorified parts cars in that $4000 to $10,000 range. Obviously, vertually all sedans.

The last non show car Custom 8 Club Sedan I saw was out fo Minnesota some 4 years ago. It was a solid car, from the photos and I believe it sold for $3000 or less. But it sold quickly.

Rgrettably, the very rare 22nd series Custom 8 Club Sedan has been sold to Max Merritt Auto. The car was for sale for $750 and I felt I had established a communication with the seller allowing me some time to move out a newer car.

I guess I was wrong.

I have reached out to Max Merritt to see if they would sell the car to me, at a modest profit.

I believe the price will end up like the 1st production 55 Patrician, and be quadrupled or more in price making it unacceptable as a 2nd car to restore with a possible 180 I have coming in.

That was my intent was to reinvigorate my Packard collecting with a dual purchase and dig in over the next 5-8 years and have 2 show worthy cars to tour, enjoy and maintain.