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More power to him and if he is still around may he be around longer to take advantage of all of his contract. I don't expect to still be driving long enough to use all of mine but it is one time transferrable so if one of my relatives winds up with a not too old car they can at least enjoy the remainder.

I am definitely in grumpy geezer mode and have been for some time. Probably brought on by the fact a substantial number of brain cells are refusing to work in sync or even at the same time anymore -- or it could just be old age.

I got a chuckle out of your comment about microprocessors in toasters because it is so true. Also washing machines and refrigerators that talk telling you what you are running out of or washers saying how dirty the clothes are.

I spent 40+ years in the medical imaging industry and when I retired even the low cost machines were in the midst of transitioning to computer operation over discreet components and control switches. The main computer coordinated things but other components had on average less than a dozen microprocessors in communication with the main computer to run an entire room. Those you could at least narrow down and change a board to get operational but sometimes it was a time consuming challenge to isolate a problem down to a specific area. Today about 15 years later some of the guys still working I keep in touch with tell me it is a whole other story. Microprocessors are even more prevalent and are controlling individual functions and in addition, almost every major component has a full blown computer at its heart. Because that computer and a lot of the individual microprocessor run pieces are certified assembled items on a major failure you usually wind up changing the item. Sometimes just the computer will do it but because to keep the certification they have to go thru an extensive test process so are not considered serviceable in the field. Translation: $$$

When buying the Toyota the sales guy was pushing option packages, one of which was a special if bought with the new car deal on a 10 year cover everything in the car except tires and wiper blades service contract. Medical also pushed contracts and in some cases they saved a customers bacon but in other cases they were an expensive piece of paper. I was going to pass on the contract but when the sales guy told me this Toyota had over 200 single chip computers better known as microprocessors -- almost one running every single component -- I took notice. He said unless they are defective and fail right away they are sometimes not covered by the warranty and are on your nickel farther down the road when the warranty is over. Based on what I experienced with computer control and what my brother was quoted last month in repairing his Subaru transmission, sales guy did not have a hard sell as the price of the contract when bought with the car was less than the transmission repair.

You've heard it all before but here is another sign of changing times and pet peeve number ???.

1956 Packard owners manual. Decent size print, concise information with real photographs, and about half that book is pertaining to proper maintenance and specifications. They were able to do this in 52 pages. Some years had even fewer pages and still got the needed info across

2024 Toyota Rav 4 Hybrid. Three or more owners manuals. First book up is called a quick reference guide. Small print with mostly line drawn illustrations, 77 pages including 2 pages illustrating the tiny icons that show up on the dash in place of old style warning lights. Of course if you don't have an option it is still shown in the guide so next step is figure out whether you have it or not. All well and good but sadly for usable info, almost all entries in that small book are titled with an acronym and refer you to the main owners manual for the detailed how to use it information. That particular manual which is of similar print size and layout is 584 pages. The remaining items in the reference guide refer you to a separate multimedia manual which again is small print and is 265 pages. There are other manuals covering more "advanced" features.

Yes, I know cars have tremendously advanced since Packards days but all I can say is for actual see how to work it info I hope there are lots of YouTube videos. I am starting to understand the youth obsession with videos because for an old guy, looking in a tiny print book with too many similar looking acronyms for an item to find pertinent info on the fly is not going to be quick or easy.

Looks to me like the top is a C clamp and is mostly there to hold the top of door in a fixed position relative to the bar. Looks like there may be extra pads or shims so probably to adjust for the thickness of the door. The center looks to be another C clamp and I think he is turning the screw side so maybe pushing the door toward the bar. The bottom looks to provide a fixed distance from the bar but also looks like it could be used by moving it inward to push the bottom while the center is held. To me the way it is set up looks like he may be putting a bit of curvature in the door so when closed the bottom will be closer to the sill. It also looks like the location of the working pieces could change depending on what needed to be done on the door.

Packard went to a special rolled thread to help with this issue on engines made after 48. On a 48 you may or may not have had this stud but even if so equipped, sometimes during later repairs the special studs were not available so a damaged rolled thread stud was removed and block retapped for regular cut thread studs or in Don's case with his Henney, a regular bolt all of which have cut threads that were prone to leaking. It is also possible you have found an issue during the retorquing of rusted out or damaged block threads or a damaged stud just waiting to fail at an inopportune time.

If it held the new torque and it is a small weep and no danger of any coolant leaking into a cylinder it may reseal with time or you may be able to use one of the circulating sealants used in sealing up porous castings . Those go into the coolant and harden when they leak out and get exposed to air. If you don't want to try that -- and it may be a good idea to check the condition of the stud and threads anyway, then you will probably need to remove the leaking studs and put thread sealant on the threads going into the block.

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If you mean how many mounts and where, there is the single main mount in front which consists of the two sandwiched rubber pieces between the metal parts of the yoke as shown in the photos above. The remaining mounts are two at the transmission, one on either side which consist of a vulcanized square of rubber between two metal pieces which bolt to trans and mid frame crossmember.

In addition to the actual weight carrying mounts there is a stabilizer bar which is not a mount but is rather a rod with rubber donuts at each end which bolts between a frame mount and another toward the rear end of the transmission or overdrive case. This is to control the engine from trying to move fore and aft under load. Overdrive equipped senior models also have a coil spring affair filled with vulcanized rubber which goes between the OD case bottom and a mount on the frame. On the 356 engine only, there are usually a pair of small front stabilizers, one on either side of engine which bolt between the side of block and front crossmember. Those are to help keep rotational torque of the big engine under control.

As Kev said, Steele has the front pieces and the donuts for the stabilizer bar. They may still offer vulcanizing service for the others. On the transmission side pieces you might also check with Kanter. A few years ago they had repro transmission mounts made for some models and if they still have any a pair of new repros may be cheaper and probably with less downtime than having your old ones sent back and revulcanized.

Most likely. The switch has 3 terminals, one being common which in a 56 should be power in and on a gray wire coming from the headlight switch. Out would be light green for hi beam and brown for low beam which are going to the junction blocks on each fender.

The indicator light is fed from the same terminal at the dimmer sw as is the high beam wire so should only light when high beam is energized. The light green wire at the dimmer sw would go the headlights via a light green wire and since there is a splice, also to the indicator light as light green. At the junction blocks on each side that light green wire should connect to a darker green wire going to the headlight buckets. Brown would go to brown at the junction blocks for low beam and pink is for parking lights.

If you have different colors at the junction blocks going to the buckets, conceivably someone could have changed buckets as I believe all years will fit and some might have different colors. Another possibility might be if someone just changed a socket and used wires which might be a different color.

I don't find those particular numbers in Packard literature unless they were published as a later service change from the original specs and one followup change in a service counselor which I did find. Those specs were for mechanical lifters though.

As was mentioned, the 356 has hydraulic lifters so 0 clearance during operation. The only 356 spec I see is used during initial valve installation when substituting the plug tool in place of the hydraulic lifters. That spec is used when setting the maximum length of the stem if installing new valves or even after a seat regrind and remained unchanged on all years of the 356 at between .030 and .070. As I understand it that clearance is to ensure when the lifter is pumped up it is kept in the optimal working range and valve can still close.

Original spec for mechanical lifters was .007 on intake and .010 on exhaust which was later reduced to .006 and .008 to cut down on noise. With expansion to contend with it would seem to me the Motors specs would be a bit tight..

Here is a factory photo showing what Kev described.

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As Riki said, OD is slightly larger and don't remember how tight originals were so it might be a press fit. You might think about something to guide the bushing straight and support the bore so bushing does not get damaged when installing. Perhaps Harbor Freight or Amazon has an inexpensive bushing driver set or maybe an individual single size driver is available or could be fabricated. A short length of 3/4 rod or shaft material plus a very tight setscrew type shaft collar positioned the proper depth on the rod might work.

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