I had a similar problem with my 55 Caribbean brakes.
Frankly, the brakes never felt right and I was always wary of whether they would stop in an emergency.
A friend who has been a professional mechanic volunteered to do an evaluation but opted not to deal with the BTV. Ross suggested someone near my home who had worked for him to do the rebuild( Ross was booked or I would have had him do the work).
It turns out that rebuild kit from Kanters has mismatched wheel cylinders for front wheels and front springs were not the lighter tensioned springs used by the factory. We replaced both, front shoes and all vacuum hoses…..still not right. Andy drove down from State College and went through the BTV and master cylinder….better but still not right.
The brakes worked fine if the vacuum tank was bypassed but did not give stopping power after two pumps.
Ross agreed to squeeze the car in to a busy schedule and determined the problem was high idle, carb and linkage adjustment ( he also adjusted the shift linkage for the trans. My car was one referenced in his note on shift linkage mistakes impacting durability).
The brakes are fine now…I drove the car from Parkton on the Interstate and Turnpike and it felt like a new car.
The people who helped me put my car together originally and since are capable mechanics….much better than me….but they do not have experience with Packards. There are fewer and fewer people who know the cars.
New parts will not solve the problem if adjustments are not correct. Ross’s video is great but it does not address the idle issue or the adjustmemts.Cudos to Ross for his efforts and willingness to help but in hindsight his recent advise that if you want a car for dependable transport….avoid the 55 Caribbean
They are pretty cars but as the Forum posts document…there are too many problems arising from the new V 8: engine, torsion suspension, transmission and other quirks that Packard never got the chance to correct.

I guess this one is for Howard. The 55 Packards had a 12v positive ground system.
There are any number of electric motor conversion units offered on eBay and other sites for converting the vacuum wipers for other cars….I have added them to my 55 Cadillac and a 57 Lincoln.
They do not work with the original switch but a knob mounted on the bottom of the dash is almost invisible.
I keep the original vacuum wiper motors and never mess with the switch or connections….the next owner may want to return to original, but the electric wipers are nice if you have the bad luck to be trapped in the rain.
I considered doing the same with my 55 .Caribbean but thought the positive ground would prevent use.
I was told the positive/ negative ground made no difference.
I never got around to going ahead with the conversion since other issues with the car…especially the BTV and convertible too have distracted me.
It’s the positive ground is not an issue and the new owner wants dependable wipers…at 7000 feet, this might be a solution.
I know that adding anything other than original Packard parts will offend some….but so do radial whitewalls, modern sound systems or halogen headlights. So be it. I plan on adding turn signals to my 39 since I prefer safer operation
Nothing is being done that cannot be restored to original by a purist…if they can find the parts.
Just my thought.

I am somewhat confused about some of the comments posted to Tim Cole’s posting of the restomod.
I have no idea whether someone urinated in a cathredal by bastardizing a pristine car or whether the unit shown was a basket case saved from the crusher or …maybe a complete recreation.
Virtually every popular car style has been recreated. Glen Prey produced Auburn Speedstere and did it well enough that his cars are now accepted for judging.
The Shelby Cobra, the Cord and even the
Dusenbergs have generated recreations….some of which are spectacular works of engineering.
You can purchase a 57 Chevy convertible from CARS that is identical to an original but has no parte from GM.
The preservation of original Corvettes is as important to purists at the AACA and Bloomington.as the concern for preserving classic Packards but there are full reproductions available and restomods.that incorporate technology of the modern Vette to make the cars more dependable and safer.
These are cars….they were made to be driven and enjoyed. The fact that they were beautifully styled will encourage people to restore originals but also seek to keep the style alive in replicas and….resto mod fashion.
Paying tribute to anyone who does excellent mechanical, paint and body work in this day and age is appropriate. Criticizing shoddy design or workmanship or putting dangerous cars on the road is equally appropriate.
This Forum affords invaluable help to those of us who want to honor and preserve a marque but we should accept and honor those who do quality work on other vehicles.

I have to agree with .Flack on this one. The workmanship is excellent and the car will provide someone with a head turner that is dependable with parts that are still available.
I like to keep my cars as original as possible but will use radial tires, halogen headlights and an MP3 player to make the car safer and more enjoyable when I drive it.
Many people prefer the looks of an old car with the dependability that comes from updated drivetrains and interiors.
The cost to restore a 39 convertible coupe rather than resto mod the one commented about that has not sold for the asking price of $127k is not cheap and will NEVER pull six figures. I am three years into restoring a 39 convertible coupe and am already near what the last few have sold for…and mine is still disassembled and unpainted.
How another man spends his money is not my problem. I would prefer to see a restomod on the road to seeing a restored car on a trailer or in a museum.
Just my feeling.

Flack- Not sure where your nephew is located in Pa
but if he is in the middl/ western part of the state he can call Andy Mylin near State College (814) 571-0589.
I needed a BTV rebuilt and Ross Miller recommended him since he was tied up until October.
If he is in the center/ eastern area, he can head down to Ross Miller’s garage…around an hour south of Harrisburg.
Hope this is helpful.
RjR

I purchased the kit to replace the original three prong brake switch that also controls the torsion level on the 55 Caribbean.
I would have preferred to keep the original but this was the third switch that failed in a short time and NOS switches are getting harder to find….and prohibitively expensive.
I have no idea whether using a switch that is old enough to collect Medicare is the problem but it is aggravating.
Neither the instructions with the kit nor obvious marking on the replacement identifies the two prong switch but I would like to buy a few while they are still available at the auto parts store..and cheap.
I recall someone saying in an earlier post that the kit uses a switch from a VW.
If anyone has a parts number…please advise.
Thanks
RJR

West Peterson -:I went through the top repacement drama for my 55 Caribbean probably 5 years ago.
If you check the posts on this same subject from May-June 2020 there are a number of photos of the Howard Hughes car with the top displayed which may give you some ideas about the window size.
I was also unable to find a top with the light colored ( tan) from any vendor and was lucky ..or unlucky…enough to be able to secure 10 yards of the white pinpoint vinyl from Superior tops. I may still have a portion of the material in the garage.
I opted to spray the inside with a water based dye to match the interior and sent the vinyl back to Superior who used the material to create the top.
Superior only dealt with authorized installers …not the general public.
I do not know if they are still in business but they may still stock the material with the tan interior color and might be able to produce a top with that color.
Assuming that you plan to have the top installed by a professional trim shop, they may be able to secure a top for you.
Good luck .
I agree that the cost and availability issues get worse every day. I was just forced to buy the adapter kit for the brake light switch after the last NOS unit in my larder failed( again) and the only replacement I could find was over $90.
RJR

Chris- I agree that unless there is a major conversion in the way we generate electricity, conversion to electric vehicles will be problematic.
Current electric vehicles have far too short a range to replace the gasoline and diesel vehicles we have come to rely upon for travel except in urban areas.
The batteries and rare metals will create their own environmental issue in their extraction, processing and disposal.
Looking at this only from the standpoint of Canada or the US and Europe, ignores that more than half of the world population is in Asia and the Southern Hemisphere who also want the cars and other creature comforts that we take for granted. They are not necessarily solvent enough to worry about global warming .
I do think that EV’s and self driving cars will be coming quicker than I like. The internet, cell phones
and robotics were science fiction a few decades ago.
I hope that someone will want my old cars when I can no longer enjoy them but I do not see the value of my Packards jumping like Ferraris or muscle cars.
Hopefully the next owners will appreciate them as much as I have but we may be legislated off the roads.
Good reason to squeeze in as much time behind the wheel while we can.
Stay safe
RJR

I wanted to ad a comment to Howard’s note about the arrival of the electric car era and the impact on the collector car hobby.
There is no doubt that the electric cars are not a fad. Several European manufacturers have announced that they will no longer offer traditional gasoline or diesel vehicles by the end of the decade.
I leave it to others to debate whether the transition will improve the environment.but there is no doubt that we will see more of the vehicles and will see the replacement of the gas stations with charging stations.
I guess the transition will be much like the changes experienced early in the 20th century when horses were replaced by motor vehicles.
As vehicles have become more complex and dependable, we have seen the decline of the service station with mini marts offering fueling.
I am more concerned with the impact that self driving vehicles will have not only on our hobby but on our economy at large.
Currently there are several companies testing self driving vehicles in the Pittsburgh area in coordination with Carnegie Mellon.
I am told that there are beer trucks being loaded by robots in Colorado and then leaving the depot without a driver.
How rapidly the vehicles will progress to regular use is also a matter of speculation but I anticipate that it will be faster than we think.
The impact of self driving vehicles will have impact on our lives and economy that are going to be dramatic. Occupations like bus, truck, and cab drivers will be eliminated , but auto ownership in urban areas may become less attractive if you can summon a transport from your phone, give a voice command for your destination and relax.. a charge will appear on your next credit statement. With the cost of new vehicles, insurance rates and parking difficulties…why own a car.
The unintended consequences are more subtle. The Justice system will see less need for police and attorneys to deal with DUI cases since no one will be driving impaired. The insurers will not have to deal with a volume of vehicle accident claims and we may be seeing less billboard and TV ads for accident attorneys.
The pressure on the legislators to remove gasoline vehicles from the roads will be magnified when the classic cars share space with the self driving modules.
I am also too old to worry about these changes having much impact on me,but I see a time where it will be difficult to operate the classic cars in the fashion we have come to enjoy. It is already difficult to find anyone to work on the old cars or to find compatible fuel. The insurers will increase the costs to cover the loss of business occasioned by the reduction in ownership and environmentalist will continue to pressure for removal of the gasoline vehicles while fuel cost increases will make the joy ride more expensive.
We who have.spent most of our lives in the eight decades since WWII have seen dramatic changes in our lives and economy effected by computers, the internet and technology but have been blessed with a relatively safe and stable life that has allowed us to secure and enjoy the collector cars discussed on this
forum.
It is uncertain that the next generations will fare so well.
I plan an trying to enjoy my cars while I can and hope that progress does not cut off my enjoyment before age and physical deterioration curtails my activity.
Sorry for the rant.
RJR

Thanks all for the information. Without confirming my engine number, I am speculating that it was in the early production run since it was delivered in December 1938 and the light switch and dash wiring follows the 1938:schematic.
I am also going easing that since the smaller shaft unit was only offered for part of the 39 production run that those wheels will be harder to find.

If anyone out there has a wheel that will work on the smaller shaft ….and wants a buyer…..please PM with price.

Getting tired of looking for parts