I have a 1955 Clipper Custom with a Torsion-Level system that never fails to let me down. I have given up on the self-leveling motor because no matter what I do, it only works for a short time and then conks out, leaving me with the tail high or low. I have adjusted the riding height to where I am satisfied and will leave it at that.

It is clear that the shocks on the car are failing and need to be replaced. One problem that I now have absent the self-leveler is that when folks ride in the back seat, the back end sinks way down. So, what I want to find out is this: Are there heavy-duty rear shocks with coils that can work on my car? I don't see the front shocks as a particular problem, but I imagine that heavy-duty shocks for the front would compensate for the mediocre torsion bar setup.

I would appreciate any and all suggestions.

I tried various oil blends and 30-wt in my Clipper over the years and have eventually settled for 15-40 and my car seems to run great with no knocking, smoking, and very little leakage. Since I generally put 1,000 to 1,500 miles a year on the Clipper, I change my oil twice a year and the filter once a year. The viscosity never has a chance to wear down. And since I change my oil as often as I do, I figure I might as well use good conventional oil rather than synthetic, which is a lot more expensive.

I like how the roof was cut to fit and the use of the use of the original rear end as part of the tailgate. I see a lot of promise with this car!

I like how the roof was cut to fit and the use of the use of the original rear end as part of the tailgate. I see a lot of promise with this car!

That sounds like a good suggestion. I will look into that. Thank you.

Thanks for the response. As I said, I did not see a fuse indicated in the diagram, but you know that the Service Manual sometimes skips steps or assumes everybody knows about whatever. The radio work fine, for an AM radio. I am glad to know about the polarity issue. I know several people who have replaced the generator with a period-looking alternator and switched the polarity; but personally I don't want to do that unless at some point I want to add an air conditioner.

As for issues regarding the Torsion Level, please don't let me get started. That accursed system has been a bane to my existence ever since I bought that car. Ross Miller got it to work, until it decided it wouldn't. No mechanic near me knows how to make it function reliably. I bought a "control switch" from a Washington club that was supposed to make it work, but that crapped out on me too. So I just adjusted the back end of the car to be fairly level with the front end and that is that. I am not going to deal with it again.

Since I have owned my 1955 Clipper Constellation, its cigar lighter has never worked. That has been OK for me; however, now I wish to used the lighter's coil to power a standalone stereo system so that I can have tunes while I am on the road (the car's AM radio does work alright, but ...!). I have looked at the wiring diagram, but I cannot determine if it uses a fuse or not, and if it does use a fuse, what is the amperage and where is it located?

On a separate note, will changing the direction signal fuse enable the turn signal to work as it is supposed to, i.e. click down or up and turn off automatically after the turn?

A lot of leg room in the back!

Just a random notion I have wondered about for a long time.

Has anyone replaced a Packard camshaft with one made by Clay Smith or Edelbrock?

I don't know what it is either, but I think it's pretty cool nonetheless!