Thoroughly enjoyed that! Wish we got to see more of the Packards but maybe next time...

I just looked at a driver's side fender I have from a '56 Patrician (under a ton of boxes in the basement). Unless there are some spot welds I can't see, the inner fender is bolted in place. There are bolts that hold the inner to the structure the vacuum reserve can is bolted to and I can see bolts near the battery box. There is heavy undercoating on it, so I can't swear to the whole thing but it would be odd, even for Packard, to hide any spot welds with so many bolts visible.

For whatever reason, they were called "Dual Range Hydramatic" and referred to as Jetaway. You can always spot them by the Park position, plus they didn't come out until 1956. "Twin Turbine" was Buick's tranny. In 1961-64 some Pontiacs and all Olds used a 3 speed Hydramatic called Roto Hydramatic and nicknamed the Slim Jim. Owners had an unprintable name for them, as they were notoriously crappy trannies.

The biggest difference was the use of a second hydraulic coupling between the motor and the transmission. The earlier Hydramatics used just a single coupling. This change "cushioned" shifting. Internal modifications were ongoing to smoothe things out, too.

The Packard was for sale on ebay, some few months ago. I don't recall the price but I do remember her posing with the car. Hard to forget. The tach option was pointed out, too. I do not know if it sold or just when the ad ran. She is quite famous in the world of current burlesque.

Regarding the hood ornament on the V8 Clippers- the last Packard dealer here told me it was the "modernized" version of the Goddess of Speed and if you look at the bathtub's version (found on Supers) it makes sense. He was told that at the factory preview of the 55's.

The stainless over the side windows looks just like what our neighbors had installed on a 1955 Olds 88, so my guess is that is aftermarket. The taillight emblems have a v, used on '56 but the back bumper is from '55. The trunk lid is missing script but its shape is clearly '56. That could have been due to a rear end accident and lack of trim/rear bumper available. Makes me wonder about the "sail panel" shape and trim and the '55 axles. Too bad it's gone...

I believe this car belongs to Dudley Morrison and if it is this car, it's in great shape. He has driven it from North Carolina to Alabama more than once. It is a fairly plain Patrician- no Power Steering, maybe not a wonderbar radio but a fine piece of machinery as he is a fanatic on maintenance.

The brake light switch is located below the battery, on the inner fender area (if it hasn't been moved by someone in the past). Look from the "motor side" under the battery tray. Depending on the switch, either a direct replacement or one of the others out there, you might have to replace the connector on the wiring harness.

Also wrong- headlight rings (1953?), speakers in front kick panels and the top has a tear at the base on the passenger side.