Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Hello All,
I registered in -08, but haven't gotten back into my project until recently. I just signed the vehicle registry. I would like all of your expert opinions as to what color my car was originally. The paint code is worn off on the plate on the drivers side door opening. I see a faint scratch which could be a Q for ash green or a G for Argentine Grey. When I bought the car, the exterior was stripped and under primer. The paint around the doors and on the pillars and firewall is a gray color. It looks untouched. Would this be the correct color of the car? I have seen other cars with this color (at least on the firewall, with different color exteriors). What throws me off is my interior has green vinyl seats and green vinyl on the bottom of the front door panels. The rear door panels have a bluish/gray color to them. The trim around the inside of the windows is a bluish/gray color. My trim code is 49, which is supposed to be gray cloth. The pictures aren't the best. I can take others if there is a location that would help. Any thoughts?

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Frequently there is overspray of the original colors under the door window garnish molding or lower panels. There may also be some under the aluminum door sill trim pieces.

Interesting...I took a quick look at the door sills. The front ones are missing and full of holes. The back ones are there, but totally rust/holes under them. Found out tiny ants were living under the passenger side one too. Great! I'll have to try taking the trim off around the windshield when i figure it out.

Did Packard paint all of their cars with the blue/gray color on my firewall and door openings and later on put an exterior color on it?

Doubt windshield & back glass molding will help as that is probably primer. If it will be under any, will be door window moldings or panels. There is a slim chance some from door jamb might be under kick panels, but if none found in any of those places then can't think of any other easy to get to likely spots at present. If car cheaply re-painted, then under chrome or adjustable side of door lock is possible. Maybe others can think of more.

As to firewall, good question. I have heard both body color and flat black for the 51. Someone with an original car will have to answer that. The door jamb should be same as body color so if there is a difference, would tend to believe the door jamb correct unless it has had multiple paint jobs.

If you can't determine the colors from the VN plate or traces of the original paint as you've been looking for, then the only other chances are to find the build-slip in the car (over glovebox, perhaps behind rear seat back or around gas tank vent), or perhaps get a copy of it from the Studebaker Museum which has some (but not many).

If you are lucky enough to find the original slip, handle with extreme car as it was just cheap teletype paper and by now is probably very fragile.

I believe but can't be 100% certain that the engine-side of the cowl was body color (lower body in the case of two-tone).

PS - if it's not too much trouble, could you get for me the large embossed number on the cowl, above the heater box? Probably begins with the letter "A". Ignore the brackets or diamonds at each end.

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G'day 51Packard,
to PackardInfo and for including your '51 in the Owner Registry.

Enjoyed your story about buying the '51 at 18 but this prompts a question:- What attracted you to buying a Packard at that young age?

The engine side of the firewall for the 22nd and 23rd series cars is body color. I'm not sure, but I think the later cars are the same.

Your car is indeed paint code G, Argentine Gray Metallic. The firewalls, door jams, trunk inners etc. were all sprayed at one go, the same color as the exterior of the car. Many cars have been repainted and reupholstered, but your firewall tells the tale.

53-54 Caribbeans will have black firewalls because they were shipped in primer to Mitchel-Bentley to be changed from standard convertibles to Caribs.

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Why did I choose a Packard? Hmmm...well, I had always had a thing for old cars and never really got into the whole muscle car thing. I got a copy of a classic car auto trader type magazine and was thumbing through the pages. I didn't want something that I always saw at car shows. No boring '57 Chevys, 60's Mustangs or other common cars for me. I looked in the orphan car / independants section and came accross an add for the Packard. Since I didn't have a lot of money, the $800 price seemed pretty good. I really liked the style of it and the chrome grill. It wasn't in the best shape, but I made my dad drive me all the way to Chicago to look at it. I knew I had to love it because he would have been pretty mad to go all that way and not get it.

I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it in person. It was the first time I had ever seen a Packard. The fact that it had this crazy straight 8 engine had me sold (never saw that either). How do you start this thing? Press the gas pedal down? How can you not want one? After we completed the deal (talked him down to $700) we went all over the place looking for someone who would tow it back to Mundelein, IL (about an hour away). Finally we found someone to do it (very questionable company). They towed it with a two wheel car dolly pulled by an early 80's Monte Carlo. When they got to our house and we paid them, they said "I think your car is on fire" and took off. The car was full of smoke. I don't know if they didn't put it all the way in neutral or what, but the smoke was coming from the transmission. It worked after that, but would not shift into high gear.

I lived in northern Illinois most of my life and in all that time, I have never seen a Packard at a car show. About 10 years ago, the Packards of CHicagoland started showing Packards, LaSalles and Porsches at Cuneo Mansion. It was awesome to see so many Packards in one place. Since then, I would see an occasional one at a show, but they were very rare.

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No build slip above the glovebox. That would have been the safest place for it. If it was anywhere else in the car, I'm sure it is gone.
The number is AO7265. I read somewhere what this number is, but I can't remember. What does it tell you?

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