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I recently removed the old carpeting from my '50 Custom in preparation for installing new carpeting and seat belts. I found these two holes in the firewall. I've looked at all the plates in the parts manual and can't find any reference to them. Are they factory placed or did the former owner do yet something else inexplicable to the car?

I can't imagine what they would be used for except for possibly an attempt at some point to install aftermarket air conditioning; but there is not the slightest trace under the hood that this was ever the case.

Anybody know what these are?

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Think most would agree 50's were a wondrous time for add ons and assorted goodies so possibilities abound. AC would be my first guess too and the holes look to be about the right size and place for a typical hang on unit. Any sign of anything under the dash where brackets might have been? Believe there was one brands unit which straddled the tunnel and had legs that screwed to floor so maybe something there. An early mobile radio might be a thought since those had cables to route but anything else I can think of would probably leave depressions or holes on the cardboard dash cover.

Does you car have a working heater? Perhaps they were the lines came through for some kind of aftermarket heater.

Then again some one could have installed one of those "under the dash
" A/C units in the 60's and later it was removed when the unit died.

Heater is a possibility and not without good reason. The standard Packard heater was not the fastest or most robust in a really cold climate if that is where the car is from. The only aftermarket heaters I can remember from then were the gas powered South Wind and one or two others but seem to remember all similar in shape--more vertical. Don't recall if many water heaters were available or not but again think they would have been much larger like the 40's Packard types.

I see a single screw hole and shiny area on the cardboard under the present heater plenum where something looks like it might have mounted but it looks too wide and vertically challenged to be for any heaters - also the holes look a bit big for the gas powered.

JD in KC: I just installed seat belts in my 49 Deluxe Eight (23 Series). I got them from www.gotbelts.com. They are Beams brand Classic Chrome flip type, 75 inches long. (less then $50 with shipping and hardware) Good quality and lots of colors. I'll try to post pictures on where I put them, but chances are you probably have I lot better ideas then I did. (mechanically challenged!)

The car came with a heater and spent most of its life in Illinois. So, cold yes but I don't think it was cold enough to justify an alternate heater. I looked under the dash (so much easier with the entire front seat out) and yes, there are 2 quarter inch holes drilled one on each side of the heater/air controls. Another thought... when I got the Packard the oil filter had been removed and the oil lines crimped off leaving only the pigtail. I always thought that was a very odd thing to do to a 356 engine. Now I wonder if the oil filter was removed to make room for a compressor.

I guess I'll never know for sure. I'll just seal them up and continue with the carpet job.

paulg3... I am using the same Beams belts and got the rear belts installed yesterday along with the rear carpet.

Thanks to all for your input.

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Interesting about the missing oil filter and would be a good place to mount a compressor if they didn't want to mount over the head/manifold like Packard originally did. If so, wonder how they drove it. The only 356 application for AC I have seen info on was the prewars where it was driven off a special fan pulley. Don't think any crank pulley method was ever available but maybe possible to adapt something like the postwar setup to the damper. Guess they could have just used the single normal belt since all would be on the same side. A really interesting set of questions and holes and too bad so much evidence is gone.

Its just my thought but maybe these Mystery holes are made to install the hoses for a heather? But they seem a little to small and not a home made improvement!

Nah, they're "speed holes"
I'd just seal them up with some epoxy and electrical "knock-out" plugs.

Quote:

Here's what looks like a driver side installation on a 356. Picture from a '47 limo on e-bay. Appears to be a trunk installation. I think I see the oil filter moved to the drivers side splash panel in another photo.

Interesting.

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