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Some dumb questions that peaked the interest. In this limo picture, there are two grills and a knob under the rear seat.

Am jumping to conclusion it's a heater setup. Curious as to the arrangement. Heater switch maybe in middle but seems a strange place with a nice area housing the radio controls mounted under quarter window. Only limo type I've seen had no partition or rear heater but had vacuum antenna control in that radio area. If heater switch, wonder why not there as well. If not heater, what. How about the grills. Is one an air inlet and other outlet or dual heater outlets. If outlets, where is inlet & any idea if the setup is as drafty or hot & uncomfortable on someones legs as I think they would be.

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There are two under seat heater cores with a fan on each one that vent out on either side. I cannot say for sure but I believe the switch in the center is for the heaters.

I have a grab handle identicle to the one on the pillar post between rear quater window and door.

As for the grill/vents/ knob under the rear seat i'm wondering if the possibility air conditioning on the car mite play into any conclusions about the grill/vent/knob question.

Thanks for ideas. The heater was what I was thinking and makes sense. None of this is important in the big picture but while curiosity hasn't killed the cat, it has aged him.

Still wonder where the return air enters if both vents are outputs and the switch location seems really strange. Guaranteed to be hit with something or someone getting in or out. Enlarging the photo & seeing way it's mounted seems odd for factory. Makes me think it's been broken or might be an add on -- but hard to tell. I think I see a knob next to radio back side and maybe another on front side. Antenna or ??.

Anyway, I did find another photo of the car showing shelf behind seat so doubt it is AC -- or if so, not the same trunk setup with the big central outlet used on the prewar Clippers. Officially Packard didn't offer AC again until 53 but Henney apparently did on commercial Packards in 48-- except that I believe there was a thread saying Briggs built the 47 limos.

Like I said, not really important but all suggestions appreciated.

EDIT: I have been corrected that Henney did build the 47 limos so memory has failed again. Still don't see evidence of AC as is mentioned in a later post -- but at least apparently possible. There is a 48 or so Henney ad for commercial cars on site mentioning AC was available.

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"Still wonder where the return air enters if both vents are outputs and the ..."

Ah u blessed souls to live in the Great Western US where the temp and humidity is always so perfect. The heater system especialy in a limo should be a FRESH air heater and NOT a recirc. THerefore no return vents. AC a differnrt issue.

Does the car pictured in post #1 above have AC or not???

Peculiar that there is a grab STRAP for the left rear door entry but a grab HanDLE on the rite. Also peculiar is the color of the vents in question.

Keith, I'm open to all answers. As to fresh air, I don't know. Normal underseat heaters Packard used just recirculated and there are no holes down there in an ordinary 47 where fresh could come in. NO idea what that has but not sure I'd want any fresh air from under the car or thru the trunk. Believe there was one optional heater used in the front on early Clippers that could get some fresh air from the cowl vent. Pretty large unit for the space available under the seat.

As to AC, again I don't know and no pictures showing the full shelf. This is what the Packard AC unit looked like and second photo is what's available showing the shelf on that car.

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The color of the vent covers matches the knobs on the window cranks and the piece between the crank and the door panel upholstery.

I don't know specifically what the limo industry offered in the way of fresh vs recirc heater air. However, since the passenger area can be closed off from the drivers area it is highly unlikely that recirc heater system would be used. It would almost have to be fresh air to prevent window fogging (opposite is true of AC) especialy under high humidity conditions.

Yes, normal passenger car used recirc for the auxillary underseat heater BUT it was in ADDITION to a FREASH air heater and the cabin is not divided by partition.

Note that window fogging i refer to can occur very fast and severe, not just an annoyance level.

Also note that fresh air heats faster and more efficiently than recirc air. (opposite is true of AC).

As for where the limo heater pics up the freshair is somewhat of a moot point. Our 56's pic up freash air at the front grill level rite there pointed at the cars exhaust pipe in front of us.