Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

I did do a search to find the info and did come across some informative pictures but still have a question or 2. I was wondering if the 55 Clipper customs or other models had flat panels in the trunk quarters originally or is this just done as a modern , clean finish treatment? I ask because I remember stripping the trunk when I first got it as the liner was quite deteriorated. It had the tan ish checker board type course liner on the trnk floor and "stuck" to the wheel wells and I think the inner quarters also. Upon 1 search someone mentioned "inner panels" on an original car. I was wondering If 55s came with panels as well as this liner glued to the inner quarter sheet metal or would they have been 1 or the other? The reason I ask is there was what seemed to be a "snap" head attached to the rt side of the filler panel just below the trunk lid edge. Does anyone know what that was for? What would it have secured?
I still have pieces of the ogig liner as it was still intact on much or the wheel wells and I dont find the same though 2 vendors seem to have very close patterns but in a rubberized mat. I saw in the desc posted for the 56 it stated a " rubber" liner material but mine is like a coarse (straw? or wood) material? Any thoughts? Better to just do a modern clean trunk mat?

check with Packards1, his wife reproduces these.

My 55 Clipper Super Sedan's had a fully finished trunk.

A cardboard panel on the back of the rear seat, a mat on the floor, cardboard panels on the quarters, and wheel housings covered in same material as the floor.

There was no indication that the bottom of the trunk lid was covered.

I redid the trunk using an indoor-outdoor carpeting from Lowe's. Fortunately, I had the original panels and mats to use as patterns. I covered the worn and stained panels with the carpet material and cut new wheel housing mats and glued them on. I cut a new mat for the floor. It came off nicely, albeit not authentic. I believe the 55 pattern is no longer available, but the 56 pattern is close.

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I believe it originally had the patterned stiff cardboard used for the vertical piece at the rear seat back and for the vertical fender quarter pieces between tail lights and wheel well. On my 5697 the rest of the coverings or any thing that just lays or needed a flexible contour like over the wheel wells, gas filler tunnel and floor surfaces is the patterned soft mat material. I don't recall anything at the rear under the lid but mine could have been removed.

Ok thanks. Yes mine too had a panel att to the rear seat back frame but no side panels. So yours were orig? Not an earlier refirb? Where are the att or secured? Are they just cut to snog fit? The snap i was describing was not on the trnk lid. I know there was no snap on cover on the lid. It was on the panel below the trnk opening and above the bumper filler panel. Its head was showing on the exterior of the car with snap inside the trunk . Anyone?

My quarter cardboards were original and die cut to the contours of the area. More or less was just a lay in to the space. They were cut to size to fit nicely between light and wheel well but taller than the area so sort of curved at the top and mostly friction and pressure to hold them in place. I removed them because they were torn up with large chunks missing.

On the snap, don't believe that was original -- particularly if there was something showing thru on the exterior. I believe the only thing available for the trunk that would have had something going thru the panel was the accessory air filler hose for the spare tire. Not sure that was officially offered for 55-6 but one could have been installed by a dealer.

Hmmmm. Ok thanks Howard. You may have something there. I will say i think it was coated in the factory lt green paint before i started sanding. It is in a position near the spare. It was not a shiny silver till i sanded. Poss there was a spare tire filler and it was installed to fill the hole? Or used to secure something in the trunk by a previous owner and brush paintedThanks for all the info on the panels and the earlier info on the undercoat and sound deadener spray

Perhaps your questions have been answered, if not perhaps this will be of value.

The 55 and 56 trunk liner materials were different, at least on the senior Packard models; 1st photo is of the original material in a 55 Caribbean trunk, 2nd is my 56 Caribbean trunk with an early Sue Cleerman replacement kit installed. Sue's material's imprint pattern is an exact match to the original materials as seen in the 3rd photo, smooth-skinned and printed fibre board for the sides, rubberized mat for the base, gas tank filler cover, and wheel wells. Her kit was for a sedan or hardtop; the Caribbean kit differed slightly in that the two inner-facing steel structures that support the trunk hinges were covered top to bottom with the patterned fibre material and retained with screws, rather than what you see here. On request Sue did provide me with extra material to make the Caribbean convertible-only pieces which I have not yet done.

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The first picture in your post O D is what came out of the Clipper trunk. I was going to post a pic of the chunks off the wheel wells but no need now. Many questions answered but more arising. The trunk floor just in front of the spare has that ledge, step up shape same as your pix. My question is, is this area cut and sewn or seamed to follow that contour? Is it heat molded and streached? I have heard some are using a trunk pan and heating and molding for a perfect fit or is that all done by the end user? I see these mats offered by vendors on the net and was wondering how to get that shape and what the cost is. PM me with a quote for the mat if it is molded to that shape. The rectangular box cover in the rt r corner. Does this cover the hd pump conv only? Still searching for a pic of the clipper panels and what the snap is for.

I agree with Dave and Howard, but there are exceptions. My 56 Pat has 55 trunk material in it and I am sure it is original to the car. The interior was done by Mitchell-Bentley and I guess they just used the 55 stuff because it was on hand.