Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Thanks 56.

I think it was at the PAC national meet in Baltimore, that they had an Ultramatic rebuilder speak there and someone put together parts, service bulletins, service manuals from all that used the Ultramatic. I think the mans name was Lloyd Storm?

Perhaps it was Lloyd, he was one of the very first in my memory to write knowledgeably about Twin Ultramatics, their servicing, and comparisons with other automatics of the era, one of his articles was in The Packard Cormorant, Vol. 49.

I have both a '55 Patrician w/Ultramatic AND a '56 Nash Ambassador with 352 Packard V8 and Ultramatic. Nash Ambassadors and Hudson Hornets used torque tubes for all their V8's in 55/56/57. There seem to be slight operational difference between my '55 Packard Ultramatic and my '56 Nash w/Ultramatic. Its most likely due to the change from the cast iron case in '55 to aluminum in '56 AND to some slight valve body alterations between '55 and '56 Ultramatics. A car with a torque tube will by its nature shift a little rougher than a car with an open (Hotchkiss) drive shaft.... One of the differences between the Packard and the Nash/Hudson with Ultramatic is the transmission cooler. It looks the same from a distance or from a photo but they are different and do not interchange....The body of the cooler is a different design and so is the mount... In theory it works the same way as the Packard cooler, but they will not interchange.....

Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. My recollection is that Hudson, after 1954 was a re-badged Nash. And, so it goes...

(o{}o)

Hudson was indeed a rebadged NASH in 55/56/57, but there were still a lot of difference between those 2 models that get ignored... In 1955 and 1956 the Nash had a narrower tread in the front because of the shrouded front fenders....outside door handles were different...rear window was different...different dash and dash set up...the Hudson has slightly stiffer springs to make for a more steady handling.... Hudson had an antenna mounted in the middle of the front roof and Ambassador had it on the fender....On the Hudson you could still get the Triple Safe Brakes that had an emergency cable back up on the standard brake pedal in case of fluid loss (only with non power brakes).... Interiors and paint colors were different....They both shared the same V8 (Packard 320) but offered completely different six cylinder engines....Front end sheet metal was different for all three years offered as were the tail lights different..... Just like Ford shared the same Mercury body in 55/56 and Chevy/Pontiac did also.....so was the case with Nash/Hudson.... AMC tried and give each car a different identity....but the loyal return buyer was lost and the public was not fooled about them being similar cars and sales were too few to make it viable to continue their manufacture......

Its interesting to also note that in 1955 the Nash and Hudson models with the Packard Clipper engine (320ci) were still 6V Negative ground cars.....while the 1955 Clipper and Packard models were 12V Positive ground (in 1955).... There were quite a few minor differences between the actual Packard V8 engines in Packards and the ones that were in the AMC Nash and Hudson models.... The oil pan, fuel pump, oil pump, water pump, carburetor, transmission cooler, head gaskets are a few that come to mind.... I used to come across Packard V8 engines in the local junkyard that had 6V coils on them....that is how I could identify them as engines from 1955 Nash/Hudsons.....

What were the differences between the 1956 Hash 352" and the Packard 352"?

jack vines