Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

With the tweaks you mentioned, I think it would be perfectly acceptable. Most people would never notice any difference.

Looks like it could end up being a very decent repro. If CNC machined, what material are you using?

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It's aircraft grade aluminum. Very strong. I also tweaked the design to give the tabs as much material as possible. It's not much different due to the constraints of the design, but it should help a little bit.

For a simple test, I pulled the starter switch towards the front of the car with perhaps twice the force of the pre-existing spring force. Not only did the tabs not bend but there is not so much as a witness mark on the machined surface.

The material change was for reasons of cost, but only indirectly, as this stuff is more expensive than casting alloy. The problem is that casting alloy would require a minimum purchase from a metal supplier, but the aluminum is a stocked item for CNC machining companies.

So I need some input from my current (pre-order) and future customers here. Is everyone pretty happy with the look of the sample? I am getting a few things touched up just slightly (for example, slightly thinner letters to match the other bezels better) but besides that, does it seem OK? Keep in mind that I'm getting these CNC machined, not cast from an original, so they won't be concours 110% perfect to the micron. But that's why the cost is so much lower, and if we ever need more, I can just get another batch done with my CAD file and drawing, not shipping a mold somewhere.

Looks good...works for me. PB