Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

There is no mystery to the amber courtesy lamp lenses. I had some samples made in the injection die before we made the one run of courtesy light lenses. I still have a pair put away. I took a pair of these lenses to a national Packard convention years ago and put them into the proper Packard envelopes to see peoples reactions. All kinds of theories were put forth. I had to burst everyones bubble when I told them that I had them manufactured. I got a great smile on my face when the experts were crestfallen by being taken in so easily. The gold side trim was indeed made by Packard for a show car and I have had many pieces of it over 30 years. Fred Kanter has some of it as he bought it from me over the years.

Can someone tell me how to replace the bulb in a 56 Executive (same as Senior) FRONT turn/parking lamp. I can't figure out how to get to it.

Unlike other lamps that you may be familiar with, the sockets were swedged into the turn signal lamp body on these cars and not intended to be removed to service the bulb. So, you have to remove the lens, but it is secured by screws from the backside of the lamp body. While that treatment makes for a much cleaner-looking exterior appearance, it creates a little extra work for us.

As such, you have to remove the entire lamp assmebly from the front fender. Yet, be careful as the die-cast body can become delicate over years of exposure to the elements. IIRC, the are two screws on the inboard leading edge of the lamp, plus a nut securing a stud at the rear, on the inside of the front fender. With the lamp removed from the fender, you can then remove the screws securing the lens, but look out for any sign of rust that might have made them brittle and prone to snapping off. A top quality screwdriver and a little penetrating oil could go a long way to avoiding costly damage.

At least this gives you the opportunity to clean up the inside of the housing and lens. While flat white reflects the most light, I'll paint the inside of the die-cast hosuing mine with an alumuinum colored paint fo an original look.

BTW, the original bulb was a 1034, but you'll find that the more commonly availale 1157 works and is slightly brighter.