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Good point.

I had taken comfort from the fact that the car ran with these wheels for about 15 years. They seem to fit into the guards in pretty much the same way as the others (which are also not standard!). It appears - from the number of spokes - that they were aftermarket wheels fitted to a senior Packard in the US, but I don't know whether the geometry changed when the hubs were replaced here.

The suspension on this car was overhauled about ten years ago - and the Torsion Level more recently - but I don't know what shape it was in when it was done. Before my time.

I'll get the tape measure out and check the geometry as you suggest.

This is a daily driver and will never be a concours or show car, so I'm not concerned about originality. It has a few other small mods which I like but which would probably lose points with a concours judge. I do like these wheels on the car. I can see why the previous owner went to quite a lot of trouble and expense to fit them.

With these wheels, it's much less frequently mistaken for a Chevrolet! On balance, quite a good thing but usually leads to the inevitable question "What is it?"

Thanks

Brian

When you first posted pictures and told how the wheels were done, I had wondered why the person who didn't it do so in such a round-about way. Seems it would have been far easier to just put on senior backing plates, spindles and drums, then use stock wheels.

You had also commented in my 1956 Clipper blog about the original color of your car being yellow with a white top. If so, that would be a much "sportier" color to go along with the wire wheels!

Hello Don

Thanks for your comments. The chap who owned this car (and restored it) was a race car designer/builder so I would guess you're right that he most likely measured it up fairly carefully. But I don't know for sure, so will double check.

There are quite a few other things about the car which suggest he was a pretty good engineer. I don't know why he went that way with the wheels. I suppose there was a plentiful supply of Ford wheel centres around in Australia then, so it may just have been easier than sourcing Packard senior drums. I know he bought the wire wheels from somebody in the US, so perhaps could have sourced drums etc then.

This same guy was the one who changed the paint colour. Some people quite like the original yellow/white roof, but not him or me. The paint job was done thoroughly then (body off), so I don't need to worry now about the engine bay, door frames etc. The cost of a full repaint in another colour would be eye-watering, and easily exceed the value of the car. Not that I'm thinking of selling it. I enjoy driving it too much!

I do have quite a bit of spare trim items, which came off another Clipper which was converted to a Ute (pickup), then scrapped.

I also don't want to dismantle it too much for painting, for fear I'll never get it back together and all working properly again!

Cheers

Brian

Quote:
Brian,

To my inexpert eye, the wheel centres shown in photo #3 of Post # 19 appear likely to be Packard. Reason being they have the holes between the lug bolt holes for a "locating" stud. Don't believe Ford centres had "locating" studs because they used studs, not lug bolts, therefore no need for the locating stud.

Don't know if the V8's used the locating stud or not.

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Hello Mal

Yes, the steel wheel centres could be Packard (maybe the originals?). Noel Watson told me they are Ford wheels, but I think it was Warren Jones who fitted the wheels so that might not be correct.

I don't know what Packard or Ford wheels of that period are supposed to look like. There are no locating pegs on the drums - just studs protruding through the wheel. The wheel covers are correct for the Clipper and fit the steel rims suspiciously well.

Perhaps somebody else knows if the red wheel in the picture is a 1955/56 Packard item?

Cheers

Brian

Yes, the red wheel is the proper one and here's one of mine. Looking at the model info on this site, I was surprised to see that the Deluxe used the full wheel-covers as opposed to the smaller caps that snapped over the three nubs that are stamped into the wheels, along with beauty rings.

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Quote:
Brian,

Probably likely the wheel combination is Packard centres with Ford rims.

Back in the days of my misspent youth, often Ford rims would be reversed on their centres because the inner flange of the Ford rim was angled rather than just being a flat shoulder. Also, the Ford rim may be wider? When finished and chromed, they looked good! Although your rims don't appear to be reversed. And IIRC my brother, at one stage, made up reversed Ford rims on Holden Centres to put on the rear of his mates FJ Holden.

Hello Mal

Yes, that's the same wheel alright. What is it off?

The wheel covers on my Clipper look to be original and clip on around the rim. Guess that wheel was the same, judging by the marks on the rim paint.

Sounds like I was misinformed about the origin of the steel wheels on my car.

My steel wheels and covers are actually in pretty good condition.

Maybe Packard continued to fit these standard steel wheels to some of the V8 models in 1955/56, but with no locating pegs on the hubs/drums. Junior cars only, perhaps?

Cheers

Brian

That's what I thought too but the part number for the 1956 Clipper wheel shows it fits chassis 5640-60-70 while there is a different part number for 1955. More likely that whatever the differences between the two years, there was no need to leave out the holes.

Hello Don

That's interesting. I didn't think to look in the parts book. I'm not sure what the wheel is in Mal Harris' pic is off, but it sure looks the same - even the rim.

I'll take a closer look at the back of my steel wheels to see if there are any signs of the rims being grafted on to the centres. The rims sure look the same as Mal's picture, but maybe there are subtle differences. According to my Owners' Handbook, the1956 Clipper was fitted with tubeless tyres. This might account for some differences in the rims vs 1955 and maybe a different part number. I'll have a go at measuring the rim width. Not easy with the tires on! The correct width for the junior cars is stated to be five inches. Mine look a bit wider than that, but I have not tried to measure.

Cheers

Brian