Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

HH56 -

While the Hassock (HK) was 5682 (Patrician) only, the High Speed Car Equipment (HR) was listed as 5680 only.

That means it (HR) was not limited solely to the Patrician, but - depending on how you wanna interpret things - that might have excluded the Caribbean, which was, technically, on the 5688 chassis.

Could it be, then, that High Speed Car Equipment was the Caribbean powertrain details? I've never personally seen a 2x4 set-up on a Patrician or Four Hundred.

Until factory documentation comes to the surface, we may never know for sure. Also, keep in mind that this additional info covered the 56th Series only and may not necessarily apply to 55th Series.

Brian, congratulations again on a nice job and on gathering additional info and adding it. Hopefully more such info from authoritative sources will come to the fore in the future.

My 54 Patrician had the hassocks (and my 34 has 1) and I've seen them in quite a few others. I doubt we'll ever know the full details of some of the other codes. Export cars were equipped differently for most of Packard's history, things like a different and more expansive tool kits, heavy duty shocks and I believe the larger diameter torsion bars (in 55/56 of course), and maybe even the 6 ply or 6-ply rated tires.

As to the 2 x 4 bbl Rochesters on Patricians and 400s, of course we see that very often and the owners most always claim "from the factory" but I think we know better, more than likely it was a dealer conversion to clinch a sale. I believe the Caribbean chrome rocker covers however were legitimately available across the Packard line.

Thanks, Owen!

I was pleased to find that the hassocks were an optional thing. In my limited travels, I'd seen them in one or two Patricians from earlier Series, but neither of mine 5682s has them. Used examples of these hassocks turn up, occasionally, on swap meet tables, but I won't worry about them, now, unless I find a build code strip (or production order that shows either of my cars was shipped from the factory with them.

Yeah, other than a Caribbean, I wouldn't trust the appearance of a 2x4 setup on any Packard V8 as factory install without bona fide documentation. You might remember a low-mileage Exec that resurfaced some 2o tears ago and had the Caribbean V8 (among a few other things), with correspomdence to and from Packard that document it. I believe this vehicle was first reported in the October 1987 issue of Nostalgic Cars magazine (no longer in publication). It was one of those few cases where, if an owner persisted, the factory would bend the rules to make a sale.

I don't recall any production code for the chrome-plated rocker covers, but know that they were available over-the-counter as a dealer accessory item. I have a bulletin on that, which I will be uploading with others to P'Info next month.

(Edited on: 2009/03/22, to correct magazine name and date of issue)

I often wonder about the provenance of some of the unusually equipped 56 cars claimed as "factory". Here in NJ Lou Weinstein owns a stunning 56 Executive 2 dr HT with standard shift and OD (that's OK), dual 4bbl Rochesters, and 12 inch brakes. The claim is that the larger brakes (weren't the Executives 11 inch?) were a factory option.

I know it's off the topic, but thought you might want to see a picture of the hassock in the 1934 Eight. Not often seen. It was no doubt an option though I don't think it's listed in the Accessory pamphlet. The foot rest was of course standard. The grille in the floor is the very uncommon Kelch hot air heater. That interior is all original.

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Owen -

I'm wondering, now, if the Exec you cited is the same as the one I remember. That car had a three & over gearbox mated up to the Caribbean engine and was painted Norwegian Forest over Dover White, with dark green all-leather upholstery, but it had the radio delete plate. I can't recall the details of the brakes for that car, but will try to dig up the magazine from my collection.

Meanwhile, the casual observer (including me) might have thought that the rail-type footrest in that car was a hassock. The hassock in that prewar car certainly was a lot more upscale than what was offered in later years.

Yes, Lou now owns the executive in question, the one that Dr. Art Burrichetor (sp) "discovered" and marketed in the 1980s. It was at Hershey about 5 years ago. a remarkable survivor, and a very unusually equipped car.
The chrome valve covers appear in the 1956 accessory booklet (catalogue), I don't know of any 5687 or 5688 cars from the factory with them. From the dealer--that's another thing!

Have been pondering this dropped option since it obviously fits--even with floor rework in convert's--, wonder if the reason the underseat heater was dropped as standard for Caribbean was the fact it was so darned ugly for a premium car.

They would have had to redesign the heater esthetically or make some kind of cover to hide it which I think would have destroyed the look and feel of seat architecture--so easier to just drop it.

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This thread was mentioned by Brian over on the Hood Ornaments thread, and I wanted to bump it to the top and make sure knowledge about the various build codes and the availability of Brian's work on PDF on this site.

Also, I'd like to put in 2? on the high speed equipment mentioned. It would make sense for it to be offered on senior sedans for police pursuit cars and other professional vehicles, like someone mentioned the FBI. There's such a dearth of information on any V8 professional cars, but I imagine there was a market worth pursuing (hey, I made a funny) for Packard because they had the biggest V8s at the time, and also a suspension that could take high-speed bumps and corners better than any other full-sized car around.

We know of at least one police car Patrician, mikec's. I wonder if there are records of sales of V8 Packards for professional use.

That said, the description of the Exec with documentation for factory installed dual carb 374 and manual transmission, I just have this to say:

I want it!

There's such a dearth of information on any V8 professional cars,

I'm not sure what you mean by "professional cars" but in the traditional sense of the term (executive sedans, limousines, ambulances, hearses), there were no such V8 models as factory offerings in part because the last long wheelbase chassis was in 1954. Packard never tooled a lwb torsion bar suspension (though they could have produced a V8 lwb with a conventional suspension like the early 55 Clipper base car). Another reason would have been the Henney closure in 1954.

As to the FBI or police using Packards, I guess anything is possible though taxpayers should have been in a revolt about police buying Cadillac, Lincoln or Packard police cars! Is there evidence that the D.A.R.E. car pictured on this site was truly originally ordered as a police car? I'd be really doubtful about this, though as I said, anything is possible. I guess an original invoice made out to a municpal or state agency could prove the point.

Driving a Packard police car would have surely been more comfortable than driving one of these back in the '50s: