Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

I will say that if that car was resprayed, it was much better done than my car. On mine the guy didn't bother doing the door jambs, sides of the hood, overspray everywhere, etc. It was a really ham-handed job.

Keep us informed of how things progress. If you do end up picking up the 400 (or any Packard), be sure to come back here and register it and make a build thread. There is no better resource for restoring and maintaining Packards than this forum and website.

-Kevin

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If I end up getting it I will for sure come back and register/ bug the crap out of you guys. Below is a list of things I am going to check out next time I go PLEASE add to the list if you see some thing that could be a deal breaker. Like I said before I want to have a driving project, I dont really have any plans of doing a frame off until maybe when I retire.....

- Check for original paint (over spray on wires, hood hinges,) what spots should not be painted on car?

-Check trim plate in drivers side door
Is there a print out available that I could bring with me to check if the plate shows the paint and trim that the car actually is?


- Check the torsion leveling system (Trunk test) In what position does the little switch need to be under the dash for the TL system to be on? will it be obvious if the system is working?



- Check parking brake works. If it does not how big of a fix is that?

- Check if there is dual exhaust, I didn't notice pipes in exhaust openings in rear bumper. Anything else exhaust wise to check?

-Check if has original valve covers

-Magnet test over whole car.

- Electrical. Anything special I should check when it comes to this? Like I said according to him all gauges don't work other than the gas gauge, the speedometer worked but was pretty bouncy.

- Undercarriage. I will crawl under car with head light where should I focus my attention?

Please feel free to add anything, thanks guys.

- Check for original paint (over spray on wires, hood hinges,) what spots should not be painted on car?

Someone with more knowledge can correct me on this, but I believe the areas between the ribs on the underside of the trunk lid were not painted body color. It is sound deadening material. Hood hinges should not be body color, nor the springs on them. No wires should have paint on them.

-Check trim plate in drivers side door
Is there a print out available that I could bring with me to check if the plate shows the paint and trim that the car actually is?


This page will be your best resource: 1955 Model Information. Look at the links at the bottom of the page. The first few pages of the Parts List will have all the paint and interior codes used on these cars. You can then cross reference to the paint chip scan to check the colors. All resources for that car can be found on that page.

- Check the torsion leveling system (Trunk test) In what position does the little switch need to be under the dash for the TL system to be on? will it be obvious if the system is working?


I'm not very familiar with Torsion Level, but I believe you can check it by sitting on the rear bumper and see if the car levels itself out.

- Check parking brake works. If it does not how big of a fix is that?

Depends on what the problem is. If the brakes haven't been gone through recently (with proof), I would count on going through them yourself and making sure it is all done. The parking brake is handled as part of that. It's not that hard. If I can do it, anyone can.

- Check if there is dual exhaust, I didn't notice pipes in exhaust openings in rear bumper. Anything else exhaust wise to check?

See if you can get a view of the mufflers. If they are rotted out you are looking at a new exhaust system.

-Check if has original valve covers

-Magnet test over whole car.

- Electrical. Anything special I should check when it comes to this? Like I said according to him all gauges don't work other than the gas gauge, the speedometer worked but was pretty bouncy.

Most of the electrical stuff can be figured out. Lights will need to be replaced, there are probably some bad grounds, and perhaps some wires will need attention.

- Undercarriage. I will crawl under car with head light where should I focus my attention?

Check behind the rear wheels. This is where rust is most likely to occur. There is not a lot of room under the car to see, so you may not be able to evaluate well unless the car is on stands.

This is the picture of the torsion level switch out of the 56 owners manual. But really the seller should know what is what. If not, that's a sign that he may not be that familiar with his own car. For this reason, I would ask him first, before trying yourself.

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Years ago I had a coworker that wanted to get into old cars. A number of us at the office had them and he wanted to join in the conversation. Unfortunately, he bought a 1953 Ford spur of the moment one weekend from a car lot without asking for any help. It had a beautiful dark blue paintjob - and that's where it ended. One day he comes into my office and asks if I could help him fix some wiring since the directional switch and horn weren't working. On the way out the door he asked if Ford used wood in the floor in 1953. I just grimaced and he said: "Oh, I guess not". I told him to get a shop manual and I would come over and help him out. As soon as I got on my back and got under the dash I asked if the car was in a spot he could work around for awhile since he needed to remove the battery immediately. There was so much duct tape (not electrical) I couldn't tell what was what and frayed wires everywhere. I told him to buy a wiring harness and I would help him. He punted and pawned it off on some other poor soul. His wife hadn't approved of it and it didn't have a place in the garage. He didn't know his limitations as Clint Eastwood says.

Bring a mirror on a stick and I use a phone to take photos in hard to see spots if your not a fan of laying. One of two things happened when the gauges stopped working: Either someone tried to fix and failed or left it untouched. Hope for the later look for signs of modern wires, splices etc.

Hope you get it - for the right price.

Mike

Technically offtopic but I reminded myself today that I know of a similar Packard 400 in much better condition that's been for sale for almost a year now with no takers. (It's by where I used to live, but I don't know the seller.) Price has already dropped to $18.5k from $28.5k originally so you might be able to get it for $15-16k and be in a much better position vs. spending the same amount of money/time on the other one.

However it's in Oklahoma... theoretically you could fly out and drive it back, but it's been driven only an average of 100 miles/year for the past 2 decades, so that may or may not work out.

I haven't seen it in person so I'm not endorsing it, just wanted to let you know.

facebook.com/marketplace/item/2872685793046817/

By the way Packardfan here is your paint code info:
The one you found appears to be Sapphire Moonstone which is Paint Code GF.
And just FYI, the interior looks to be "White Orchard Bouclé—Black Patent, White Leather" which is code 85.

Here's a picture of the Facebook one I linked, which appears to either be original or a proper restoration. Paint on this one should be Ultramarine Moonstone which is code GE.

And it has factory A/C!

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Question: How often do nice stock Packards come on the Market like this? Where is the best place to look other than Craig's list. I don't see this Packard on Craigslist in Oklahoma? FB wont let me view any more pics than what you see in the link.

It's on Facebook... it would be best to message the seller directly on there for more pictures. IIRC the car is in storage but they should be able to get some pics soon.

They come up pretty often. The only question is where. Also Packards came in a LOT of different colors... in 1955 alone there were 17 paint colors in a total of 39 combinations, plus there were 47 interior options. Even though each car had a small fraction of the total interior options, and there were only a limited number of paint options for each interior option, there were still over 700 different unique appearances across the lineup. So if you are really set on a certain appearance, just be aware that it may not come again soon or ever.

Alright one more question before I go tomorrow. What is that slinky looking house on the right hand side? I know for sure that was not there when I looked at it last time. The pic I used here is from a packard I found on line.

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