Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

does anyone have any good leads of companies that make patterns of the canvas for the convertible top for my Caribbean 1955. I am looking go get one so that my upholstery guy can install it. Also, any suggestions on color .... my car is pained in the 2 blue tone with white upper body.
Thanks for any suggestions and idea.
Walter

Hi Walt.

First of all, the original and correct top was NOT canvas, it was a synthetic (like vinyl) with a pin-point pattern exterior finish in white. All the major top makers and suppliers and there are several have the patterns and offer pre-welded and stitched kits complete with rear window and pads. I got mine from Bill Hirsch who had 2 sources for them, mine came from E-Z down in GA. Bill's kit was absolutely perfect in terms of pattern, exterior grain and color, and fit. I also believe Kanter sources them from a maker who has the patterns. But what you won't be able to get (unless perhaps you have the courage to deal with Kepich) is one with the colored interior to match the middle body color.

PS - and should you not be aware of it, the lining of the 55 Carib (but not the 56) top well (where the top folds) should also be colored to match the inner top and middle body color.

I hope it is perceived as an exception to my on-line decorum, as well as maybe pushing O_D past what he was suggesting, however, in this case, may I make it perfectly clear, at least from my personal experience - dealing with Kepich would be a mistake.

I have a similar problem. I bought a top from Gretchen Keppach for my 55 Caribbean because she was the only supplier of a top with the correct inner liner. I purchased the top early In the build and it remained boxed for nearly two years.
When I went to install the top last fall it appeared to me that the top would not fit since there was too much material above the rear window.
I should have returned the top for correction but since I have installed tops before, I am no expert. I contacted a local upholsterer who has installed a number of tops over the past 25 years. He looked the top over and thought that he could make it work. Unfortunately, her was wrong and said the top had to be returned to Keppach.....after he had run a number of staples into the top. He and Gretchen did not agree as to who was responsible but in the end, Gretchen announced that she and her husband were retiring from the business( John ran KlassKolections that produced exhaust systems previously discussed on the Forum) since the exhaust business had been sold.
She would not entertain making another top since work had been done to it- not a totally unreasonable position- but agreed to refund half the original $850 that I had paid.
I spoke to Bill Hirsch at Hershey and he will make a top in the correct vinyl for the car but he cannot offer the liner.
I am currently trying to find an upholsterer who will either make up a new top with a liner or install a liner in a Hirsch top. The outlook has not been promising. The proposed price to make up a top on the car is around $1500-2000 and the wait time will eat most of the Summer.
I think someone posted a possibility of having someone in Ohio willing to make up tops if he could be assured of at least 5 units. I cannot find the link but if anything has come of this, I am ready to sign on.
It is truly aggravating to be put behind the eight ball by a supplier and an installer but ......what can you do.
If anyone else needs a top and knows anything about the upholsterer in Ohio, please post the info and I will follow up.

Pardon a dumb question but not being familiar with convertible tops I'm curious how the top and liner is attached or constructed. It seems odd that only one or two people can or will make a top having the different color liner but another supplier cannot or won't. Was the fabric specially made by the individuals supplying it and not available to others? Is it a single piece with two different colors showing or is the liner just a separate color piece sewn or glued to the top fabric.

Truly correct convertible tops for the 55/56 Caribbean have been a problem starting just a few years after Packard's Detroit doors closed. According to the original owner of my 56, factory-correct tops were no longer available as far back as the mid-1960s.

I'm not sure how the original 55/56 tops were made, I believe they were actually Hypalon which if memory serves is a duPont product, perhaps a blend with Orlon. I've also heard the tops themselves were made by Goodyear but have never seen anything to confirm that. The innermost (colored) layer was actually one of the bonded plies of the top fabric, and colored. Lots of folks have tried to dye the inner ply on tops available today (either black or tan) and either the result is visually unsatisfactory or the dye bleeds into the white. There are some old discussions on this on this site - perhaps a search will reveal more, perhaps someone has found a solution.

Again to my knowledge the only way to get a top which will pass strict judging muster appearing as an original is to add yet another layer beneath the regular top, like a 2nd but separate layer laid over the bows before the regular top is installed. Of course the pads need to be covered in the same material. I've seen the results, looks great but the downside is you probably no longer have a convertible where the top can be lowered due to the increased bulk of the material when folded. Of course if you're out for top awards you never want to put the top down anyway.

At least this is my understanding of it, and I'd be glad to be corrected if someone has better info.

Try Art's Trim Shop; Anderson, IN; 765-644-5389. He has experience producing several tops with the correct headliner color. Good luck.

Mike, how does he accomplish it?

Headliner is a separate piece of very light fabric sewn to the exterior top. He has done both 1955 and 1956 tops. I'd suggest a buyer secure samples of the material before I placed an order to make sure he hasn't lost "the recipe". Our Indiana Packard friend who owns all the Caribbean's he can find has used his services for many years.

Mike,
If our Indiana man shows up at Salado again this year, I'll have to ask him again, he always told me his wife dyed the material and she sewed it to the top. 😉