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Beautiful car; Esquireman!

Hey, Jim...thanks so much for your positive comments. We were a little timid in making the decision to introduce the Naples Orange but it really gave a little "Caribbeanesque" flair to an otherwise funereal Patrician color scheme! When the interior is done, it will all make a bit more sense.

I've got one of the Danbury Mint's 1956 Packard Caribbeans that sport a black body color with Naples Orange in the 2nd color section. That has made me a big fan on Naples Orange and it translates equally as well to the Patrician. Really great job.

Agreed! Can't wait to put the vermillion, white, and gray leather in the interior! Packard really woke up in 1955 and through 1956 left us with a legacy of truly fantastic color and interior choices...just like the printed materials claimed.

I have made some progress on the Patrician. Installed new cupro-nickel brake lines and cupro-nickel fuel line. The gas tank had been previously done by Gas-tank Renu. These lines are much easier to work with. I will confess to double-flaring a line and then looking up to see the fitting still sitting there. Oh well, I'll probably do that again sometime. The fuel line goes under the drivers side upper control arm. I removed the upper control arm to replace the rubber bushings anyway so the fuel line was easy to install. I had to do it in three pieces. There is a clamp for the fuel line on the same frame piece that the top of the rear shocks mount into. I could not get a wrench on that bolt even after calling it some names that had worked before. This clamp was obviously installed before the body was lowered onto the frame. I wound up carefully measuring the distance from the body mount that is very close. It is 15/16 inch from the indent for the body mount. I drilled a one-inch hole and removed the bolt from the frame. I'll post a pic later. I guess I'll fill that hole with a rubber or vinyl plug. It will be under the trunk mat and won't show. I don't remember any problem there when I did the Four Hundred?? Replaced the rubber bushings (TRW 12309) on the drivers side upper inner control arm while I had it loose. The rubber seals (big rubber O-rings (15.5136?) were still in great shape when I removed the upper pivot pin and I just reused them. I carefully measured the gap at the pivot pin (11/16 inch) and held that gap when I reassembled the pivot pin. The air gun came in handy for this procedure. All in all, a productive day.

Here are the pics I took. The old fuel line lying in front of the radiator looks as though it was copper-plated?? Has anyone else noticed this on their fuel line? I'm reasonably certain it is original.
The hole drilled in the trunk is 15/16 inch from the edge of the circular-stamped body mount location - should have been 3/4 inch. I was able to get the bolt out and reinstall it in same location.
Nice new upper control arm bushings. I haven't tightened the clamping bolts down because the car is sitting up on jackstands.

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Randy,

Never seen that before. The trunk material looks like the 55 material. Is the cardboard sides the same pattern?

Yes, it is 55 material and sides match. I had reported that when I first got the car. It also has part 6485262 (30.13552) which most 56 Packards do not have.

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I have seen that the fuel lines were copper flashed on many earlier cars, but had'nt noticed it on 55-56. Seems likely it would have carried over.

Thanks Ross, I've looked at a lot of 56's but never noticed this.