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Please someone lie to me and tell me that the vibration im getting when I first take off from a dead stop is not my clutch going out! I have a 53 clipper with an orginal 251000 miles and i was hoping to enjoy it some more before any major work had to be done. Another question does the clipper use clutch fluid? break fluid? or is it a hydrolic system. Either way could it be possible that I just need some type of fluid.

The Clipper clutch (indeed ALL Packard clutches) are simple mechanical linkage, no fluid. Perhaps you haven't routinely adjusted the free play which will ruin a clutch in pretty short order, but with the mileage you claim, the clutch should have failed long before this. Clutch life varies quite a bit with driving habits but typically 80K to 120K is about it.

Clutch chatter is usually from a worn or dirty clutch disk. Is the underside of the bell housing oily? It could be that oil has gotten on the disk which will cause it to chatter on start up. This oil can come from about anywhere. But, one of the major contributor is the rear main seal.
I know this is not what you wanted to hear. Sorry.

Thanks, from what i read so far it seems as if i'm going to have the trans ppulled and looked at. I was hopeing for some good news but with a classic car there must be new money....thanks again everyone.

Electromatic clutch: see also vaccume operated mechanical nightmare! Neat idea, pain in the tail to work on! haha.

Soggy worn out motor mounts and transmission mounts can cause this problem too. I would check them before tearing everything apart.

If you want to take a 'quick' look at the clutch, I think there is an inspection plate (or bottom half of the bellhousing) that you can unbolt. On the packard it's a cast iron part, on other cars it would be a sheet metal part.
Then you should be able to take a look at the cluth disk, flyweel and pressure plate.
Good luck!