Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Hello!

My 1955 Packard 400 has the interior code 82. I want to restore the car so I have a few questions about the interior. :)

I have read that the code 82 means it should have white leather and blue fabric on the seats. My seats are white so it seems that my Packard has the code 89 upholstery. So I guess someone has changed the upholstery at some point? Or is there any other possible explanation for it?

Now another question. I have included a picture where you can see that on the front door under the window there is a part that has a dark green leather on it. Is this how it was meant to be or should it be the same color as the other blue leather in the car?

Now my last question is if anyone would have pictures of a similar 1955 Packard 400 with the code 82 interior? I'd really love to see what it's going to look like. I haven't been able to find pictures of one like that myself.

Thank you very much,
Jani

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Not sure if you had a chance to look at the dealer album but it has upholstery swatchespackardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/article/view.article.php?174 and might shed some light on possibilities.

The green is wrong. Someone probably had a damaged armrest and managed to find one with chrome or vinyl in better condition. It is also possible someone found a parts car with better upholstery and made some swaps.

I don't have any decent photos but hopefully someone else will.

Vesiapina -

I can't help with interior pictures of an actual car, but I suspect that you verified the trim set number (82) from the VN plate on the driver's door hinge pillar of your 400.

If the cloth inserts on your seat covers are not just badly faded, then someone probably replaced them at some time in the past. It's impossible for me to say, however, whether that was a matter of personalization or due to the lack of suitable replacement in original color.

Meanwhile, the trim pad on the door interior finish molding should be the same color (and probably the same material) as the instrument panel trim pad - that is, blue, not green. I'm sure a factory mistake, there, would have been corrected by the original selling dealer prior to delivery. I'm more inclined to believe that someone replaced the original part with the only substitute they could find at the time. I wouldn't be surprised if Mike Dulinksi (of MN) had a used part that was a perfect match to original.

Thank you for your answers. It's just funny that I've found a few cars where just that part is different color from than the rest of the interior.

See the interior door pictures in this one:rdclassics.de/oldtimer_verk/Packard%2040 ... coupe.html?oldtimer=1075#disp_slide

And is this because of fading caused by sun?secondchancegarage.com/public/classic-ca ... ckard-400/1955-packard-400-door.jpg

How do I contact Mike Dulinksi?

Jani

not 100% on this, but I believe the seat bolsters were leather, and the dash and door panels vinyl. The arm rest upper i'm not sure.

Here's a picture of my backseat. So are these parts vinyl or leather?

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The door trim on the 55 400 with white/green interior looks fine on my screen, but the cloth insert material on the seats appear to be incorrect.

The door trim pad on the 55 400 with white/red interior is clearly sun-faded.

This site's features include a Packard Directory, and you'll find contact info for Mike is listed under Packard Vendors and Parts. I believe that telephone is his preferred method of contact, but be sure to allow for difference in time zones; he's in the Central Time Zone.

That side wall (door and quarter panel) trim was done in fabric and/or 'imitation leather'. The latter term is just a fancy name for vinyl (which is actually a vinyl-coated fabric); some refer to as 'leatherette'.

However, the top panel of the arm rests on the door panels were cut from genuine leather.

Unfortunately, I can't remember about rear quarter arm rest the hardtops, and my car is stored off-site.

I agree with BH and bkazer on the trim

The parts book starting at 31.4652 lists the bulk trim stock that might help in addition to what has already been said.

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/partslist5556/31_BodyTrim.pdf

FWIW...my 56 has the original light blue/dark blue cloth interior.

At least that's what it started life with. The light blue "metalaise" has faded/turned to a light green; the navy bits have faded some on seat tops but remain blue. My padded dash had faded a bit when it was replaced last year but the padding was the problem much more than the color.

I don't know the source of the blue to green change but it is uniform, leading me to think it might be a CHEMICAL FADE FROM IT'S ENVIRONMENT, NOT SUB FADING.....