Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

This thread is very cool! Thanks to everyone who has posted on it, especially the 2x4 Supercharged marine engines. Who'd a'thunk it?

IF I were to do something like this today:

1. I would turbocharge it, not supercharge it. Turbos are much more efficient because there is no parasitic drive belt loss. You can get turbos in all kinds of sizes, so one would be sufficient for a 374CID Packard V-8. Also, you can run the exhaust piping any convenient place as well as mounting the turbo (within reason) and also the boost pipe.

2. I would fit EFI instead of a carb with a pressure hat on the airhorn or carbs within a box. There are many Throttle Body Injection aftermarket kits out there, so one could be made to fit a stock Packard 4bbl intake with little modification. Some of the kits are "self learning", so you don't need a computer science degree to tune it.

I designed, engineered and manufactured a blow-thru QJet Turbo kit for Gen-2 Firebirds back in the day (1970s), so I know a lot about these. I still have one (1976 Firebird "TurboForce Revival Project" car) in my possession today. It is scary fast. I have NO PLANS to do the above on my Panther, mostly because I think it will be fast enough as is and also I'm getting too old to be going really quick anyway.

Craig

Where was this black 55? California, mid west, east coast?

On this site is a picture of Clark Gable looking over a super charged engine. Is it along the lines of the pictures you saw/have?
vs57.y-block.info/pin_ups.htm

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And let's not forget Lou Senter's Packard V-8 powered dragster, the first to achieve 150 MPH! Though I doubt it was backed by a TU.....

Hello...

RE: the black Clipper... The Clipper I mentioned was a 1956 hardtop from Oregon. I believe it was in Hot Rod magazine in 1957 or so. As I recall it merely had the Caribbean intake with dual quads installed along with a bunch of things done to the engine. It had a stick & over trans and ran respectable times for its day. I kept the original magazine for many years, but it is in storage now and not easily accessible. Take a look around on the internet.

RE: the photo showing Clark Gable and the supercharger in a T-Bird... Yes, I am certain the the photos I have in my collection and others I saw many years ago were all from the same series. The photo you show here is different from the ones I have, but I am certain it was taken at the same time and place-in front of the Paxton building. My photos even have the same 1955 Oldsmobile sitting behind a chain link fence.

There were also once a couple of hopped-up race prepped V-8 Packards out in the Mohave Desert at a place called "The Packard Doctor." This was back in the 1970s. One of these cars was a 1956 Patrician that had the entire front end radically modified and lightened... and a very hot engine installed. There are photos of this car I took back then now posted on the PAC web site. Furthermore, there was another V-8 there that had a supercharger. No idea what ever happened to these cars.

I have seen two different configurations of supercharging on Packard V-8s over my lifetime. One I already have mentioned here is the Paxton/McCullagh version. The other was a impeller type, GM 6-71 type that sat on top of the engine and fed by what appeared to be four 2BBL carburetors with little individual chrome air cleaners this crazy car was once on display at a hot rod show back in the 1960s in Detroit. No idea if it even ran, but it got a lot of attention!

Leeedy Quote:

Here ya go:

1956packardpanther.com/PV8C/HRM195708A.html

Craig

FWIW, that Oregon '56 Clipper featured in HRM '57, raced by Everett Hatch, has been bought by Paul Delaney, moved to Virginia and restored to its former glory. The restoration is detailed in an article in Packard - Autumn 1996 - issue 96.

jack vines

Not sure if this is the same Clipper but this was at the Gettysburg Packard meet. Randy was there and sure he is more up on the details of this car

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That looks like the 56 Clipper that Paul Delaney restored judging from the pix he sent me. Check out the 3rd and 4th pages on my link above.

Craig

That indeed is Paul Delaney's car.

Here is Paul talking about his car.
packardclub.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2619