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Owen,

I think my post (#19) on this thread got buried between a shift in the discussion. Did you see it?

I asked about my engine number having a 'C' at the end of the 6 digits. Engine Number D407534C
I wrote:
"I assume the added 'C' is for 'Clipper.' I don't know if later Clippers had that added letter in the end or if they were separating out 282 engines meant for the new 'Clipper' line."

Here's the rest of the post #19


O_D
Fresh Data for you!
1941 Clipper
Body Number 14019733
This is displayed in two places.
1. Stamped into the PMC plate mounted on the driver-side cowl. The '1' s in the number also look like 'I's. No other data is stamped on the plate (dealer, delivery, city etc.) I assume this was common with the glut of Clippers coming through dealerships in late summer 1941.
2. A 'Body Number' plate fastened to the firewall on the passenger-side.

BDN <604556>
The 0 also looks like a D, as others reported.
That is stamped in the driver's side of the firewall. The voltage regulator and wiring harness are above it, so the 0 and second 5 are not readily visible.

Engine Number D407534C
Block Casting Date 5-2-41 (on both sides of the lower side of the block).
- This number fits the range of original Clipper engines. I assume the added 'C' is for 'Clipper.' I don't know if later Clippers had that added letter in the end or if they were separating out 282 engines meant for the new 'Clipper' line.

Good luck in your 'Code Breaking' hobby.
You are a 'detail man',
the Sherlock Holmes of PInfo
the "Enigma Cipher Machine of Packard history"
"The game is afoot"

SORRY, I got carried away there ....

Anyway, it is hard to own, repair, and drive a Packard w/o a 'detective instinct.'

Let us know your conclusions, no matter how tentative.

DanL

Thanks for the info, your BDN is right about in the middle of the range I have for the 41 cars with the Clippers just comingled apparently at random with the conventional bodies. Your engine # is correct for a 1951 chassis; None of the various sources I have for motor numbers give an explanation for the "C" suffix, though the senior 1941 cars used a "C" prefix in front of the "D" prefix to differentiate a 160 engine from a 180 as both began with the same year prefix ("D" for 1941). Thus the senior 356 engines for the 160 began at D500001 and the 180s began at CD500001. Chrysler liked to use such suffixes to denote undersize main or rod bearings or oversize bores, though I'm not aware that Packard did so. In any case the information is recorded and thanks.

A suffix indicates a mechanical change in the engine from what was usually or originally shipped. Most of them were because of shortages. Here is an example of a 20th series. Some 18th series had a C meaning a different camshaft requiring a different carb. Some 21st had both B and C suffixes indicating different clutch plate combo's which couldn't be interchanged because of supplier issues and some 26th series had oversize lifter bores so they didn't have to throw out the block.

I couldn't find specifically what the C meant for 19th series but am missing a few service counselors and have no TB's from that era, Perhaps someone else does and can find the info.

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Kevin:

I would be interesting in knowing if you have ever seen any pattern between the Briggs body number and VN number as far as the offset between the two numbers.

The only pattern that is apparent is in the 22nd/23rd series and only then for the cars that were not renumbered by the factory (to avoid selling leftovers). Regardless of body style, the Briggs number is never more or less than 25 away from the VN, often matching, and most often between 1 and 5 numbers apart. Of course a factory-renumbered bathtub might have been 2392-25000 with a Briggs number nearly matching, but might have emerged with the new factory VN plate as 2392-5-75000. For example my factory renumbered 23rd series Custom 8 sedan was renumbered to 2352-5-5346 and subtracting 2001 leaves 3345, far more than were produced in the entire series. The apparent reason is that when the factory renumbered, in addition to adding the -5- or -9- (for 22nd series), they started with a new base number, for example 50001 instead of 2001. Bob Neal is exploring this in more detail and it will be interesting to see what he comes up with in his new book on the 22nd/23rd series.

For the 42 thru 47 Clippers, there appears to be no pattern at all, most Briggs numbers are with 300 or so of the VN, but I've encountered a few where the difference is about 16,000.

For the 1951-54, I simply don't have enough data but the few I have the VN is within 25 of the Briggs #.

Dave,

Thanks for info. It seams like it was luck of the draw, and which ever row of bodies they started assemble that day! (or something like that)