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Hi

Perusing some old newspaper clippings, this ad for Tunmore Olds (Buffalo, NY) Spring Sale has one of the few Packards still being listed by 1961. Once a make became an orphan, resale value plunged.

Steve

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My Dad bought a 1955 Clipper Super 4dr in 1959 for $374. It was nicely equipped with T-U, T-L, BTV and radio. The T-U puked after his 16YO son (me) started driving it, but he found a retired Packard mechanic working out of his garage who fixed it. I believe it eventually got parked for the T-U going out again, but that was many years later. My friends and I had many good times in High School driving that Clipper.

Craig

I purchased a 56 400 in 1962 for $150.00. He had spent over $300.00 on the T-U and couldn't consistently get reverse. He was a diesel mechanic and just gave up on the car.
He had a shop manual with it and I studied the pushbutton section. My cousin and I jacked up one side and I slithered under to watch the PB in action. The whole unit would flop around and move rather than staying still and moving the shaft.
Some overzealous mechanic had stripped the threads in the casting where you adjust the PB. I turned the strap end-for-end, adjusted it to be in reverse when the R button was pressed and drove it for four years till some lady driver tore out the whole passenger side. The insurance company gave me $200.00.

I found it interesting that the ad, from 1961, refers to the Packard as having 'full power'.

That denotes luxury and well optioned.

They still use it today despite the fact that manual windows have all but disappeared. Even strippers have power windows, power locks.

Clearly, because power accessories did not become common until the mid 50's, this era (1960) must have been the first to advertise 'full power.'

Hi

Yes, "Full Power" definitely denoted luxury then, as most power accessories were still options...which the dealers loved to sell for extra profit. It was still possible to get a crank-window Lincoln through 1960, Imperial through 1961 and Cadillac through.......1968!!!!

As a kid, I was disappointed to see Lincolns with crank-windows....just like our old work-a-day Ford.

Steve

They still use it today despite the fact that manual windows have all but disappeared. Even strippers have power windows, power locks.


I think it's all about cost today. Even with the price of a motor and wiring, I'd wager it costs less to engineer and slap an electric motor on a single stamping or module that can be used on several models with minimal if any changes. Watching some of the How It's Made TV shows you can see a module like that aftermarket item Craig used is quickly installed with one or two screws at the bottom of a door. When you think of all the different pieces that would be needed and then fitted for manual windows across several different models and it seems a no brainer.