Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

I would love to have an engine bay looking this good.

Some ideas to consider;
You have decals on the air cleaner, but none of the rest. Try the Packard Club for these.

Looks like the 2x4 heat shields are missing by the manifold and the fuel filter.

Are you missing the hood bumpers on the fenders?

Isn't there a wire loom holder missing on the fender, or maybe not seen in the pictures.

Do the wire junction blocks have the paper insulators between them.

Should the ground strap run between the battery and the top of the battery holder?

Another question would be if you have the short squarish rubber channel that covers the voltage regulator terminals.

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A few things pop out very quickly here:

? Apparently there are no pushbuttons on this senior 1956 Packard thus all wire harness and relays are missing along with rain/moisture guard from the driver's inner fender.

? Retainer clamp on right-hand engine head is missing for the heater hose.

? Braided ground strap from engine to battery should be routed under the battery clamp bracket rather than over.

? Temperature shield is missing from the front carburetor choke assembly.

? Spark plug wire looms shown here are outdated type that were deleted/upgraded by the factory with new design looms and large rubber grommets.

? Metal ID tag is missing from the generator.

? Anti-short rubber protector cover is missing from the connector leads at the regulator on the core support (these are almost always missing).

? No decals on the oil filter housing or oil filler cap.

My original 56 400 had the earlier spark plug wire brackets which I upgraded to the newer ones. My car was about half way through the production run, so either type would be correct for early in the run cars. Also the rain gutter was to protect the pushbutton wiring and relays, if column shift Ultramatic is on the car the wiring and rain gutter would not be there.

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Perhaps what I wrote is misunderstood here.

RE: the spark plug wire looms... Yes, I have owned several 1956 Packards that had the older-style spark plug wire looms. Didn't say these were not legitimate items. Only mentioned that this design was deleted. Dealers upgraded/retrofitted any cars that were brought in and found to have a mis-fire or shorting problem (which is what the updated looms were supposed to rectify in the first place). Somewhere in my records I have a factory service bulletin. L.A.'s Frost & French dealership did retrofits and so did Earle C. Anthony. Others did too. And the factory changed them over. So yes, either style can be legit, but if I were restoring a car I certainly would want to put the most up-to-date Packard spec stuff under the hood. But this is merely a personal preference I guess.

RE: the pushbuttons, wire harness, rain trough, etc... Again... already pointed out that this car appears to not be equipped with pushbuttons (actually it has a brand-X transmission), so these items would obviously not be equipped. Just mentioned the moisture guard as part of the pushbutton array that normally would be on the driver's side splash apron...IF the car came with pushbuttons. My own Scottish Heather/Dover White 1956 Four Hundred (I'm 2nd owner) came ordered new from a Packard dealer in SoCal without pushbuttons, so I am very intimately familiar with this fact. Yes.

We say in Spanish: Dos ojos ven mas que uno. Two eyes see more than one. In this particular case, advantages of the internet, many eyes, and expert's eyes, see things. Thank you all.

Addressing some of your comments:

Yes, the car is not equipped with a pushbutton transmission, and at this time not even with a Packard transmission but a Chrysler's unit from the 80's or so, fortunately working very fine.

Since the car is working fine, I will keep the older type of wire looms.

As for the rest, I will work on the details all of you mention. I believe I have the decals already and just forgot installing them... that should be an easy task, same as several of the others mentioned.

Doubt, the battery braided cable, when mentioned that it should be routed "under the battery clamp bracket rather than over" (forgive me for asking but I am not a native English speaker), means that the battery square frame should press it against the battery itself?

What will probably not be easy is to find the temperature shield for the front carburetor. Any ideas or leads as to where to find one?

Thanks again!
victor

Note the braided battery ground cable beneath the battery hold-down bracket.

There are two heat shields, the one that shields the front automatic choke housing from the hot fan blast is very easy to fabricate from a piece of steel sheet. Perhaps someone will loan you one for a pattern.

The second shield blocks the airway passage between the bottom of the intake manifold and the tappet valley cover and this one is a bit more complex but still something you could make. It has a leather or rubber anti-rattle strips at the top, stapled to the steel. Photo enclosed.

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I think I get it for the first shield... but where exactly does the second shield go?

They appear as they could be made, providing I could get some measurements. Anybody out there with the shields that could send pics and measurements?

Thanks,
victor

The second shield goes in front of the intake. It is held in place by the first two bolts on the tappet cover.
The hole goes on the drivers side.

Thanks Randy!

Am I correct in assuming the first shield goes painted black (it appears so in the pics) and the second one, engine color?