Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

1947 2106 door sill panels:

fore left:


fore right:


aft right:


Ahoy,
Clemens

Thanks for the confirmation on the 21st outer being a straight rib. The old 22nd series sills I bought from Fred Puhn to use as a start point for the molds definitely have a slight taper -- the outside rib is just over 2 mm wider at the pillar end than the hinge end. Except for the 22nd inside rib, the others are equal and about the same size as the narrow end of outside rib. In making my version of the 21st sills, that wide inside rib was easy to mill down to size to create the void before attaching the additional narrow rib. The added rib did take up some space on the thin edge before it abuts the stainless trim so there might not be as much of the thin edge showing. Probably means 21st ribs were a tiny bit narrower overall. Since I can't narrow all the ribs, not much I can do about it so won't be a priority unless it is a glaring problem. I'm thinking it won't be easily seen but am guessing from your photos maybe 5mm is showing??

Will pour the remaining urethane test piece today to check fit on that one and then decide whether to mill down the taper on the outside edge and redo the molds. If needed, could add more thin at the rear at that time but it still wouldn't be a perfect repro. Won't be very hard to rework the plaster but the taper is so subtle would have missed it if there weren't a problem with alignment for the milling. Anyway, just thinking out loud will see if I have enough silicone left for another mold but since these won't be perfect 100 point pieces anyway, am not sure the taper is noticeable enough to do them again just for that.

If you really want to build another mold from scratch, I would rebuild the sill plate with a board of sanded hardwood and cut the strips from a block of timber to make sure they all have exactly the size I want them to have. Glue the strips to the board as well as the packard labels taken of your existing results and take your plaster mold off that.

But I don't think it is necessary. Compare these two pictures:


Only very minute differences can be seen or should I say imagined?

By the way: While you're at it, could you make front sills for me?


Regards,
Clemens

I'd like to add to the confusion:
Just saw this sill plate on this amazingly perfect 2125


The outermost rib is indeed expanding towards the back of the car. The innermost rib is entirely different.

Regards,
Clemens

By the wide inside rib and the style of font used on the Packard name I would guess that might be a 22 - 23 series sill. Not sure how much difference between 22-23 but definitely a slight difference from 21st and earlier. Since they fit, I'd bet a lot of earlier Clippers wound up with those later sills installed when the originals gave up or showed wear.

That looks to be the 2 door item that Fish'n Jim is wanting to reproduce for his car. Wonder if it was NOS or if they repro'd the 2 door sills along with the the 4 doors when that project was done years ago.