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This is the look I went for on my 54.

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HA,

Permit me a question here: I may be wrong, but if the speedo reads "high" with 235 75R tires, it would read even higher with the smaller radius 225 75R tires, right?

My speedo is actually a little "high" as well, with oversize (for a Clipper) with L78 tires on it.

(I realize there are lots of "conversion charts" that are supposed to tell you these things, but I rely more on the personal experience of others,)

Frankly, I think that going oversize on tires with a 4.10:1 differential ratio is a good idea, no matter what the speedo reads.

I think the ww size is very similar to those

I have no doubt that there is plenty of clearance for 235 75R tires on my '54 Clipper. If the wheels can handle them, that's the way I'm going. I think I have found some very reasonable ww radials that I'm going to go to the local tire shop and look at, probably next weekend.

The ww width is probably going to be the same as those on WILLIS' '54, but I hope a little wider as I don't have the "beauty rings" to enhance the looks.

BTW nice '54 WILLIS. What size/brand tires you have there? Also, what color is that car? I like it!

I got Hankook H724' s they are 225/75r/15's , made a big difference from the bias plys that were on it. They were Kokers, but were 20+ years old and very cracked and hard.

I tried to match the grey on the car with Packard colors listed on the dealer samples, but none matched and I don't have any access to what the owner in 1991 painted the car with.

I got the trim rings from O'Rieleys Auto and they fit well and made the early 60's look come together. My rear springs are weak, but I like the look so I just take it easy on the humps and bumps.

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Thanks for all the great info WILLIS. The grey color on your '54 Clipper looks a lot like the grey on our old '51 Frazer Vagabond (wish I still had that car). I don't know if there is a paint code still on your car, but I think it should be included in the ID tag inside the door frame. Also, if the firewall or inside the trunk lid were never re-painted, they give you a good look at the original, without sun damage-- especially the trunk.

I think I'm going with the 235/75R tires I found locally. The white-wall is about 1.25", which I'd like to have wider (currently my Cooper "Untouchables" are 3.25" or a bit more) but I have to be realistic. For $1K a set I could have the "perfect" tires, but I hesitate to put that much pressure on a this old car. It seems like overspending in one area only encourages breakdowns and expense in others. I swear, cars (and houses) I are like ecosystems-- you need to find balance.

Anyway, 235 75R 15 "Enduro Runways" are what I selected (or basically the "last tires standing" in my cost vs looks vs indestructibility "survey"). They are M & S with "A" Traction and "B" Treadwear ratings, with a decent tread--not too aggressive and maybe slightly old-fashioned looking.

Getting them locally at a tire specialist is helpful in case there are any problems. Unlike buying online I got to look at exactly what I am getting. They were $500 the set, mounted, balanced, stems.

Ironic that after all that hunting around, the best deal seems to be, once again, to buy locally from an independent-- the shop is less that a mile from my house.

Nice to know the trim rings are available at O'Rieley's. There's one of those close by, too!

Right hand threads all around. You would regret confusing the man.

The original color was the same blue that Kevin has on his 54 Clipper. They painted everything, but did not take of the voltage regulator. When I removed it, as I was going to 12 volts, I found that it was the blue underneath. That would be my favorite color. If I can ever afford the body work and new paint. For now, I am having fun driving and talking old cars at the cruises and car shows.

Thank you, Ross. I would have regretted it. Thanks for pointing it out. I scrubbed the post.

WILLIS,

Although painted an attractive blue, my '54 Deluxe doesn't match the Bikini Blue original, either. It would be nice to someday have all 3 '54s in matching Bikini paint in one place, with both sedan and 2-door versions!

Yeah... park them on a beach together and get some.... oh, maybe that's hoping too much.

That sounds good, accumulating cash to get the final part of the Clipper finished.
My wife and I did the interior, all but the headliner. We were very close to trying to do that, but found a local guy and a good price including insulation.
I did all the mechanical myself, with a lot of help from these same guys you are hearing from now. I could not have done it without this web site and all of their help.
That is why just about everyone who brings a Packard back to life on this web site is ready to help the next person, as much as they can with their new knowledge.
I think the two neighbor boys enjoy just sitting in the car and enjoying it as much as I do(7 and 10). They watched and waited while I got the car drivable. There is something about doing the work on a car yourself over a period of time that makes the car feel like it is a part of you. We cruise at least once a week. More as the weather gets better.

An Update:

I am quite happy with the radials I ended up buying last spring. 235 75R size, with medium size (about 1 1/2") white walls.


1. The predictions posted on this thread that were accurate:

a. The tires are about the right diameter. The speedo still reads about 10 mph fast, though. I think it's time to calibrate it.

b. They ride better than the bias ply tires did.

c. They handle and brake better than the bias ply.

d . They had a tendency to leak at the beads, but some extra stick-um when they were re-mounted seemed to fix that.



2. One thing that was predicted that didn't happen.

a. The radials didn't break the wheel rims up on hard cornering.


3. One thing I wished for that didn't come true:

a. I couldn't find anything with a wider white sidewall (one that went all the way to the rim) for any reasonable price.


3. A couple of other things I found out:

a. You can get 4 pretty decent white sidewall radials for $500 mounted. Time will tell how good they'll turn out to be. But with the number of miles I drive, they'll do quite well, I think.

b. Buying locally really helped when it came to fitting the tires and re-mounting (free) when necessary. Also, I got a firsthand look at them, including tread and sidewall. Shopping around helped. I wound up buying them from an independent dealer.

c. The wheel in the trunk with the old 8.00 spare on it turned out to be the only Clipper wheel on the car. That probably explains why it had four L78 tires on it, and an old, bald spare. I asked to have the best old L78 tire mounted on that wheel, and it didn't fit! Someone must have put Senior wheels on the car at some point. If so, I'm happy, they're just right. But I have a "space saver" spare! It holds air, anyway.