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Don, given your interest in Packards you really should consider joining The Packard Club. Ross' replica of the Jean Trevoux Carrera Panamericana car is the cover car with 2 articles (one by Jim Yocum, the other by Ross himself) in the current issue of The Packard Club's quarterly magazine. Copyright prohibits me from posting anything from that article but I do have a few photos of it that I've taken and I'll locate and post one or two for you.

2nd from the left is Ross himself, then Ole B??k ('53 & '56 Caribbean, '56 Executive) and George Lewer ('38 Eight and '31 Pierce Arrow) as you progress to the right. The setting is Ross' arrival at the host hotel for the 2013 PAC National in Pontiac, MI. Ross' Packup was just behind but mostly cropped out for this photo.

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Don,
Look at this thread,
packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=11549&forum=10

Kev,

Lots of fun reading about your transmission rebuild and retrofit. I think it's "Packard correct" and a good solution to a sticky problem. No one will notice it (unless you leave the shiny aluminum case unpainted and someone looks under the car) and it's still "all Packard."

I wonder what you will be turning for RPM? You mentioned earlier that running on the converter the engine was working hard. Perhaps with the new transmission setup, you can move to taller differential gears as well. I wonder what the standard ratio was in a '56 Clipper?

Just a thought...

BTW The butchered PB hookup sure looks like a boneyard "U-Pull-It" kind of operation. Not that it hurt anything for your purposes.

I wonder what the standard ratio was in a '56 Clipper?


For all '56 Packards the following were offered:

Std. transmission - 3.54, 4.09
Std. + OD - 3.54, 4.09
Ultramatic - 2.87, 3.07, 3.31, 3.54, 4.09

The "standard" for Ultramatic cars was 3.54 though when high speed vibration was encountered with the Patrician and 400 models a Service Counselor (56T-10) was issued suggesting to change to 3.07. I had an NOS Twin Traction Clipper rear assembly in 2.87, offered to give it away for decades and never got even a nibble, finally and reluctantly sold it for scrap, I'd guess it would have been tough on main bearings with the more or less 25 mph lockup on Twins - with numerically low rear axles there is a point where it becomes too much of a good thing.

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Thank you for the photos! Mine was mainly just a body shell but looked more like a stock car so I always wondered what kind of racing it did.

As for being a member of The Packard Club, I was a member for many years, including serving on the Board of Directors as secretary and even vice president. I was also editor of The Pious Pelican, the local chapter's newsletter, which won several Snodgrass Awards. I was a member of several other clubs too but simply burned out! Maybe now that I'm getting back into my cars, I can think about it again.

I think my Clipper has a 3.23 rear. If I remember right.

Here are some picks from today. I went and bought tungsten carbide bit from Home Depot to alter the GS housing to match the late 56 housing. That bit ate through the cast iron scary easily. Below is a picture showing what the 56 housing and modified GS houisng look like with the front pump.

Also, I really got tired of wire wheel brushing parts. When I moved last I sold my HF Media Blaster as I figured I wouldnt need it again, and it was pretty much worn out. So today, using a 20% coupon, I bought a new one of the same model from HF. $115, -20%. Worth every penny, it really made short work of cleaning up the tranny pan. It will help with all the non-hydraulic PS parts that need to cleaned up.

Lastly, once I got the bellhousing wire brushed, I noticed this weird looking line in the casting. It's not a open or through crack in any way. Almost an oddity in the casting mold or something. Just a gouge on both side but they don't exactly line up or are the same shape of length.

Also, I remove the front bushing from the GS bellhousing. Holy crap was in scored and partially melted.

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You could just buy a hole saw if you want to put the cooling holes in the housing like Ross suggested.
Me thinks you need a new bushing..... John

Yes, a metal cutting hole saw, no lubrication necessary in cast iron, just go nice and slow.

That's the plan, I just forgot to grab a hole saw while I was at home depot.

Just checked the '54 specs (SC VOL26-NO4). 5401-5411 chassis all have 3.23 rears with Ultramatic.