Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Quote:

Hmmmmmm. I have a feeling I know this car from when it was once on the west coast. If you look at the photos, the interior is puffy and overdone... and there is no VIN (serial) plate in the driver's door jamb. Completely missing. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

There was one like this left stored at a doctor friend's house. He died and it disappeared. Twin rear antennae, but it originally was all white with white and black interior... I wonnnnder.

By the way... those wire wheels are about as wrong as they could be. Packard V-8 wire wheels never had the spokes out on the edge of the rim. Look like repops of Dodge and Plymouth wheels but way off for a Packard. Gotta do weird things with the front end track and camber since the offset of the wheel would have to be different. Would have to ride funny at high speed.

Hi Leeedy, I was told it was a West coast car for a number of years.
My initial fear is that it was a fright pig from MN that sold recently. Missing ID number is a BIG issue unless hidden ID someplace? How to tell if engine is orig...Maybe the "build sheet" is intact? Looks like some sort of tag on the back door jam.

Quote:

Hmmmm again... where on the west coast? Then it is very likely it is the Executive that disappeared from my friend's house in Southern California. It had a loose tag and twin rear antennae.

And I would know the real owner... who is still alive...hmmmmmm.

Good catch, Leeedy!
I went through the photos too quickly to pick up on the details you caught. I'm surprised I missed that on the door jamb, though - I usually catch that detail.

I didn't know that the Mopar wires don't work well on a Packard ...

Hello...

Didn't say "MoPar wires" ... I said Dodge and Plymouth wires. These wheels had spokes out to the edge of the rim. Packard V-8 wires absolutely did not. Other MoPar wires (such as Chrysler or Imperial) would interchange with Packard, but there were still differences.

Mysssssstery. Seller now claims this Executive has an "Arizona assigned tag"... meaning somebody popped the original serial tag off and then went to state of Arizona and lamed a new substitute for the factory VIN/serial plate ...and then flipped it. With such an "assigned tag" come new papers and whatever the car's past may be, it just goes through a morality car wash and all is clean, new and legitimate again.

I'm betting I knew this car... and I'm betting I know a lot more about it. All you have to do is wait long enough...and they eventually turn up...usually for sale by somebody, somewhere...

Wonder how many 1956 Executive hardtops with twin rear antennae were built?

You will note that the inner splash wells are painted black... but from the factory they always would have been painted body color.

There also ought to be a number on the engine. That number should have provided the state of Arizona "assigners" a good original number.

Additionally, color is described as "Persian Aqua"... but quite obviously looks more like Danube Blue... and there is a LOT of it. Check out the cute color-keyed emergency brake handle. The original tag would have stated the body color(s). So would the original ownership papers. Of course with an interior so completely gone through, if any build sheets were inside, they would have easily been found and easily would have provided the real serial number/VIN. So.

Anyway, there are a number of "nice condition" and even "low mileage" V-8 Packards that have turned up in recent years usually in auctions snd sales... missing the serial plates. But why would a nice condition/low miles car be missing both the serial plate and papers? And I'd bet that nice new-looking spare in the trunk sure looks like a Remington whitewall.