Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

I did not want to highjack the two members who each made a remark, this week, about some rather expensive, if not significant, changes between the 1955 and 1956 years. These days, the automotive accountants would riot if a manufacturer did something similar, especially in a down economy with bad press circulating around your brand.

Some of the most significant changes (and there are many more, apparent to some of you) are:

The switch to negative ground 12 volt electrics (and to almost everything it affected, including the Delco-sourced radios)
Wheel lugs and nuts instead of bolts (no more interchanging of brake drums)
Rear deck lid metal stampings for both hardtops, sedans and convertibles.
Two types of front fenders with soldered peaks on the Seniors.
Brand new front and rear bumpers.
Brand new tail lights and fenders for the Clippers/Executives (living to see another day on the South Bend Packards and countless hot rods)
Brand new dual cowl hoods without soldered pieces.
Dana made rear axles and TT differentials.
Revised front end geometry and shock absorber mountings.
Torsion Level controller packaging.
All sorts of stainless and chrome trim changes

What did not get changed that should have been:
Oil pumps with integral vacuum pump
Interior door handles and cranks that fall off

All in all, the Greatest Packard of Them All might indeed been the ten thousand or so Packards of 1956. The accountants were left with the final verdict in June 1956.

55 or die. But I'm biased.

... the switch to the aluminum housing for the Twin Ultramatic ...

Yes, many changes between 55 and 56.

But really didn't Packard do updates all the time on their cars? Mechanical updates when issues were found.

The the appearance was not as much, although we know the early and late 55 Clipper trim was changed, the 56 Packard grill screen was changed from aluminum to gold. The 56 crest on the hood I believe had 3 different versions. The change to the door jam switch from 2 to one.

I would bet other years had running changes, I believe in Jim Hollingsworth's book on the 1940 model he describes running changes.

Another small change were the spark plug wire brackets.

The new brackets separated the wires more to help with induction firing which was experienced with the original close brackets. This was especially a problem for cylinders #5 and #7 which fired one after the other and were on the same bank.

JWL

As I recall, Somewhat over 1000 changes according to those who have studied it.

Combustion chambers in the heads

Camshaft profile

Rocker arms

Intake valves

Main bearing caps

Cam retainer plate and spacer

Two running changes of oil pump pressure relief

Engine cylinder bore diameter (320" dropped and 374" added)

Distributor advance curves

jack vines

Preliminary Engineering Information

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Fascinating stuff. Thanks for posting that.

Proof, again, that Nance's team was earnestly trying to build "The Greatest Packard of Them All."