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Trevor, it's possible to have oil starvation symptoms regardless of which oil pump you are using. You could have a full crankcase at start-up but less, possibly very much less, when driving at road speed. This would occur if the oil return passages from the cylinder heads aren't capable to returning the oil to the crankcase quickly enough so excess oil is accumulating overhead. Usual reason is constricted oil return passages and the easy way to clean them is with a rifle bore cleaning rod and brush. Recognize that if they are constricted with sludge and you clean them, you've likely pushed the sludge into the crankcase where you'll want to deal with it.

And another thing on 55 engines is the changes that were made during production to eliminate excess oil going to various other components and starving the lifters -- the rockers and timing chain being the most significant. Those changes were sent to dealers but were more suggestions and not official recall or what Packard called "campaign" type updates.

No idea how judiciously mfgs or dealers notified owners of suggested work back in the day but if a car was remote or not regularly serviced by a dealer, I would doubt even the suggested changes would be known about let alone completed. Without tearing the engine down it would be almost impossible to know if any of the updates were done unless complete records were available. If the engine has not seen some or all of the updates I wonder if even the Olds pump would keep up.

If excess oil is going to say the rockers or timing chain enclosures and then pooling because it could not drain back into the pan quickly -- even if sludge is not present and blocking a passage -- that could cause the pump delivery to be inadequate and lifters would tell the tale.

Ok so I've googled and looked through the site - but I thought I'd ask: Is there a more affordable for the windshield and rear window gaskets?

Right now I have a quote for $504, but I wanted to check in and make sure there wasn't some generic replacement.

None other than Steele that I am aware of unless Kanter has repro'd them from his rubber source which he said a few years ago on some other items was not Steele. Max resells Steele but you might be able to get it a bit cheaper from them as they had (and hopefully still have) some sort of arrangement of a few percent off if you buy rubber thru Max.

The problem with generic is that the 55-6 gaskets have another slot for capturing the flange that holds the stainless trim which the generics won't have. The flange slot is probably the most aggravating part of Steele's gasket because their rubber appears to be a bit softer than the factory gasket and the slots are not quite as firm in holding the trim. Frequent complaint is when you are working on getting one piece in, the slot with apparently softer rubber lets another piece that you had already positioned pop out.

Got it, thanks. I had to ask.

Finally have the car back from a complete repaint, look at that shine! Of course the new gold "Packard" script helps too. I was surprised at what a difference the new windshield gaskets made.

I think that's enough work for 2019...at least that's what my wallet says. Now to enjoy it for a season before I find something else to do to it

Those tail lamps could use use a re-chroming...

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Very nice!

Yes, your wallet will definitely feel the tail light rechroming and the gold V's too. Then you will have the pleasure of hand painting the black stripes on again and buying the material and riveting on a replacement for the rubber dust and stone guard under the bumper ends before they can be reinstalled.

The tail lights will look great rechromed but the downside to having them done is you will look at the shiny new tail lights and think something to the effect "I didn't realize that bumper is so dull so maybe that should be done too" -- and there would probably be an expletive or two along with that train of thought.

Trust me, one shiny thing completed and reinstalled leads to another "maybe I better do ----" and another and another ad nauseum until you wind up with a wallet that goes into palpitations every time it gets near the car.

Maybe I'm sick but I actually enjoy seeing "oh damn, now THAT needs to be done" after I've completed a big project on this car. So far (knock on wood) the latest is just smaller and smaller details....I can't understand why my other half nearly strangled me when I said I wanted to get an additional Packard.

Ok now I'm looking for a set of power steering hoses. I blew one out on a drive today and so far the only place I can find them is Tucson Packard for over 300 bucks...which seems excessive. Nothing in the parts x-ref either. Ideas?

Could Napa make them up?? I know our local store would make up oil line hoses and hydraulic hoses before.