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Leeedy

Re: 1956 Clipper Deluxe

#61

Home away from home

Quote:

b.wilson wrote:
Dave

That's interesting. I thought car production stopped at the Packard plant in Detroit in June, 1956. My Clipper may have been built there - up to whatever stage they built export cars then. Where were the Packards built later in 1956 produced (ie post the merger with Studebaker)? Showing my ignorance!

I had assumed that June 1956 was the end of production for 1956 models.

At 9.5:1 the 352 engines maybe didn't need shims to lower the compression, although I seem to recall that the compression ratio on the V8 Caribbeans was 10:1. High for those days. Do you know if any V8 Caribbeans came to Australia new? They would have been hideously expensive here. Gas in Australia was quite good then, though. We had a thing called "Super" which was generally ok with higher compression/performance engines. Maybe equivalent to 95 octane unleaded now. But 10:1 would have been marginal with that. Probably needed to retard the ignition timing.

So your engines have the VN stamped at top/front of the block. I see why you're interested to know whether the Utica stamping is also at the rear on mine.

Will definitely check. I'm curious now, too!

Brian

There seems to be some confusion here.

The Studebaker addition to the company was a officially a done deal by 1954. It would have had nothing of substance to do with a 1956 Clipper.

Your 1956 Clipper was absolutely "built there"- meaning at the Conner (not Conners as someone wrote) Avenue plant. By the way, when normal production stopped at Conner Avenue there were still a few 1956 models that needed to be completed for one reason or another. But this was done AT Conner. There was no padlock on the doors just because formal production was suspended. And there was no place of formal continuing production. Certainly not at South Bend. To do that would have cost a gigantic fortune. Packardbakers were not done in Detroit and 1956 Model year Packards were not built in south Bend. A full article explaining these facts and details about Conner Avenue (stuff no one has seen or read before) will be forthcoming in an issue of The Packard Cormorant magazine. Membership in The Packard Club doth have its privileges.

Points to remember:

? The engine and transmission were built at the Utica Plant. Utica was (among its other functions) the place where the V-8 engines and Ultramatic transmissions were built.

? Conner Avenue was body construction and final assembly.

IF... and that's an IF... your Clipper was built as an export model, it was still built at Conner Avenue as what was known as a "K-D" (Knocked Down) vehicle. A K-D vehicle usually had the front clip off (not installed) along with certain other pieces. A K-D was shipped either in special cartage or a fully-enclosed crate. Final assembly of the K-D pieces would have taken place at a prep and distribution (or in some cases a dealership) facility at the destination.

Posted on: 2020/4/14 20:25

Brian Wilson

Re: 1956 Clipper Deluxe

#62

Home away from home

Thanks guys

That fills quite a few gaps in my knowledge.

Sounds like export cars were partly assembled then shipped as a KD kit for final assembly at destination. Makes sense.

I was aware that Packard leased the Briggs body plant which had earlier been sold to Chrysler, but not that they built some 1956 Packards (and Clippers) there. Also makes sense.

So my RHD Clipper may have been "built" at Conner, and may have acquired the VN on its 352 engine there. But still could have a build number from the Utica plant, where the engine was actually manufactured.

So Packard did not need to know in advance which engine was going into which car. The VN could have been stamped when an engine actually went into a car.

Yes, it all adds up.

Now to find the Utica number on mine!

Brian

Posted on: 2020/4/15 1:01

1941 120 Club Coupe (SOLD)
1956 Clipper Deluxe (RHD and auto) - for the wife, or so I told her!

Let the ride decide

Re: 1956 Clipper Deluxe

#63

Home away from home

Try contacting the Studebaker National Museum for the production order record. Maybe this would give you more information about your car.

studebakermuseum.org/archives-and-education/about-the-archives/

studebakermuseum.org/about/contact/

They have some videos of Packard films as well.
studebakermuseum.org/store/studebaker-videos

Posted on: 2020/4/15 3:03

Brian Wilson

Re: 1956 Clipper Deluxe

#64

Home away from home

Thanks for the lead. I'll try that.

Brian

Posted on: 2020/4/15 5:21

1941 120 Club Coupe (SOLD)
1956 Clipper Deluxe (RHD and auto) - for the wife, or so I told her!

Brian Wilson

Re: 1956 Clipper Deluxe

#65

Home away from home

Just found from their website that the Studebaker Museum only has production orders for 1956 Packards up to number 5682. My Clipper is 6194, so appears they do not have a record for this car.

Their office is closed now because of the coronavirus, but I'll send a message to check this.

Brian

Posted on: 2020/4/15 5:36

1941 120 Club Coupe (SOLD)
1956 Clipper Deluxe (RHD and auto) - for the wife, or so I told her!

Owen_Dyneto

Re: 1956 Clipper Deluxe

#66

Forum Ambassador

Brian, I believe you misinterpreted them, they're speaking of model numbers, not production sequence numbers. 5682 corresponds to a Patrician; higher numbered models are 5687 (The 400), and 5697/5699 (Caribbeans).

Posted on: 2020/4/15 8:11

Leeedy

Re: 1956 Clipper Deluxe

#67

Home away from home

Quote:

b.wilson wrote:
Thanks guys

That fills quite a few gaps in my knowledge.

Sounds like export cars were partly assembled then shipped as a KD kit for final assembly at destination. Makes sense.

I was aware that Packard leased the Briggs body plant which had earlier been sold to Chrysler, but not that they built some 1956 Packards (and Clippers) there. Also makes sense.

So my RHD Clipper may have been "built" at Conner, and may have acquired the VN on its 352 engine there. But still could have a build number from the Utica plant, where the engine was actually manufactured.

So Packard did not need to know in advance which engine was going into which car. The VN could have been stamped when an engine actually went into a car.

Yes, it all adds up.

Now to find the Utica number on mine!

Brian

As I stated in the previous post, 1956 Packards and Clippers were built at the Conner Avenue plant. Not some but ALL.

Final assembly of Packards and Clippers moved from East Grand Boulevard as of late 1954 to Conner Avenue where the bodies were being built anyway. So all 1955 and 1956 Packards and Clippers were assembled at the new Packard Plant on Conner Avenue. While this was a former Briggs Body plant, it was very much changed, not merely leased. It was formally, officially known in Detroit as the new Packard Plant.

And yes, as Owen said, "5682" is a model number, not a sequence number.

Posted on: 2020/4/15 10:26

Brian Wilson

Re: 1956 Clipper Deluxe

#68

Home away from home

Thanks for setting me straight on that. Yes, I misinterpreted it as vehicle number, which didn't make much sense. I've already sent a note to the Studebaker Museum archives asking about this car. May not hear back for a while, because apparently nobody there right now.

Think I'll just go ahead and order the build sheet.

Leedy, thanks for the info regarding the Conner plant. Sounds like you know quite a bit more about it than has been published. Very helpful.

Until recently, I had no idea where my Clipper was built. Now I know it was partially assembled at Conner, and finished in Australia. If I can get the build sheet, I might learn more.

Cheers

Brian

Posted on: 2020/4/15 23:08

1941 120 Club Coupe (SOLD)
1956 Clipper Deluxe (RHD and auto) - for the wife, or so I told her!

Brian Wilson

Re: 1956 Clipper Deluxe

#69

Home away from home

Ok after wrestling with problems on the Studebaker Museum website, I have ordered a copy of the Production Record for my car. Since it was RHD and export, I'm wondering if they actually have a record of it. I assume they do since it has a numbered VN plate. So there's no record in the Studebaker Archives of 1956 400s and Caribbeans. Guess that includes your car O-D.

Based on what Leedy said, my car must have been "built" at Conner. I don't recall where I saw it, but I made a note some time ago that a total of 5,715 1956 Clipper Deluxe were built (Model 5622, but maybe not including export cars although the plate on mine suggests otherwise). The chart on this site corresponds exactly to that, indicating that the last VN on a 1956 Clipper Deluxe was 6715. I assume since my car has a numbered plate that this figure included some or all of the export cars.

Yes, Leedy, I do belong to the Packard Club now so look forward to seeing the article about Conner Avenue in The Cormorant.

Brian

Posted on: 2020/4/16 5:36

1941 120 Club Coupe (SOLD)
1956 Clipper Deluxe (RHD and auto) - for the wife, or so I told her!

Owen_Dyneto

Re: 1956 Clipper Deluxe

#70

Forum Ambassador

Brian, the slips for the other 1956 Packards do survive but are held in private hands. I did obtain a copy for my Caribbean which I've since sold after some 21 years of enjoyment with it.

Posted on: 2020/4/16 8:15

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