Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

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"All original". "Original". "Not restored". Today's terminologies used so often. But what do they mean in the real world??? The seller in the Hemmings ad apparently means well and has been told certain things about this vehicle's history... but...

As someone who worked in the automotive business on an OEM level all my adult life.... and someone who had part interest in an automotive trim shop for many years...AND someone who knows V8 Packards from when they were new... tell you one thing. This car screams "RESTORED" no matter what the claims of originality are.

? Seller admits the car has been repainted.

? Seller admits the headliner has been replaced.

? Seller admits several items on the car have been changed, including electrical system grounding, carburetor and other items.

? Seller admits several things have been rebuilt (which is what you do when you restore them-right?).

? The engine compartment and related under-hood items have all obviously been restored (with a missing heat riser for the carburetor choke, voltage regulator mounted upside-down and odd wire looms).

Now.

? There is absolutely no way, no how that the dash pad cover on this Four Hundred is original. No 1955 OR 1956 Packard dash was ever made in 3 parts with tacked-on double-stitched seams on both ends. That just didn't happen at the factory. A trim shop did this. They didn't know how to mold a cover, so they made one in three pieces and sewed it together-and not when the car was new either. I have talked about this earlier.

? 1955 Four Hundreds didn't come with cut-pile carpeting or with 1960s GM heelpads. No way, no how is this "original carpet" or heelpad.

? 1955 Full leather Packard seats were made by Mitchell-Bentley, not a trim shop-even if the duplication is close in color and look. Trim code 9 did not have simulated pleats made by sewing on the cushions. They had REAL pleats. A huge difference (this is where the old term "tuck-n-roll" came from-but most people today don't remember or know this). And the leather was genuine leather, not vinyl simulated leather. Take a look at the other full leather Trim #9 interior seats and compare. Note the grain in the leather and the thickness of the cushion pleats on the originals. Factory leather for these interiors was supplied by Lackawana Leather Company (who I knew and dealt with-yes I still have business cards) and was thick with a painted-on finish and slight grain. Not thin and flat needing to be puffed up. The original leather was already puffy on its own by nature and design. And the original leather was not vat-dyed thin stuff as people seem to think and try to use today.

? 1955 Was certainly not the "last year before Packards became Studebakers"... what about 1956?

This Packard is a partial (but close to full) restoration. Even if the mileage shown on the odometer is original, it would appear that everything else except the trunk has been re-done. Meaning restored. And meaning slightly modified. All of which by today's jargon ought to classify this one as a "resto-mod"...

By the way, my original 1955 Packard Dealer Showroom album shows three possible full-leather factory interiors (despite the wildly clashing colors here it was ordered this way). And I understand that custom orders were possible, and yes, these went through Mitchell-Bentley as well. But this wasn't custom ordered.

No way the headliner was of "leather." All factory headliners with leather interiors in 55 were vinyl in a color coordinated to the leather. In 56 they were perforated vinyl.

So interesting that you could get a leather interior in the Clipper DeLuxe line for 56 but not in the step-up Super. I think Packard was hoping that there might be fleet and livery sales for the lowest priced 56 Packard, thus the availability of hard-wearing leather in that model. The three choices were: white with dark blue, white with dark green, and white with black. Cool or what!?

I have a new in-the-box rear seat hassock for a 56 Four-Hundred in trim code 182: light blue, dark blue, and white leather. They were out there!

I have a new in-the-box rear seat hassock for a 56 Four-Hundred in trim code 182: light blue, dark blue, and white leather. They were out there!

Interesting, the parts book, group 31.456, only lists the hassock in the Patrician.