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Thank you, Dave. It's dual exhaust but I won't be working on that aspect of it for a while until the lift is available and there is much to do with the car that's currently on it.

Visited Mike today at Tucson Packards and spotted a 1956 with one factory A/C part left: the heater control valve. Not sure if stock or replacement but either way it was made for the cars with factory air. Still need to find the control valve cable, a blower and a few other miscellaneous bits and pieces.

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I am not planning on using some of the factory A/C components on my build. I am trying to modernize the system a little bit.

Do you have pictures of what you need? I cant guarantee what I have is even functional.

CarFreak, I suspect you will need all your cables even with the modern additions and if you add an adjustable thermostat for the AC clutch control as I did you will even need to get one more.

Don, for those cables you will need to find, to get an idea of what you will need check out the cable lengths Packard specified in the AC install instructions. Apparently the mechanic who originally had the instructions felt one was not correct but then he might not have run his short one the way Packard intended.

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CarFreak, Thank you for the offer and I will need the cables but as Howard indicated, you might need them yourself. I believe I need the blower assembly too but I think the housing might be usable. Depending on your modernization, you may also need the blower! I’ve not taken full inventory but I know that the inside “plenum” or ductwork is not in good condition but likely it can be reproduced from what’s left. Most little bits and pieces (nuts, bolts, brackets or whatever) were just dropped to the ground when the parts were removed so I have none of those. Anyway, until I’ve taken inventory or even started installation, I’m not sure what is needed!

Howard, thank you for the document - I have the whole thing somewhere but had forgotten that it contained a list of the cables. That will be quite handy.

With all the NOS, reproduction and good used parts I’ve been buying for this car, the inside was pretty full but today I emptied it to a newly placed shelf unit. In the process I found the door handle removal tool so put it to use as I want to get the panels sent off to SMS along with the seat upholstery. Not that I am anywhere ready for it but with their long lead time, I may be by the time it arrives!

The front doors were relatively easy but still have one stubborn knob or crank handle (I forgot which) on the driver’s rear but also on both rears, are the lock buttons the type that must be heated to get them off?

After reading about it in another thread, I see that there is a knockout in the door jamb for the second courtesy light which, of course, the Clipper doesn’t have. I am curious, though, if the knockout itself was discontinued when the senior models started using a single double-contact button or whether it was left there. Any ideas?

The carpet was as hard as a rock so just lifted out but under it was this access hole that had a rag stuffed into it. What is it for and did it originally have a cover? The only holes I see are the ones that attach a trim of some sort.

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Don, for 1956 there are 3 iterations of the A pillar jamb with regard to the courtesy and side light switches:

Early - two openings, two switches.

Intermediate - two openings, one switch and the other opening blanked off.

Late- one opening, one switch.

This transition is documented in an older issue of "The Cormorant". 1956 Caribbeans are known in all three variations, I have some rough data on when the Caribbean transitions occurred.

Thank you, Dave! That makes sense.

Can't tell the relative location from the photo but the shape of the area around the access hole looks like it might be for the manual master cylinder. In 55-6 manual masters moved from the frame in engine cmpt behind the steering box to near the transmission and access hole is a few inches behind the accelerator pedal.

Thank you, Howard. This car has power brakes so odd the access hole is still there. It's just to the left of the transmission hump.