Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

The Supers and Customs were extremely similarly optioned cars such that without reading the script, data plate, or seeing the upholstery, it's nearly impossible to tell. There are two differences that I know of in addition to these, that you can check.

1. Under the hood on the steering column you will see the "neutral-reverse" switch with a pair each of brown and green wires. The brown wires should route through the factory wiring harness. Do the green wires do too?

2. Examine the frame construction. See here, Frame section. The Super Panama will have an additional support (dimension 60.781) compared to the Custom Constellation. Note: the "5547" section is the Panama frame and the "5567" section is the Constellation frame.

P.S. Do you have a title for the car matching the engine number? If so, I think I know why your data plate is missing.

Attached is a photo of a 1955 Clipper Custom Constellation hardtop from my photo archives (lower photo). The Constellation being the more expensive model, featured extra chrome trim over the less expensive Panama hardtop in addition to being equipped with the larger 352 CI engine. Note the wide chrome moldings around the rear wheel well. These moldings were not included on the Clipper Super Panama. Therefore, Mike SC's car must be a Panama.

Also note that the Constellation has an incorrect 1952 hood ornament. Someone apparently wanted something more traditional than the modern stylized 1955 ornament. This photo was taken some time in the 1960's when this '55 was just a used car. Guess people were less concerned with authenticity back then.

Also attached are photos (top two photos) I took many years ago at a now defunct auto wrecking yard of a 1955 Clipper Super sedan. Note the similarities to Mike SC's car. Bottom photo is that of a 1954 Clipper Special Club Sedan. This was the lowest priced Clipper model in 1954.

Attach file:

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  56Caribbean_55_ClipperCustomConstellation.jpg (135.48 KB)


  54_55_Clippers.jpg (280.16 KB)

HumanPotato,
The neutral-reverse switch doesn't look like it has factory wiring. They have fork connectors and they aren't brown and green. I'll check the frame later. What're you thinking for the missing data plate? I have a title that shows 1956, matches the motor.

Almost certainly what happened with yours is someone lost the title for your car, so pulled a decent motor out of a junk car with a title and stuck it in yours, then knocked the data plate off. One wonders why they wouldn't have simply attached the plate from the other car, but maybe they thought it would not be convincing enough. Packards never used the engine stamped VIN as the primary placement (maybe except extremely old ones) but some makes of cars did, so people will do stuff like this and point the VIN inspector to the engine, as it's not unheard of in some old cars, for example that the VIN is stamped directly onto the frame in some inconvenient place, and also the engine.

Can you send a picture of the connectors? Curious what it looks like.

MikeSC,
for including your '55 Clipper Super Panama Hardtop Coupe in the Registry.

Since your car is clearly 1955 with a 1956 engine, you’ll have to be careful when buying parts as many were different between the two years. Also, 1955 had a positive ground electrical system while 1956 was negative ground.

The lost title makes sense. I'll have to get a picture once I get home from the road. The car has also been converted to 12V, if that makes a difference there.

Don, I've already thought about that. It's going to be fun finding parts. That's actually what got me curious about the true year. I was looking for parts and things didn't make sense.

Car was always 12v but 55 had positive ground, 56 went to negative ground. None of the stock components are polarity sensitive so no instant destruction or motors running backwards. The voltage regulator is an item in question but even if it is now a negative ground car, as long as a couple of things were done and the car is running and charging properly there should be no issues leaving it alone.

Any modern replacement item that could be solid state such as a radio vibrator or an LED light bulb or anything electronic that might be wired in or plugs into a cigar lighter socket are generally polarity sensitive. Those would have issues if grounds are swapped. An alternator or any modern permanent magnet motor such as the hi torque mini starter would also have issues.

I didn't know that they were always 12V. I was just going off of what I was told. I appreciate all of your help. I'm sorry this thread took such a turn.
I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I start this project.

On the always 12v statement, rereading my post it could have left a wrong impression. Your 55 was always 12v as that was the year Packard changed. Previously, except for some prewar export or special purpose cars, they were 6v positive ground.

Not to worry about the current thread taking a turn. That frequently happens on this forum. While it is not best practice to have multiple subjects in a thread when it comes to later searches when looking for old posts with particular information, IMO it is much better to be loose than deal with some of the rigorous moderating that was done in other forums. Several Packard forums preceded packardinfo and were quite popular until some got so restrictive it generally drove people away. Some of those older forums are still around but just barely active now.