Packard Forum Index » Modification Discussion

Here's an idea for a custom sedan on the 127 wb Senior body. Padded top, chrome appliques on the window frames, clean body sides and '54 rear doors. The Four Hundred has the underbody changes needed to the wheel housings and 5-inch longer panel between the rear glass and decklid. A combo Sport/Formal sedan. Maybe one day...

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  1955 Packard 127 WB Junior Roof Custom Idea.png (1,601.26 KB)

Was wondering where you'd been. Love the Sport Sedan. Would suggest ending the side molding with a point at the end of the front door and keeping the stock '55 Senior rocker and lower quarter panel trim so as draw the eye downward. I am a huge fan of the 51-52 junior roof.

Interesting! I’m rather torn on this one as it seems to be missing something but I can’t put my finger on it. I have always like the earlier junior roof line and on the one hand and being very formal it looks nice here but on the other hand it seems somehow too upright and rounded for an overall style that is otherwise longitudinal and sharp.

I really like the bright appliqué over the B pillar

How about a bright strip on the rear fender at the level of the top of rear bumper?

Glad you guys find these interesting. I ran out a lot of variations, including your suggestions, so fire away and I probably have it. Ross, yours first. Then bkazmers.

Packard Don, I see what you are taling about. It's a tall greenhouse, no question. Cars were getting lower and wider at a time when Packard was still selling tallness and narrowness. They remind me of the '37 Packard Seniors, which by then were looking old-fahsioned compared to the industry's wider, V-windowed turret tops. And yet, the 15th Series was, in the eyes of some, the ultimate evolution of what was fundamentally a 1920s proportion. And Packard sold them in pretty good numbers given the times, so some folks clearly appreciated them. As we do today.

I see these '55 work-ups as moving along those sames lines... exlporing how to refine yesterday proportion. And if I ever get lucky financially, will get hold of a few uncared for cars and create something. I do think Packard missed a big opportunity by not putting the shorter sedan roof on the longer Senior body.

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  E - 1955 Packard 127 Junior Roof Formal per Ross bw 36.png (1,618.84 KB)


  E - 1955 Packard 127 Junior Roof Formal per bkazmer bw 36.png (1,598.45 KB)

Here's one with Patrician's roof and done up as a Formal. Maybe the customer would have wanted a quiet, low key design with minimal side trim, and rocker trim in the rear to balance the trim ahead of the front wheels. With simple mods of existing parts these could have been accommodated.

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  F - 1955 Packard 127 Senior Roof Rear Lower Trim bw 36.png (1,611.46 KB)

I am not a big fan of 1955s in the first place so would love to see a 1956 version. That said, I like the roof on this one but the side trim is still a bit off to me. Just too plain for the era and the trim dead ending into the vertical piece looks odd but that may harken back to my dislike of 1955s!

By the way, I am very glad you’re back at these creations as they are always fun even if I do sound critical at times!

It all depends on which market is being discussed. For anything that Packard sold against Cadillac, excessive body side trim was verboten. Look at the '55 Sixty Special below.

Packard would have needed to decide where to put its money. It couldn't have it both ways... body sides full of chrome AND a glistening greenhouse. Otherwise, it would be giving away profit. I think Cadillac had the better approach, especially for '55 when it spent money skinnying up the 60S's B-pillar and covering all window frames with chrome.

Am trying to envision a Junior/Senior and Senior showroom progression for Packard in '55. Starting point would be putting Clipper's roof on the 127 Packard body, and using Clipper's grill design; see image. But I don't think the rear glass sincs with the rounded windshield. It was actually a perfect match for the '53/54 windshield; too bad the '53/54 Seniors didn't use it too.

The more rounded '56 Patrician rear glass, which appears to have been derived from the '54/55 Patrician rear glass, would have been a much better match with the new panoramic windshields, and probably could have been offered for '55. See image.

In trying to get to a 60 Special competitor, more length was needed. Also, max glass area. So here's an idea: lengthen the front doors by 5-inches, using the coupe front door outers with 4-inches trimmed off. For the door inners... figure out how best to do it. Imperial used 4-inch longer front doors for '55 versus De Soto/Chrysler, by who knows what approach. The key is that they made it happen (then dropped it for '56).

Wheelbase would be 132 inches and include the 5-inch longer end panel between rear glass and decklid.
I removed the rear door vent wings to help bring the front and rear door glass into better balance. Not sure if the appearance works though; something looks odd with those front doors uppers. Maybe the windshield is too upright.

The 132-inch wheelbase body could have also enabled a Formal Sedan that moved the rear seat 5-inches rearward by lengthening the roof the same amount. A division window would have packaged nicely.

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  55 60S white.jpg (379.70 KB)


  1955 Packard 127 Junior Roof 54 Rr Dr and Jr Front bw 36.png (1,611.18 KB)


  1955 Packard 127 Junior Roof 56 BL 54 Rr Dr and Jr Front Rr Trim bw 36.png (1,662.62 KB)


  1955 Packard 132 Senior Roof 5 Longer Fr Dr 60S Trim Equivalent bw 36.png (1,601.90 KB)


  1955 Packard 132 Senior Roof 5 Longer Fr Dr 60S Trim Equivalent Formal Sedan bw 36.png (1,586.05 KB)

An alternative would be to simply carry over the '54 rear door outers for all '55 models. The dual courtesy lights could have fit between the two horizontal trim pieces.

And maybe add the round deco trim and other trim,

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  1955 Packard 132 Sedan 2 bw 36.png (1,596.28 KB)


  1955 Packard 132 Formal Sedan 2 bw 36.png (1,578.43 KB)