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I'd try to find an Upholstery forum as there could be someone on there that may know a source or has access to some old stock/tools.

On the wiring, any reason not to procure a complete harness, from Rhode Island wiring or similar? I think Kev had good luck with another company as well.

For individual wire, I recommend Brillman.

EDIT: Ken_P - it Just hit me that you may have been responding to my question about a source for the cotton covered wire and not about the tail light issue…..To answer that, some of the wiring is not part of the wiring harness. For instance, the wiring from the map/instrument light switch to the bulbs and to the clock. Also, the wiring to the dome light switches and dome lights as well as cigar lighters are not part of the wiring harness. I’ve done a little more research and I will likely go with 10 gauge wire for the cigar lighters. That is rated to 30 amps and the fuse associated with the cigar lights is 25amps. Packard likely used 8 gauge wire as over kill as it is rated at 40 amps. I have found sources for the wire now as well. I just need to figure out how much I need and than add 20% to it for cushion.


I have a new harness in it. The issue is not with the harness. I suspect that issues is with the main headlight switch. I know the thermostatic relay is off as well.

I may need to either replace it with one that has been rebuilt or get mine rebuilt. I need to do a little more research first.

One thing I’m going to try (hopefully tomorrow) is to bypass the main headlight switch and feed power directly to the tail light/map/reading light circuit. Then, operate the map/instrument light switch. If the tail lights don’t dim, that will indicate a problem in the main headlight switch.

2-piece Oval buttons for senior cars can be purchased from straight 8:straight-eight.com/product/upholstery-button/

Check the aspect ratio and there aren’t bargains out there.

Nobody makes the press dies. I’m making a hardwood routed set to roll the edge of the outer lip in…manual, not a press.

I also bought steel rule dies to cut the fabric ovals before pressing the button halves together.

PM me about further procedural info.

You will also need wire-on in your chosen fabric. There’s only a couple people doing that.

I still have that roll of heavy tan broadcloth you saw at Hershey.

Btw: I buy my braided wire stock from Brillman though RI wiring sells it also. I think I saw a headlight switch on EBay from Packard Seattle

Dan - thanks for the info.

I’ll keep the oval buttons you mentioned in mind, but I think they are too large. The are 1.9 in x 0.9 in. My existing are 1.5 in x 0.5 in. That said, they may still look better than round ones.

I also found the wire at Brillman. I had just forgotten about them earlier. Now, I just need to determine the length I need and ad 20% of oops. I’m generally going to go with black, but I’m going to also color code with a couple other that are black with different tracers.

Can you explain what you mean by “you will need wire-on in your chosen fabric”.

Wire-on is a tacking strip to finish and close out the side upholstery to the headliner joint around the interior. I believe the 138CD mimics the senior cars interior style and would have this.

It gets covered in your desired cloth and tacked over the seam then rolled down (the internal wire allows this) and looks like windlace when it’s done.

Later versions in the 50’s called a similar product “Hide-em”

Quote:

Thanks for the clarification, Dan. I don’t believe this applies to my car, but I’m not 100% on that since the headliner was removed (by others) back in 2004. However, I do have the headliner stored away just as it was removed. I’ll dig it out and take a look. I do know that the side panels do not have a wire and I don’t recall there being any wire in the headliner. I’ll find out, though.

Thanks for all the help!

Don, on the wiring, I forgot that you already installed a new harness.

Are the things that you're chasing down not part of the original harness because you adapted a 120 harness to your 138CD, or are they always not included in the harness?

Brillman has black wires with all sorts of different chasers, so you should be able to get a unique wire for each circuit.

Don,

It is the cornice bead (1/2" diameter) that sits above the windlace (over the doors) and proceeds all the way around the rear quarter and rear window where the headliner and side quarter fabric meet. It is also used on top of the rear seat shell (if you DONT have a divider window) to close out the fabric edge meet points...poke around the web and the literature on all 37 sedans, especially the 138CD's.

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Thanks, Dan!