Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

I'm looking into getting a new exhaust system for my 1955 packard clipper custom but im not sure what exhaust system to look.

I know the early 55 packards had just a single exhaust system and then later in the year they stated switching to using a dual exhaust system but I'm not exactly sure what one my specific 55 packard is now do I know how to look for that other than getting under the car and just taking a look for sighs of a second exhaust system sense there's technically not a vin number system to look up and see if mines a early or late 55.

What's gonna make the whole thing a bit more difficult is the my packard doesn't have it's original motor in it, it has a mid 80s chevy 350 small block in it a 700r4 automatic transmission which is i thing wider than the original transmission it had so it's gonna be a bit difficult Tracking down and exhaust that will work and fit around everything. I'd prefer not having to have a completely custom exhaust system made for it cause I just simply don't have that kinda money so I'm a bit lost on what to do

The dual exhaust was simply an option on the Clippers. I don't understand the difficulty in determining your type as the whole point is you will have 2 exhaust pipes instead of one. Yes just look under the car; unless it sounds like the muffler was deleted, you can also just look at the rear of the car.

Why do you need a new exhaust? You can probably just patch up the existing one. Also I have not checked prices recently but I think getting a full Packard exhaust system will be close to the price of a custom one anyway, so there may not be any advantage to buying and modifying a Packard type.

The exhaust system is clearly diagrammed so just compare the part numbers to see what's different. I suspect the passenger side exhaust is the same for both types except both pieces coming off the engine exhaust headers will be different.

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/parts ... PlateNumber=29B&partslist=1955-1956

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/parts ... PlateNumber=29C&partslist=1955-1956

Typically it was the smaller engined Deluxe and Super models built on the 5540 and 5640 chassis which had the single exhaust. In addition to looking at the parts pages Pgh Ultra suggested you can get a fairly decent overall birds eye view of the dual system on parts plate 20A. The important difference is in the pipes before the muffler.

Singles were on the right and had a crossover pipe which ran from the left manifold then under the engine to join at a Y connection on the right side while duals kept the sides separated with the only connection being thru the passage in the intake manifold. That passage was to provide heat for carb and automatic choke during warmup. In both single and dual systems, once the engine was warm and thermostatic valve at the exit of the left manifold opened the passage carried very little exhaust.

I am thinking with your Chevy engine there will not be any stock bolt on system either single or dual you can buy beforehand that will not need some custom bent pipes for fitting to the engine. By the time you figure in the price of the stock system and freight and then the cost of the modifications needed to connect to the engine it might be more cost effective to just go to a local muffler shop and have them make a system that more or less duplicates what you have on the car now. If what you have is incomplete or is having clearance issues maybe make a copy of the birds eye view and one of the parts pages and have them try and match that layout. They can also easily convert from single to dual or vice versa depending on what you want to do.

As for being on a budget, that is understandable. If you want a dual setup, perhaps your local guy could do a right side single system now and have the crossover pipe and connection made in such a way that the crossover pipe could be easily removed and connection to right side blocked off to be replaced with an added left side system when the budget allows.

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A lot of the custom system made by local shop are cheaper the replacement systems. I have had good luck with local guys doing "custom" systems for a lot less than even buying OEM parts even for newer cars and trucks. Only problem is some want to use loud mufflers which I dislike.

I agree with the previous posters. A local shop can make up, and install, a new exhaust for a similar price as buying and installing yourself. Due to your 350, part of it is going to have to be custom anyway, so you may as well have them do everything.

At the same time, I totally get being on a budget! Just not sure there is much savings to be had on this project by doing it yourself.

And to acolds point, loud mufflers do not belong on a Packard! Packards should be smooth and quiet! Maybe loud mufflers on a modified car, because it's debatable then whether it's still a Packard, or just looks like a Packard. IMHO

Here is a view of the single exhaust system as on a 1955 Clipper.

Yes, no loud mufflers please. Packards should be as quiet as you can make them. Nice ones are as quiet as any modern large engine passenger vehicle.

I don't like stainless systems they seem to be noiser not loud regular steel has a damping effect.If you get duals custom made I would get crossover balance pipe aids in noise reduction supposedly aids in performance also

Looking at the single system layout Pgh Ultra posted above, apparently there is a difference in single exhaust system routing depending on whether the car has conventional springs or Torsion Level. If you wanted to do the dual system install in stages, to keep a balanced look later on I would have the local shop try for the TL routing of the initial single system as much as possible from the muffler back even if the car has conventional springs.

In the late 1960s, Ford put dual exhaust on a lot of cars, and they put a crossover between the pipes ahead of the mufflers on many of them, Mustangs in particular. The crossover was typically located near the end of the transmission tailshaft housing. I added one to a Ford pickup with dual exhaust behind a 390 with 36" long glasspacks. It made the sound softer and much mellower, and some people claim a backpressure reduction of around 15%

Thanks Howard, I never actually noticed the different routing before. Obviously it has to be different for the senior cars and dual exhaust, compared to single, but I didn't notice that TL single is basically half of a TL double, whereas the spring type single is basically reused from the earlier cars.