Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

I am trying to fix confusion and misalignments in the Body numbers for some of the 1920s cars. Nearly every source I check disagrees in some way.

Checking here, the PAC website, The Packard Guide Book, Pre-War Packard Stuff 1899-1942, Kimes Book they are all in disagreement and nearly none of them match the factory parts list books of Body Types.

Here is just one example:

According to this (from an original Six Parts List):




A 426 5-pass Sedan is a #283. One of the guys in NZ has a 1927 426 5-Pass Sedan, and there is a metal tag on the floor with a 283-#### number on it. So, that appears to match.

Kimes/PAC/Others lists the 426 5-Pass sedan as a #303.

The above source says a #303 is a 1928 526 5-person sedan.

Kimes says a 1928 526 5-person sedan is a #323, while sources say it is a #303 as well.

Just to recap:

PAC/The Packard Guide Book/Pre-War Packard Stuff 1899-1942 sources list the #303 as being used for both the 426 (1927) and 526 (1928) models.

Then Kimes book says only on the #303 was 426 (1927), and the 526 (1928) models used #323

The Factory parts book says that #303 was 526 (1928), and on 426 (1927), it was #289. This is confirmed by the body tag on the car and not found in any of the sources other than this factory one.

So this is ONE example. But across the 1926-1928 Sixes (at least and perhaps Eights) there are multiple models where things just don't line up and/or match the factory documentation or each other.

Now, it could be a case that some of the factory info is wrong, and some of the 3rd party sources is also wrong.

I'm just trying to make sense of all the conflict.

Any ideas or definitive source?

Along these same lines, I am proof-checking the eight models. I found a model that none of the sources listed but is in the Eight Parts book, a 236 #262 Coupe (4 pass). So, skimming through the Kimes book, which is missing the 236 body type table, the changes listed for that year include a "Trunk Coupe that was added but dropped that same year". But it is clearly in the parts book with various parts called out.

So, after skimming through the Detroit Public Library photos, I found it.




Which, with the inboard luggage trunk, is clearly different than the standard 4-person Coupe #239.