Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Hi:

I am doing some details to my Four Hundred and I have a few doubts which I want to ask, before I do something incorrect. Can anybody help me by answering the following questions?:

1. My car has a body color (scotish heather) firewall but black painted side engine (lower internal fenders) panels. Is this correct? (Pic enclosed). I have seen cars both ways.

2. Black engine parts. Are the air filter, radiator, power steering pump, etc painted gloss or semi-gloss black?

3. Gas line. Would anybody have a picture (preferably original) in which I can see how the gas line for the dual carbs is supposed to go, so I can copy it correctly?

4. The screws to hold the panel covering between radiator and grill... what kind of treatment are they supposed to have. I have seen cars that appear to have them galvanized, but when I cleaned mine they show some sort of copper color.

Thanks!
Victor

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Victor,

The radiator filler panel should have cadmium plated bolts. The inner fenders are correctly painted black below the drip rail.

You may want to purchase the Engine Room Judging guide from Packards International. It covers the paint and finish for all the various bits under the hood.

All of my original inner fenders are painted body color. That is for both cars with original paint. No high gloss paint on heater, splasher etc. I have a new old stock splasher with the factory parts tag still stuck on it. The sheen is somewhere between semi-gloss and satin finish. I painted a spare splasher high gloss just because I could, but still have a spare new original one if I want to put it back authentic.

Carbs and pump. This has factory air so oil filter is on passenger side of engine instead of regular place.

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I don't want to throw stones at PI, but I purchased the engine room judging guide from PI and found the info for V-8 cars to less than complete and authoritative. PAC has done nothing, so PI at least did something, but a lot of things are left unsaid in their book. we need to get all of this history down before everyone who "knows how those cars were built" goes to glory.
I think there is more value in a panel discussion here and at the PAC and AACA websites, between all of us we can sort out what was what, especially when people like Packards1 have such original survivors.

Thanks for all the responses and particularly the pics. Very helpful.

Another question comes to mind: decals.

I know the dual carb air filter is supposed to have one decal on each of the air cleaners at the sides, facing up.

Are there any other decals on the engine or engine comparment? Any source for them?

thanks,
Victor

PAC has most of the decals.packardclub.org/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5&sort=20a&page=1

As to placement, ones I've bought from various vendors in past come with instructions but don't know if these do. Don't recall if there is any info here on site either.

If not, and someone has something that can be posted that might be very beneficial. Otherwise, there are lists such as the PI guide and various photos to show exactly.

Unless someone steps forward first with information, once you get the decals and find they came without any, a question will get the answer.

Mr PB is correct that 51-56 documentation is incomplete in the PI info. To give them credit they did start to document that era which is more than anyone else. It is up to us to fill in the missing data. There are exceptions as far as Caribbeans are concerned because I don't think they were built on the regular assembly line. The 55-56s I have seen have the firewall the same color as the main body color. The inner fenders are a satin or flat black .

My 56 Carib convertible (late car, #254) had inner fender panels and fender wheel wells all in upper body color (white).

All good information presented thusfar.

Yes, kudos to Packards International (PI) for undertaking that judging guide; it's a great starting point. As a work in progress, it may not be perfect in its coverage, but it's far cry from mind-numbing judging "standards" like "plating should be of proper type". If PI plans on continuing with that great work, to its completion, then I wouldn't want to formally duplicate the effort here, but we can continue to discuss the finer points.

PI also has an illustrated listing of decals in their Parts Project Catalog which is avaliable online, in PDF. You will want to right-click that link and choose "Save target As..." to download the file as it is 4MB - especialy if you're on a dial-up connection. Very little info on placement, though.

Meanwhile, you'll find repro of the decals for the Caribbean 2x4 air cleaner at the Accessories page of Dwight Heinmuller's PackardParts.org site.

If unable to determine proper placement of decals from the existing parts or any manual, you'll need to inspect a similar car that is either unrestored or correctly restored. In lieu of that, you can ask about placement of specific decals here, and I'm sure others will provide photos, as time permits.