Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Any one know of how to get rid of the front fender bow in the torsion level cars. Seems as though all I see suffer from this. Some more pronounced than others. The judges at the National Packard meet don't even seem to notice this flaw even though it is quite noticable. Spoils the appearance. When I questioned one owner he said it was made that way because when he had the pot metal strip removed it conformed to the shape of the fender. I think the strip eventually just adjusted to the shape of the fender after being malformed all those years. I have a conventionally sprung Clipper and two torsion suspensioned.
The conventionals fenders are very slightly bowed but hard to detect while the other two are obviously yucky.

Mine is the same way, and I thought a slight bow was a design element since there seems to be a corresponding one at the back. There is a difference side to side on mine with the drivers side more pronounced. Chalked that up to being one of the mfg problems with those bodies.

I don't think I'd try to straighten but will be nice if someone has a good idea. I would be very leery of trying because of the trim. Most pot metal I've run into doesn't bend, it breaks. I wonder if it would "bend" to the bow. It seems it would have taken a lot of force just to install it the first time if manufactured straight.

I guess i'm a little on the slow side but what 'fender bow' are u all talking about????? Or is the bow confined to the trim strip???? The TL suspension has something to do with it????? Man, i mean i am really lost on this one. I don;t see any "bow" in my fenders.

55Clipper writes:
"I have a conventionally sprung Clipper and two torsion suspensioned.
The conventionals fenders are very slightly bowed but hard to detect while the other two are obviously yucky."

I assume the conventionaly sprung clipper is a fifty FIVE and the TL cars are fifty SIX models?????

If so then the 55's have a peake or ridge along top of fender that the 56's do NOT have.

What he's talking about is the V8 front fenders. If you stand in front and look at the long pot metal trim from grill to door, right above the front tire area is a bow outward. Same on both sides but drivers side (on mine, at least) is more--maybe 1/2 inch or so than the passenger side. At doors and beyond changes to stainless and gets fairly straight, then bows out slightly above rear tires again.

My two torsion level cars are a 55 Constellation and a 55 Caribbean. I was told by Steve Williams many years ago that the bow was caused when the cars went into a sharp turn and hit a bump. He said the front wheel would actually hit the fender and cause it to bow out.

I just went out to look at my '55 Patrician and I don't see a bow on either side. What I do see is that the front end narrows a bit as you go forward and the triangular shape of the side cast chrome piece becomes more pronounced as it goes from the door to the front. Looking at the side the chrome does seem to bow but I think that is more to do with the shape of the cast metal chrome than the fender as the bow disappears as I view the front.

Maybe the Clippers are different but I had always thought they shared front fenders with the Senior cars. I wouldn't bet my Patrician on it though....

Steve was a pretty knowledgeable guy and the bodies can lean a bit. If a wheel did hit during a hard turn, might explain why one side seems to usually be worse than the other on the cars so afflicted.

I'll double check my 56 Exec. looking out a second story window and from the front at level ground.

I've done this a few times not really looking for any bow. This is the First time i've heard of any bow to the fenders. However, the car when viewed from a second story window does have a distinct taper both front and rear fenders on both sides. That is to say that the car is kind of fat in the middle (more toward rear doors) and gets thinner toward front and thinner toward rear of car. As well as a slight downward slope from center of car to front and a slope to rear. Also note that the body tends to taper toward the top of the car. It is fatter near the rockers and tapers toward the roof.

THe tapers are very subtle unless u look for them. I believe it to be by styling design.

If the bowing is caused by wheel interference then why would such bowing not appear on the 51-54 models too???? 51-56 are the same body and fenders other than just a face lift, butt lift and a curved windshild. No???