Packard Forum Index » General

Will 55/56 caribbean or 400 Packard bumpers w/ex. ports fit & bolt up to a 55 panama? Thanks for any help.BillW

Do not take this as gospel, or cast in concrete, but I do not think that will work. I think there is a size difference and the exhaust ports are alsom different. The '400' and the 'carrib' are senior cars and the Panama is a junior' car.

I saw your post on this in the Modification forum, but was reluctant to answer. However, since you've asked again, let me try to provide some insight.

I suspect the the 55/56 Packard rear bumper will bolt up to the Clipper frame without too much trouble, though you would have to make custom tailpipes.

I've never seen it done, but suggest you examine pictures of the Packard Panthers. All of five example of these concept cars them started out with '54 Clipper taillights and rear bumper, but two of them were later updated with the '55 rear bumper.

Now, the '55 Clipper rear end treatment was, basically, a carry-over from '54, but there's a good reason why you don't see any '55 Clippers with 55/56 Packard rear bumpers.

In updating those two Panthers, they not only installed the newer Packard bumper, but the corresponding Packard cathedral taillights. Doing so required extensive modification to the body. Luckily, they were working with fiberglass. Here's an elevated rear 3/4 view of one of the modified Panthers (from this site's Photo Gallery):




I'd personally think the results would look pretty awful if you simply hung a 55-56 Packard bumper on a '55 Clipper. Yet, even if you managed to accomplish something similar to what what was done with those two Panthers, I wouldn't consider it an improvement. Of course, that's just the opinion of someone who doesn't find highly-customized vehicles very interesting.

The fact is that as long as it's your name on the title, you are entitled to do with it as you please. Yet, keep in mind that modifications have a tendency have a narrower appeal, which may negatively resale value.

Hope this helps.

Bill,

I have no expert advice but some questions about your goals. Do you not have the original rear bumper, or just not like it? Do you have access to a good Senior bumper that makes you want to try the swap? I guess I wouldn't go out hunting for one to do this swap without at least trying to photoshop something together, if you have that capability. It might look awful.

Also, the '55 Clipper was kind of a bastardized '54, with a 2-piece design that made it kind of clunky (to some people's eyes, anyway--I like it fine). So if you are just starting to look for a replacement, a '54 Clipper bumper could possibly be an easier and better looking option.

But, in the end (so to speak) I agree with Brian that it sounds like a way to modify yourself out of some serious resale value. Depending on how you do it, though, the mod might be reversible.

Put it this way, if you have an extra Senior bumper and just a hankering to look at it on the car, and you also have the original bumper, I'd say why not give it a try? But be sure you can swap the '55 Clipper bumper back on.

I wouldn't say that the rear-end treatment for the '55 Clipper was bastardized so much as it was a clear evolution of the '54 model. Now, the move to the shark-fin tallights - that was revolutionary design.

Yet, I actually prefer the stock, exterior appearance of the '55 Clipper Super and Custom over their '56 counterparts (though the '56 Deluxe has some odd appeal for me, with its minimal use of side trim). While I love the '56 Clipper taillights as much as anyone, I just never cared much for the '56 Clipper side trim. I much prefer those taillights as used on the Exec (especially, the hardtop), with it simple, straight side trim.

That said, I've always thought the '55 Clipper rear bumper was simply adapted from the '54, but a check of the parts book shows it ain't that simple. While the stone shield and seal and the vertical guards and their reinforcement are same 54-55, the impact bar and its support bars (brackets) shows different P/Ns between '54 and '55. Perhaps others with more experience in a 54/55 swap will chime in with additional insights

I'd think one might do better to sell the 55/56 Senior bumper outright and use the proceeds to obtain a correct bumper for the Clipper. Solid 55/56 Senior bumper ends are fairly desirable, and you might end up with some spare change as a result.

Mike Dulinsky, up in the frozen north if you need a replacement bumper (or anything else from a V8)

Quote:

Not a very good choice of words on my part, Brian, and not a reflection of my opinion. I just wanted to pass along a sort of "popular opinion" from the time, and maybe still. I've read and heard hear and there that many have questioned if the change was any improvement. It was said that the decision to change the '54 bumper on the '55 was based on the opinion of some at the time that the '54 wasn't "massive" enough to counterbalance the new front end look. Again, only something I've read, never seen em side by side. To me, I'd see no reason to switch anything around except for a temporary experiment--no cutting or welding.

Guy -

I've heard others complain about the styling of the rear bumper for the '55 Clipper - compared to what the Senior Packards received that year.

Imagining the extent of retooling (and $$$) that was required for the rest of the facelift on the 51-54 bodies to create the 1955 line, I can see why Packard only went as far as they did with Clipper rear-end styling that year. The sore-thumb taillights and rear fenders were new for '54 , and - IMHO - a definite improvement over the styling of previous years.

While the front and rear bumpers as used on the '54 Clipper had good paired visual balance, I agree that the '54 rear bumper was too "light" for '55. Yet, relocating the optional backing lights to just below the high-mounted taillights for '55 improved appearance and allowed for the addition of upper pieces to the impact bar, for a slightly taller bumper. Maybe not perfect, but a reasonable compromise.

So, Packard simply put off a full restyle of the Clipper rear-end for one year. However, I wouldn't recommend transplanting a '56 Clipper bumper to a '55, either.

The problem is that both the '55-'56 Packard and the '56 Clipper rear bumpers were styled to wrap around larger taillight assemblies and fit rear fenders with much different end contours than the '54-'55 Clipper. Even if you clipped the Clipper fenders, there would be gaping voids elsewhere, requiring some highly creative body work.

Then, look what had to be done to the Studebaker body shells to accomodate the '56 Clipper taillights to create the '57 -'58 Packards. Personally, rather going to all the trouble of transplanting taillights, I'd sell the '55 and go for one of the other cars.

BTW, Burness' Car Spotter's Guide provides some views that might help you compare the various front and rear bumpers.