Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

On the question if TL was optional or "mandatory" on various Clippers and all Seniors. As I recall there are no front coil springs or rear leaf springs and related parts in the parts book for those models speculated as having TL optional.

I think that should settle the matter until, of course, a spring suspension '56 Patrician Limousine shows up.

Owen -

IIRC, it was in a DriveReport article on the '56 Packard Patrician in Special Interest Autos magazine (#36), where the author referred to Torsion-Level as a "mandatory option".

That notion might very well be rooted the notation from the Trade Letter advising that T-L had been previously optional, but with 100% installation. I can imagine some trepidation about making that such novel equipment standard back then, but can envision factory sales reps leaning hard on dealer to include it on vehicle orders - where available.

fred -

The parts book shows coil and leaf springs and their related parts only for:

5540, 5640 (BODY 5622)

...which supports what the Trade Letters show for Torsion-Level- that is: never available on 1955 Clipper Deluxe; initially not available on 1955 Clipper Super (but later optional); and optional 1956 Clipper Deluxe.

Yet, Torsion-Level applications in the parts book simply show:

ALL 55TH or...
ALL 55TH; 56TH or...
ALL 56TH

...which may have actually helped fuel some confusion.

Meanwhile, the disclosure in 1956, that T-L had been previously optional, but with 100% installation, makes me wonder if the same approach might have extended back to the 55th Series models, where T-L was technically classified as optional.

As more material is collected here, perhaps we'll someday be able to piece together enough additional facts to tell us the rest of the story.

According to Kimes (information I've posted before and won't bother to look up again) the T/L system was a "Mandatory Option" on ALL senior '55 Packards. I can only surmise that this policy was held over through 1956. Although Kimes has some minor errors that have been pointed out elsewhere, it has proven very accurate on manufacturing data such as these. (For those who don't know, "Kimes" refers to "Packard, A History of the Motorcar and the Company" 1978 Automobile quarterly.) It is a great book for any Packard lover, and available used on Amazon, last I checked.

This may exist somewhere on the forum, but I thought it would make a nice addition to the commentary on the T/L. Be sure to scroll down to see also the Clymer test of the '55 Clipper:

books.google.com/books?id=Z94DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA118&dq=1955+packard+clipper+owners+report&hl=en&ei=2iyqTcfVAYeU0QH-3-H5CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CEQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false