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Just a few more interior shots. This should be the final ones. These are of the door panals of which I have made a small mod of my own.

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I like that embossed material, that also was shown on the seat-backs. I wonder if that was a '56 exclusive. Keep up the great work, AL!

Beautiful seats Al!

Well these should be the last upholstery shots as the car should be coming home in the next couple of weeks. I hope you like the little addition I did to the door panals.

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Hey all:

I want to propose an idea. In 56 Packard went with the in dash A/C. I have an opportunity to pick up a 55 Patrician that has rear mounted air with the plastic horns coming out of the rear deck. I would install that in the CLIPPERROD.
What does anyone think about that?????

ALK

It would appear the trunk AC was available at least thru 57 from dealers so nothing wrong with the idea and would be period correct. The two issues will be the condition of the system and whether parts will be needed and do you want the expense of R12 in charging the system.

I don't know how successfully R134a would work with the original compressor and hot gas bypass temp control (if both of those are functional). In all probability new lines would be needed but not that big a deal. The problem would be if new temp control items and a compressor are needed. You might have to convert those to modern.

All quite true. Initially all I intend to do is install the rear trunk unit, the plastic cones, the condensor up front, the dryer, and then see if I can get the compressor mounted. Not to worried about whether or not it works at this point. The A/C, working, does not present a problem since we rarely go anywhere in the south in the summer. Getting everything mounted and fitted is more critical, even more so since I have an NOS lehigh compressor(that's the v type looking one right). Don't forget I have the twin 4bbls, so that might be a problem. As for the lines, as long as they are all there, there are plenty of places around that can fabricate lines and such. There is one thing that I will most likely do and that is take the compressor mounting brackett to the welding shop and have it duplicated and then take orders for others that need one.

The carbs and cleaner are not a problem with the Lehigh. I have the factory setup with the oil filter moved over to the right side on engine and mount is actually part of the compressor. Yours may be a bit different with a separate piece for the mount. It would be really advantageous to have the proper hard connections to the compressor though to clear and point things in the right direction from the start.

I am in the process of converting my entire front factory system. Building all new from scratch but maintaining the stock look. Will keep the old intact in case parts ever do become available or I sell the car. Am changing the compressor to a Sanden because of not having any valves & head/plate gaskets available -- otherwise all stock looking. The reed valves in the compressors seem to be their weak spot. You'd think with scanning software, CNC machining and plasma cutters it would be a simple job to repro a few thin round pieces of metal but apparently not. Guess there is no demand or is something that has to be die cut. The fixed hot gas bypass temp control will be changed to cycling clutch because I want to have something besides freeze and not freeze (AC on or AC off) available.

On that new compressor I had to get a different Sanden head because the basic stock one with openings out the back is too close to air cleaner for the bends.

well one more piece added on. Little by little it is getting to the end.

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I posted back in June (I think) that the car would be coming home in a couple of weeks. Well you know how that goes. However the work is done and now paid for thanks to my new job in ST Louis, MO. I will have to work on the fuel pump leak, I may just have to bypass the mechanical fuel pump altogether. Anyhow, outside of a local show or 2 my next stop will hopefully be the Nationals in Colonial Williamsburg. Will submit picture when it is home.