Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Tim Cole,

Thanks for the info, but I didn't pose any questions are make any statements pertaining to these cars or issues. However by coincidence I do have information on both cars you mention.

Bill Hirsch's car was a '55 and he sold it to Harry Fick of Sag Harbor Long Island who contacted us in the late 60's. It was sitting outside , tires flat, and the bottom edge of the body was swiss cheese. We passed on it.

Ken Fahenstock's car was a '56 Caribbean hardtop which if my memory serves me correctly was Maltese Gray with a Dover white stripe. We bought it in the late 70's, it was very tired and rusty under the padded top. Do not recall if it had wires, really immaterial. We disassembled it for parts.

The above is to the best of my recollection.

Quote:

Wire wheels AND wire wheel covers were options? The terms are only slightly different, but the parts are very different.

Fred, I had no idea that the wire wheel covers were that rare. I wonder how rare they were as options, and if they were only optional on the Carib.

As far as the original topic of this thread, I do know two things about it: the A/C is dealer installed with "in-the-trunk" cooling unit. The wheels are wire, not covers.

Wire wheels and (fake) wire wheel covers were available on all 55-6 cars except 55 Clippers with 11" brakes( 4 1/2" bolt circle). The obvious reason wire wheel covers are scarce is that few people bought them. They are fake, they look fake, that's not what Packard people are about I guess.
OOPS!!
I'm sure some of the above is incorrect, used memory instead of parts book/accessory brochures. Will research soon

Fred -

You wrote:

Quote:
I disagree with your assessment of the availability of wire wheels on the 55-56 cars - namely, Clippers. The 55-56 parts book lists wire wheel equipment only for 5580 (which includes body 5588) and 5680-88 - that is, Seniors only.

The parts book further shows that drums, axles, and stock wheels differ between Junior and Senior lines of their respective years. That suggests all the Clippers (and Exec) would have had the same bolt circle, which is smaller than that of the Senior cars.

Perhaps you are confusing the 11- vs. 12-inch brake matter with the 54th Series.

To shed a little more light on the '54 difference..... Only Super Clippers, and I believe some of the Henney Juniors used the larger 12" brakes which were a carry over from the '53 model year. '54 Clipper Specials, Deluxes and '55s used the same 11" drums and smaller bolt pattern.

More information can be found here:

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/STB/54T-1.pdf

BH

I think I made some errors on wire wheel etc fitment. Realizing that they don't make a hard drive to expand my memory and I must be using fuzzy logic. Will research on Tues. Thanks for the heads up.
fred