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You could probably get in touch with AL, on this forum, and come up with the parts. I hauled a '55 Patrician down to him that was pretty complete, he only took the AC. Last I heard he was trying to sell the whole car, but he may be willing to ship you a few parts.

Should be lots of parts cars willing to donate their kick panels for the stainless and even the pattern. The package shelf too but in either case they will probably be in sad shape. Mike Dulinski (contact info in the packard directory) would be an excellent place to check as well. Nothing much to either would present a problem for the average do it yourselfer other than the metal pieces.

If you have a friendly upholstery guy locally you can probably buy the thick cardboard much cheaper than going online and then paying the freight costs. I just bought 39" x 65" sheets for roughly $20 each from a local shop that does auto work. What you need is shown in the linkperfectfit.com/15347/154533/Chipboard-Ca ... -Treated-Waterproof-Panelboard.html and while that size would work, there would be a seam under the fabric on the package shelf so larger would be better.

Any upholstery shop should be able to make those for you. They are pretty simple in construction. But I know the senior models have some more embellishments on them.

It's really just a flat piece of door panel board cut to fit the shape. The covered with upholstery and whatever extra trim the senior models used. On my car it was secured with stainless screws on the leading edge.

I am sure one of the guys were that has a similar model can take a picture of them for reference for you.

Welcome Some free advice about parts anything you see or find is the time to acquire them. The part you need when your ready for it is easier to have on hand rather than search for it when needed. You never know where or from whom you may find a future needed item. Finding parts is a great part of the hobby also inform your local car guys of things you are searching for more eyes looking are better.
Spares are great to have (Murphy modified rule ) if you have a spare you will not need it .

Al makes a good point. Horde spares as you find them cheap. You never know when you are going to need them.

For example, I have 3 spare dash clusters, as that cluster was 1 year only on the '54 Clipper Specials and '54 Deluxes. I got them all very cheap or free.

I also have a spare Carb core which I picked up for $20. I plan on rebuilding it, and putting it on the shelf.

Also probably going to try to find a spare starter, and a fuel pump to have in the event I ever need it.

Also I have almost an entire spare set of stainless trim for my car. Never know when some run away shopping cart make mangle a piece and one needs to be replaced.

I also "upgrade" parts as I find better condition ones, and keep the older ones in the event I ever need them. Thanks to the Packard Parts Fairy I must have 20 hubcaps ready to go in a moments notice!

Most of these parts are not reproduced, when you find them cheap buy them. As the part you don't is the one you are going to need, and the one you will pay through the nose for.

IMHO, it is always good to have spare anythings you can find and have room to store but on the trans, unless you are a real purist I would consider the 56 rather than 55. A direct bolt in but refinements added and many bugs worked out for 56 units.

Well, I hope everyone is enjoying the first day of the Labour Day weekend. I took the opportunity of the first day of my three-day weekend to get the Packard up onto jack stands and begin work to drop the gas tank and commence rebuilding the brake system. The gas tank dropped like clockwork and I was somewhat relieved to see that someone before I had the vehicle had partially filled the gas tank with lacquer thinner to keep the tank from rusting. That was the end of the pleasant news for the day.

Once I got the car up and was able to get under it for a good look, I discovered that a prior owner had begun work in the rear brakes, but never finished it. The wheel cylinders and brake shoes, along with the associated hardware, are missing. Oh, BTW, both rear wheels are missing the brake drums, also. Now, instead of having all the parts necessary to finish the brake job, I now have to hunt down two rear brake drums and the bolts and pins for mounting the wheel cylinders and brake shoes onto the backing plate.

Fortunately, the front brakes are complete and have all of the necessary parts. I've attached photos of the front and rear wheels. The front is the one with the complete brake system. The rear one you can guess.

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That looks like a 56 rear axle--unless that is the tapered hub only which has had rivets drilled out and drum torn off.

Yes indeedy, just as well you don't have the rear drums as they have been ruined by removing them from the hub. You will have to pull those rear hubs off and start from the axle up. Will happily sell you a 55 senior rear, drum to drum, please PM me if interested.

But don't throw those hubs away, They can be converted into a puller for other Packard drums.