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Guy and Tom, thanks for the suggestions. I have used some 3M Trim Adhesive to stick the pad to the underside of the hood. It seems to have a strong grip, much different than the spray-on contact adhesive. I have not driven the car since using the trim adhesive, so don't know how it will be after exposure to a warm engine compartment.

(o[]o)

My '55 Patrician still has the majority of it's hood pad. By majority I mean that the underside of the hood is covered, but it has a black fiberglass insulation look to it. For some reason, I thought the surface was supposed to be smooth and moderately shiny. At least that is what some of the on site under hood pictures looked like to me.
I hadn't meant to bring this up until later but now that the pad is being discussed, just what is it supposed to look like?

I don't have any pictures but Dwight has a good description of the pads on his sitepackardparts.org/parts.htm about halfway down the page.

I just received his 56 repro pad and from outside, it does look like the original that I remember -- although much thinner. The repro thinness did surprise me but after reading his commentary that the originals suffered from fiberglass separation, that I can believe. The disaster of one I had was thicker but bulged & drooped in spots and was held up with wooden slats when I got the car.

The pad on my 56 400 was relatively good except that someone had installed one of those dumb radiator caps with a handle to lift up to relieve the pressure. That had punched a hole in the vinyl. I carefully removed the pad which had cream-colored fiberglass. I managed to get a roll of black vinyl and thought that a water heater insulation blanket had almost the same cream color fiberglass. The fellow who did my interior sewed up a new pad for me based on the original. It looks very much the same. I spread a panel caulk on the underside of the hood and held it in place with sprung wooden dowels about 1/8 inch thick while the caulk dried.
I purchased Dwight's hoodpad for the Caribbean and haven't looked at it - it's still in the cardboard container.
I loaned the original to a fellow in Buffalo who has promised several times to return it, but his promises aren't worth much.

The next photo is of James Nance departing the Clipper at the 1978 PAC national meet in Annapolis, Maryland. Dwight provided transportation for Nance and his assistant in the Clipper when they were guests at the meet. Dwight told me that Nance said: "Dwight, I don't remember these cars riding this smoothly." And, this is a regular suspension Clipper. Anybody recognize others in the photo?

Yes there are also George Hamlin and his wife Bee in the back.

Packard, the photo did not get attached, but here it is. Interesting that you have this photo. The Clipper pictured is the one I bought from Dwight. Dwight is just to the back of the car from Nance. You identified George and his wife. I asked Dwight about the others and he could not identify them.

(o[]o)

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The car is at my mechanic's shop so I can't get at it until Monday at the earliest but "fiberflass separation" looks to be exactly what happened to mine. I'm taking one of the daily drivers in for service and when I do I'll take some pictures of what remains. This I know: It is definitely NOT a vinyl surface.

And the vinyl makes such good sense! How much easier to clean a pad with that surface rather than the bare or coated fiberglass that I've seen on all other cars - including our late model Lincoln Town Car DDs. I wonder why that was never copied.

Packard, I see what happened now. You were quoting from an earlier posting I had made. It threw me for a bit being out of context. Anyway, we got to share the photo once again. I think the couple in the front is George and Bee Hamlin. I met George at Salado last year and the look of the man in the front of this photo has a stronger look to the George Hamlin I met than the man in the back of the photo.

(o[]o)

Hello All and Happy New Year. Not much Packarding being done due to the crush of holiday activities. Just before Christmas I installed an electric fuel pump on the Clipper. I mounted the pump on the inside of the kick up of the frame rail over the rear axle. There is a rubber bumper stop fastened at that location and I used one of the bolt holes for the bumper to fasten the pump with a longer bolt and nut. The filter was located in front of the fuel tank for easier access for changing. I am not sure this "improvement" is really needed, but it is there, just in case. I like that the pump is a Carter and made in the U.S.A. Price was about $65. Please note the wire, switch, and fuse are not part of the NAPA kit, they need to be purchased separately.

I have gotten the Clipper to a stage where I feel I can now turn my attention to its stable mates. The 115C Convertible Coupe now occupies the garage space and is awaiting some long over due service and maintenance.

Thanks for your attention to this blog, and your valuable comments and suggestions. The next project on the Clipper will be a new pinion seal probably before the Salado Meet at the end of March. Until then take care.

(o[]o)

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Henry, coincidence or is there something powerful working out in the blogosphere? Plans are to take the 55 Clipper to Salado this year and introduce it to its extended family.

(o[]o)