Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Without the ability to examine ALL the 1956 build slips, I don't think we can ever know how many 1956 Packards came with factory seat belts. We do know that only one Caribbean convertible came with them. It does my authenticity-minded heart good to see someone faithfully replicate the original seat belt arrangement as shown in post #34; I've seen one other similar effort, that in a 5699.

I also send congratulations on a job well done. Believe me, there was a lot of thought that went into my decision before it finally came down to ruling the factory type out and doing what I did. If the thought ever strikes again, at least the belts I bought can be removed, probably with the changing of the end bracket reused, and no one will be the wiser. If I ever see a real one and can get good pictures of what was done, who knows. That is one thing I have tried to do on all my "projects" -- make them totally reversible with removal of a few screws and no changes to the car proper. The permanent holes in the upholstery were hard to think a way around without knowing what I was adding would look like.

I'm not sure if anyone ever responded to the original question of what the storage clip looked like for Packard factory seat belts.

The direct answer to that question is that the storage clip was was a piece of flat metal slightly flared at the top with a slight dogleg "lasagne" bend at the lower edge where it screwed into the door panel with Philips-head screws. The clip was chrome plated.

The BUCKLE was an aircraft type and I have seen two varieties: 1.) chrome plated steel... and 2.) aluminum. Both were basically the same as you see in appearance and operation to the belts still used today in commercial airliners.

As for these seat belts being listed in "build sheets" or how they were installed at the factory... my understanding is they weren't. These belts-at least from what I was told by a couple of dealers back in the day-were a dealer-installed option-regardless of when, where, or how ordered.

And regarding what was on Caribbean "build sheets" or 1956 Packard factory records, I can assure you, I have personally inspected a large number of Caribbeans and made notes on each with the VIN number ever since the 1950s. I repeatedly have discovered that the factory records quite often do not match the actual car and equipment. For instance cars with factory air...'56 cars with gold grille screens vs. chrome screens... convertibles with rear mounted radio speakers... Caribbeans with power door locks... Caribbeans with Autronic Eye...or, yes, factory seat belts.

By the way... there used to be a 1955 Caribbean (yes, 1955) in the "Howard Hughes/Jean Peters" colors out in the San Fernando Valley in SoCal that had Packard factory seat belts (as listed for 1956). It was a one-owner car and the owner insisted to me that he bought it that way from Earle C. Anthony. Last time I saw this car was in the 1970s. I understand that it later went to Canada. Somewhere I have photos.

Of course most people today forget that nobody much wanted seat belts in 1955-56. Ford tried a whole safety program for 1956 (spent huge amounts promoting it) and basically they found that it didn't sell. Frankly, it scared daylights out of some 1950's people and they insisted that they did NOT want the contraptions in their cars! If you think the factory seat belts are rare in Packards, they are just as rare-maybe moreso in Fords...despite Ford's big marketing push on these devices.

Thanks for the description on the seat belt bracket. That helps a bit and will retain the info in case I do get inspiration down the line.

Another thing in your post that comes to mind is the mention of convertibles with rear mounted radio speakers...

I know this subject has been around the forum a couple of times on various year convertibles. To date, don't recall anyone coming up with a description -- much less a photo -- as to where or how a rear speaker was mounted amidst the mechanism and storage compartments. In the case of the 55-6 would also be curious how the speaker fader control was handled since convertibles used the normal dash speaker switch hole for the top control. My guess would be an addition near the radio similar to the AC switch -- but that's speculation and another of those many questions and no answers. Speaking of AC, another poster mentioned once seeing trunk air on a convertible. Now that's another subject entirely and even more intriguing as to how that was done.

Am sure several inquiring minds would appreciate any information you might be able to share on the ones you've seen.

I have personally inspected a large number of Caribbeans and made notes on each with the VIN number ever since the 1950s. I repeatedly have discovered that the factory records quite often do not match the actual car and equipment.

Leeedy, and of course some Caribbeans left the dealership to the first owner equipped differently than they left the factory to the dealership and I suspect that would account for some of the differences between the build slip and the car as it was later seen.

Ahhh. Interesting questions.

RE: the mounting of factory rear speaker in a 1955-56 Caribbean convertible... yes, I have seen a few. I seem to remember that Earle C. Anthony's personal Caribbean was so equipped. Somewhere buried in my records I used to have a list of convertibles that I ran across over the years with factory rear speaker. There certainly were not many, but there were a few. The location of the speaker was either to the right or left in the bottom of the top well where it faced straight up. Of course, not useful when the top was down, but yes, I have seen this more than once and yes, with factory controls.

AND... since someone brought it up, the only factory air Caribbean V-8 convertibles I have ever seen (and should ever see) had the A/C coming through the instrument panel. Think about this. Packard (with not a huge budget at the time) spent a pile of cash developing factory air where it rightly belonged: in the IP. It would make no financial or functional sense to develop a whole second system to be mounted in the trunk (and Packard factory air indeed was installable at the dealer and there are ways to determine this). Anyone who has ever inspected the area UNDER the top well in the convertible (which has a welded grid crossmember) would have to conclude the folly of mounting trunk air in this position...even if such a unit existed in the 1950s.

I have a 1956 Four Hundred that the original owner had an aftermarket trunk-mounted unit installed. Believe me, the thing barely-just barely fits. And that's with no top well to deal with! I can't imagine how it would be done unless someone, somehow had the creativity and resource and finance to dig up an ultra-rare Cadillac convertible rear unit (from the same time period) that they managed to shoehorn into the trunk. One of the few times when Cadillac really blew it (in more ways than one) in the 1950s. Of course such a unit would have to have to have an evaporator so small and a blower so big as to be useless. Especially in the Caribbean.

Now... for all of the controls? I have seen at least one Caribbean that used to run around SoCal that had both factory air and rear seat speaker! The line of knobs across the instrument panel was almost mind-boggling... if not impressive! Somewhere, someplace in my bins of records I have a set of photos I took of this car back in the early 1970s. No idea where it is today.

Finally... as for owners changing their Caribbeans over... modifying them... That would be a rather obvious thing, but absolutely not what I was referring to at all. For instance... there was a 1956 Caribbean convertible in SoCal that was originally ordered on the east coast... possibly in Philly. Anyway, the original owner swore that he ordered the car with the ribbed stainless in the middle stripe and back to the tail lights. I saw this car up close and personal in the 1970s and it indeed had the so-called "Reynolds wrap" on the car... going back to the tail lights and up to the antennae. ANd these pieces appeared to be specially bent and shaped. But I assure you, there was no mention of this in the factory record, nor of other special things the car had.

I also knew of several 1955 and 1956 Caribbeans that were local to Detroit (and I knew these cars from when they were new) and they certainly did not match what the records say they were supposed to be. One of these cars was at a big engineering firm... another was owned by a man I knew who did work for Packard. And another was at Creative Industries. ANd there were more that I discovered over the years-sometimes verified by the actual VIN plate and codes-that differed from the factory records. Believe me, I've been over this a few times over the years. Anyway... for what it's worth.