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At long last and after many false starts, I finally got to go get my '55 Patrician last Tuesday. I think I was more nervous than a teenager on a first date. I mean really, I've only waited 56 years to see what it was all about.

As I left the shop I first had to decided whether to take are old 99W hiway or the freeway. That decision was more or less made for me by the very harsh and delayed 1-2 upshift. I figured that after sitting for 27 years that what the transmission and the rest of the car needed was excersise! So I took the old hiway with the route through all the little towns in Oregon's Wine Country - and all their stoplights making sure the transmission got a workout. I did decide to switch to Torque Converter Mode until the car was fully warmed up and the transmission worked pretty well in that mode. As I hoped, the longer I drove the smoother the Twin Ultramatic functioned. So smooth that about half way at a convenient stop light I shifted over to Gear Start - and that went much better. So much so that I stayed in Gear Start for the rest of the trip, about 32 miles. By the time I got within a few miles of home, she was shifting almost as smooth as my Town Car and the engine was quieter to boot.

Finally too, I got to experience the Torsion-Level Suspension which, while it took a while, was functioning before I had the car towed to the shop. It is everything I've heard about and more. So much so that if the AC was working, I'd drive nothing else. I had a route all picked out in Portland to put the T-L through it's paces and it was truly amazing. The claim that T-L enabled longevity of body integrity seems to be true as well as there are no rattles or squeaks heard from the body at all - no matter what the terrain.

For those wondering why the car was in the shop for so long (over a year) my mechanic and I agreed that he'd work on the car during "slow times" - which promptly vanished about a week after it entered his shop. It also got him some new business. A customer who used my guy for his daily driver saw my Packard and gave him his all original 1928 Cadillac to work on.
What I had done was all the maintenance that would normally be done to the car every 2 years plus having the brakes (service and emergency) completely renewed.

Anyway, the car is everything I hoped for and more and worth the wait, though not so long a one.

Here are some pictures of the old girl.

I again what to that (in sort of chronological order) Portlandon (for telling me about the car), Howard, Randy, HH56, Craig, JW and many many others whom I am ashamed to say I can't call right to mind. You all made fulfilling a dream I've had since I was 8 years old possible!

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Congratulations! Glad the ride was uneventful and all that you hoped it would be. Not bad for a maiden drive in a car that was parked and not driven since we were both young enough to get up in the morning and find nothing new was hurting.

Now you have the AC to fix and look forward to. With luck that won't take as long. Was it with the car or one you added? How about a photo of the engine showing how they did it.

Interesting hubcaps. They look like maybe 51 seniors.

How enjoyable that must have been! I can remember my first Loong ride. I am glad the Patrician performed as it should have. You should have posted a picture of yourself with a big grin. This is a great website and contributions such as yours help make it so. May you enjoy many more excursions!

Jim,

That's fabulous, glad you can now enjoy your Packard. Keep us posted(pun intended) as the journey continues.

Congratulations! Traveling through Yamhill county is a beautiful drive. I hope to see you & your Packard on the road sometime.

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Very, very true!

You're right about the wheel covers - they are '51 Seniors. A set of the OEM covers came with the car as well.

As far as the A/C goes; it's all with the car with the exception of the compressor bracket. It has a York compressor and the brand is "Frigette". I have never heard of it before. I seem to recall a posting saying that Mike Dulenski (sp) is making A/C brackets? Before I read that I was figuring to call him about a used one. The set-up on this car was apparently with the compressor on the passenger side. I imagine it was very simular to the Mark IV. Anyway, that's what I plan to use as a guide in restoring the system.

After all the bad things I've heard about the Twin Ultramatic, I feel that any automatic that can sit that long and still function after only a fluid change was very well designed.

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Thank you for the kind words, Randy. It wouldn't have happened had I not found this group.

By the way; I'm still grinning! I see if I can't get someone to take a picture.

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Thanks Ozstatman. I'll keep the reports coming - in spite of the "pun-ishment".

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I hope so too. And thank you once again for telling me about this Packard in the first place!

It was a beautiful drive and a beautiful day too.

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'pun my word, that's a or should that be punny post?