Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Joel -

I'm not challenging anyone's right to do as they please with their property and money. Yet, a comment made WRT to the lack of response to a question just naturally opened the door for further discussion. Also, you have to admit that you later opened Pandora's box when you said this site was about helping each other - especially when it turns out that this project may only benefit a few people.

Still, I'm not beating anyone up over the limited and private nature of this project. I just felt that with a little more information, a sample might be more forthcoming - though I've seen very few '56s with blue interior.

As the carpets in my three running V8s are original and the cars have seen very little use in recent years, I've not purchased any carpet sets for any of them. As such, I had no idea that the carpet sets presently available to Packard owners through existing vendors were so far off from original weave and color that a special run had to be made.

While there's some significant wear on the driver's area of the carpeting in my cars, it hides nicely with a repro floor mat, and I'm not really interested in having my cars judged under the sloppy standards of PAC or some general car show. As such, I won't be buying carpet for these cars until I absolutely have to and find a material that matches close enough to suit me.

Yet, authenticity is not at all an issue for my one Patrician that is earmarked to become a fair-weather driver. While it has been years since I had that car out, the copper carpet in that car is not what I'd call "bronze". IIRC, color of the carpet was closer to the lighter shade of copper-colored cloth used on the seats - though the color of the i/p and steering wheel and column is more like "bronze". However, I would expect that the factory would have used the darker shade for carpet in a Caribbean with white/blue/copper trim.

Here's hoping your project pans out for you. I suspect that if there is sufficient demand/desire for that level of authenticity, someone will find a way to make more.

Joel: Remember that this forum to help each other, not to hide possible new sources for Packard parts. If you don't want to reveal who the fellow is that had the carpet woven, then I think you should at the least give the name of the firm who made the carpet.

Remember Joel you had no problem about a year ago telling me what I should do with certain Packard information that I had, and publicly saying that I should share it freely.

Stirring up this controversy about the carpet is just a little payback for last year. You stuck your nose in my business and cost me some extra income.

Now since I have had my fun I will move onto other things.


John F. Shireman

Everybody play nice. There is no sense it turning valid discussions into pissing matches. We are all here for the betterment (is that a word?) of the general Packard community. So lets leave the personal grudges at the door.

Also for those that have sent me messages and questions, I have been in Vegas for the last 7 days, and I am now back. So I will follow-up with you all sortly.

Now back to your previously scheduled program.....

Not wanting to take this even further off course, but does anyone if the carpet in the '56 Clippers was the same as the senior series? My Super has a JC Whitney special currently, but I did find two small scraps of a green basketweave-type patterned carpet under the front seat.

When the dye color is all sorted out, and if this doesn't turn into a club project of some type, then I think it would be useful to post the name and contact information of the mill that is producing the carpet.

Perhaps if enough people called them and showed interest they would produce a bigger run, and then that could drive the costs down for each individual carpet going forward.

Along this same discussion, maybe it would be usefull to come up with a list of what carpet colors/materials/mats/trunk liners/etc were uses in each year. As it was pointed out that the 55/56 carpets are different.

They also may help people in their search for ancient still hidden lots of NOS material.

The 1956 Clipper series carpet is NOT the same as used in the senior models. I have no idea what mill is producing the carpet as that information is with the person who is investing his money to make the carpet he needs.