Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Owen_Dyneto wrote Quote:

The air cleaner has the expected patina (some minor rust spots) that one would expect after 55 years. Same with the valve covers, except less so. The generator and coil covers are just that: "covers", but the generator one has the correct manufactured cutouts for the electrical attachments at the rear, not some hack-job with metal shears.

It all has the look of originality, but I cannot prove it.

Craig

Whitney sold generator, starter, and coil chrome covers for years.

IMHO (FWIW), I wouldn't consider a chrome-plated air cleaner to be "factory original".

Admittedly, what is considered factory varies a bit within hobby circles. Some clubs/shows will limit that to just how the vehicle left the factory - that is, how it was assembled by the manufacturer. Yet, I find that school of thought to be unduly stringent - especially when the those who administer the event and judge the vehicles often have NO objective criteria at hand to make such an assessment. Also, it completely disregards the fact that vehicle manufacturers deliberately promoted post-production installation of approved accessories through their own dealer body.

Thankfully, there are clubs/shows who are sufficiently open-minded to include dealer-installed accessories. Some will only accept factory-approved items that were distributed through the vehicle manufacturer's own warehousing system (or approved third-party suppliers), and I'm in complete agreement with that. Although I've seen some allowance, at more general shows, for aftermarket accessories that are period-correct, such items are often frowned-upon and may even be prohibited from "original" and production" classes.

Getting back to the chrome-plated air cleaner, itself, there's nothing in the factory parts book to support the notion that it or any other underhood dress-up item was offered as a matter of regular-production or as a factory-approved, dealer-installed accessory - EXCEPT for the chrome-plated Packard valve covers. Also, there's no mention of such things in any Trade Letter or other bulletin that I've seen, either - though I admit that I haven't seen 'em all.

However, if you can lay hands on a copy of Issue #69 of The Packard Cormorant (Winter 1992-93), check out the opening page for the article, "Click 'n' Clack, The Tappet Druthers", by Dick Benjamin. It features a B&W photo (as background) of the new V8 engine, dressed in full regalia and perched on a pedestal (as it should be), at the NY Auto Show of 1955. Now, I'm only working from a photocopy, but the following items appear to be chrome-plated: dual-scoop air cleaner, oil filler cap, generator pulley and fan, crankshaft pulley, water pump pulley, cooling fan, and (perhaps) the oil filter canister lid. However, the generator, coil, and oil filter canister appear to be painted engine color. Also, though not visible in the photo, I once found a power steering pump with chrome-plated reservoir, lid and cap at a swap meet. (No, I did not purchase it.)

Now, these "show engine" observations are NOT intended to suggest that those dressed-up items were ever available to the public at-large, but I wouldn't be surprised if - following the end of the show circuit - some of them found their way onto vehicles that were sold to the public. Yet, who can say, with any certainty, at what point that happened?

Things like generator, starter, and coil chrome covers fit off-the-shelf components that came from major third-party suppliers and were widely used among many brands. I bet stuff like that was "a dime a dozen", back then.

I'm not arguing aesthetic appeal (beauty is in the eye of the beholder), but to convince me that a car was originally built as such, one would need to provide bona fide factory documentation of such.

BH wrote Quote:

Hey Brian, I'm not trying to convince anybody of anything. If the chrome cleaner, et al are due to 1) factory install, 2) dealer install 3) leftover autoshow parts or 4) owner install, I don't really care. BUT if my Pat is the only 55/56 with such a setup, then that makes it unique and that makes me happy. So too are the many observers at the various auto shows at which I have displayed it.

Craig

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I'd say amen to that.

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I'd say amen to that, too.


Really interesting, "Factory Original" vs "Dealer Installed" vs "Period Correct" (owner installed). I'm glad I'm not a judge following some rulebook.

If it's either of the first two types of accessories (and maybe the third one--if it's been with the car long enough to be practically "original" with, as Craig notes, the right "patina") I'd just ask, is it purrrty? Does it look cool? Was the car bought with it, or retrofitted with it early in its life? Then it's got HISTORY, which is what I believe this hobby is all about. (With the exception of historical wear and tear.)

You wouldn't win a show with any of these items anyway, so why subtract points for them? Seems silly to me.

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Well, it might not be that simple. Does this '56 400 have the single-snout air cleaner specified in the parts manual?

(It's an e-bay car mentioned in another thread. The air cleaner sure has the right "patina" to be original.)

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I beg to differ. Actually the filter is rather too clean and shiney to match the engine compartment--compare to the heater housing.

It is a 56 Clipper Custom/Executive filter. You know all of the single 4bbl filters will interchange in the time it takes to change your t-shirt and I have personally swapped them here and there for many reasons practical and aesthetic. And often because the twin snorkel had been pilfered for a hot rod project.

But Packard was not a third world manufacturing concern and did not throw air filters up in the air and then drive cars under them. The installations were documented in the parts book and even in the sales brochures.

The 56 2 bbl setup and filter I put on my 55 Custom back in 1979 in the hopes of better gas mileage probably has a boat load of patina by now, but its still not right. All of these cars have been heavily diddled with in the last 50+ years.

Many of the anecdotal stories found on this thread and elsewhere regarding air cleaner setups, could have there origins in oener "swaps."

However, the attitudes expressed regarding the assumed perfect consistency of Packard cars coming without any minor differences in easily attached components that are unlikely to unduly affect performance, and may not even be noticed by a buyer.

I have a lot of respect for Packard engineering, but as far as consistency in final construction details, both the '55 and '56 cars were built under trying circumstances, where attention had to be paid to correcting fit and finish problems, and this would have probably taken precedence to perfect consistency of easily interchanged components.

It would be great to hear from someone who was on the line at Packard,or in charge of procurement. Or even from people with manufacturing experience on other makes of the time.