Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

The inner fenders should be the primary body color as shown on your cowl. Look up Kevin's 400. It will show you how it is supposed to be.

At least your body color is a darker one. One gripe I have with the lighter colors on inner fenders is when looking thru the grill straight on or at certain angles. My primary color is white. Two splotches of very light color on the sides of the black radiator. Combine that with other dark items mounted in front of the lighter color and those two side areas are very noticeable coming down the road.

Is your steering column painted red? What trim code is your car?

If your trying to make as it came from the factory in 55, well it could be just about anything. Some fenders were the black with some overspray, some painted farther down. I don't know if it was going to Conner, or just the change in general. Didn't the 51-54 have black inner fenders?

I assume that in 56 the inner fenders were painted body colors, see my question about the 56 Caribbean inner fender.

Hopefully this will help a bit. The following is taken from Packard International's Detail and Judging Guide.

"Fire Wall - Metal Firewall thru 1934 Gloss Black. 1935-1958 Body color with exception of the 1953 and 1954 Caribbean, they are body color from the drip rail up and gloss black below the drip rail. Very few customs vary from this format. EARLY-Natural/Body Color" (from page 9)

"Fender Panels that are removable are gloss black. One piece, or part of the fender are body color except 1951-1954 are gloss black below the drip rail. 1955-56 Primary fender color." (from page 10)

And reference my 400, it had been repainted when I purchased it in 1999. My trim codes are Paint H and Trim 84. As seen in the pictures my car was indeed a dark colored auto when born. Paint H is called Grey Pearl. I also think my 400 was totally one singular color (mono-toned). That dark pearl grey was seen underneath all trim I removed from the car during the restoration.

The fenders that are currently on my 400 came from a parts Patrician that I previously had here at the house. The fenders that had been on my 400 at the time of my purchase were removed because of much rust in the brows and other places. I've searched for a better pictures of the inner fenders but I cannot find one at the moment.

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Brian,

I think your fenders were repainted by someone in the past. The picture with the hose hanger and the paint underneath is conclusive for me.

The purpose of my pics was to attempt to show that the cowl, and other areas of the 400 under trim was the same color long ago.

I'm convinced as well. I will paint my fenderwalls the same color as the main body color. I'm glad the decision is made. I'v been going back and forth between flat black and gloss black and then when a third color possibility came into the picture I started getting discouraged with the whole thing. Thanks everyone for your help. My trim code is 9. I get a lot of "Are those the original colors?" at the car shows.

Brian,

Trim code 9, per a resource here at the house indicates, " Black Genuine Leather and Red Genuine Leather" as a description of material used to trim cfront seat cushion.

Source: 55-56 Packard Parts And Accessories List.


BTW .....what is your Paint code in case I missed it, MV?

Paint NK, trim code 9.

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mine are painted citrine and then fade to black near the back of the inner fender. like as if they got lazy and didn't finish painting the citrine the whole way down the inner fender. mine is a march of 55 car.

my fenders are original.

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Brian,

Check out 1955 Studebaker-Packard paint chips on this site. Your exterior colors look spot on correct!