Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Thank you for all of your help guys! I was really thinking the car was supposed to be green, because of the interior. I was even repainting it with green Rustoleum paint to see how it would look. Gray seems like it is the likely candidate because of it being on the firewall and door jambs. I have seen a lot of cars with this color firewall painted blue or red or black. I guess a lot of people don't like it? From what is left on the car, I think it will look nice. My car is in rough shape and I'm not going to pretend that I'll ever make it 100% perfect, but I am very anal and prefer cars put back the way they came from the factory rather than customized. I'm not dissing anyone into that, it's just that I'm a purist. I'm not talking about having every bolt factory correct, but I like them looking and working mechanically like they were originally intended. I figure if I have to repaint the car, I might as well make it the original color.

Now I need some thoughts as to what is original in the interior? I think the back door panels are original since that color would go with a gray car better than a green interior. Could the striped cloth be the original seat and the green vinyl be an accessory from the factory? Maybe the seats were replaced with some from a donor car? I know tastes were different in the 50's, but a gray exterior with green interior?

Looks like your trim code is 49 which would be Dark Gray Broadcloth, Striped. You can check out the reference section of the Packard Club for more info.

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for sharing your story with us. Makes for a very interesting read. Must say you certainly had a supportive Dad. And I can relate to that as mine used to run my brother and I around more than 45 years ago looking for Model A Ford parts for our '28 Tudor before we had driving licences.

My dad loves old cars, but never worked on them. I think he liked to see me enjoying them so much. We would go to car shows together and it was great for bonding.

Both of my parents were very understanding. Before I moved out, I had my Packard, a 1966 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (had to use up space in their garage because it didn't have a roof) and a 1978 Porsche 924. My dad had a 1977 Lincoln Towncar as his daily driver and a 1973 Pontiac LeMans with a Chevy 350 as a backup. Needless to say, the driveway and garage were pretty crowded.

Having those old cars around really taught me a lot about cars. I'm no expert, but now I'm not afraid to tear into modern cars trying to fix them myself.

Here are pics of the fabric exposed under the green vinyl seats. The first picture shows how brown it looks, but when I took a closeup, it appears more gray. Must just be really dirty. I guess this would be the original seat material? Where would the green vinyl part come from? Would that be a dealer accessory or maybe they sold them aftermarket for people who wanted to freshen up their interiors?

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This shows a 52 dealer option. Probably same as or similar in 51. There were numerous aftermarket options as well from places such as Western Auto, Sears, Montgomery Ward etc. Probably more so than what you get today at chain auto parts stores..

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Wow...I have to wonder why they chose green. The quality of the covers are excellent. I didn't even think that the fabric underneath could be the original seat. I thought it was just some filler fabric. The fit looks so much like it should come from the factory like that, especially the back seat. I'm going to have to figure out what I should do with the interior once my restoration gets to that point. I have to admit that the covers look way better style wise than the striped cloth.

Color selection on the seat covers was limited, wasn't it. Don't know the answer to that one either but it apparently was a fairly popular option with big stores selling them as well.

It was promoted to protect the fabric and make things last longer--particularly in families with small children (of which I was one and did my share of destruction) & since the 2 car family was more the exception than the norm, more wear and tear would be expected. Probably the Korean war plodding along and recollections of rationing so make it last were also incentives to purchase. Could also have been a fad or social statement as covers for living room furniture were also plentiful--(but in our house, those could have been because of my brother & I).

As to the striped cloth, you have to understand that Packard was a very conservative company then--some would even say stodgy--and their main clientele were apparently happy with dull non flash colors. The quality was superb and that apparently mattered more. The competition started to promote flash, so in 52, they hired a designer to bring a bit more pizazz into things and it gradually started getting a bit better. Of course, when the 55's came along it was just about all guns blazing in the color/fabric dept---although they did hold off on copying Kaiser's bamboo or dragon skin vinyl motif..

Sorry to hear about the transmission. Not sure but I think it should have been towed with the rear wheels off the ground or the whole thing up on a truck. Some of the other guys on here can tell you more about your transmission.

BTW, Mine is a 51 too.