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

I wouldn't take the embossed paint code too seriously. If the internet reported sightings of the Easter Bunny that wouldn't make it true.

The car was moving along and they slapped one on.

It IS metallic. Very fine flakes, like gold dust.

Original color aside, it's a very solid and nice looking '52 200. Just wondering if you knew any history on the car and if it had spent its entire life in Georgia?

Owen_Dyneto...on that pretty 1951 Patrician...did the locking hasp on the fuel door come as original eqpt? If not, do you know where I can get a chrome plated one?

Thanks...Steve828

Gator, I bought it from a local fellow who purchased it from his brother (also a Georgian) 7 years ago. The brother owned it for 30 years. He bought it from a lady in Douglasville, Ga, who was presumably the original owner, and he is the owner who had it painted. So, as far as I know, it's always been a GA car, and it always lived within a 20-mile radius of right here and now. The brothers are still living. I need to contact the 30-year owner for more details.

The odometer reads 39,825. It broke approximately 6,000 miles ago, according to brother 2, in whom I have full confidence. But, here say is only heresay. Mileage is honestly unknown. But I have no doubt it is low.

Owen_Dyneto...on that pretty 1951 Patrician...did the locking hasp on the fuel door come as original eqpt? If not, do you know where I can get a chrome plated one?

Steve, the locking gas tank door was not standard equipment but was a standard Packard accessory, almost certainly dealer installed, and probably the same part# for 1951 thru 1954. It is listed in the 1951 Packard Accessory booklet which you can find in the Literature and Manuals section of this site. As to where to get one, I'd start with Joel Ray (Patrician Industries), Kanter, and Max. You could also probably find a simple generic lock that would do the job.

Thanks!

At some point, we are going to have the car painted. When we do, I guess we'll just get as close as possible to matching the current color (so that the new paint matches the door jams and other interior colors).

When we do paint, would it be a huge mistake or injustice to the car to make it a two-tone? Considering that it does not have A/C, I would consider ivory for the top. It'd look great and keep things cooler in the summer months.

Taking about keeping things cooler, I'm also considering a new clear window film that blocks UV and heat. Our local police department just had their cars filmed with this material, and my cop friends report outstanding results without affecting visibility at all.

1952 introduced more two-tone combinations than 1951 but no White over Green. You can find all paint code information in the front section of the 1948-54 Master Parts List which I believe is in the Literature & Manuals section of this site. The only 1952 two-tone code involving green was:

Code JO: Upper - Gallant Green Metallic
Lower - Aspen Green

I wouldn't think that white over green would look particularly attractive, but to each his own. In any case if you did it and a future owner didn't like the white, just repainting a roof is about as easy as car painting comes.

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It would be a good idea to get as much prior history on the car as you can get especially if he remembers any specifics about the repaint. I purchased my car from a gentleman in South Carolina but in an attempt to have a title error corrected found out from a title search that my car also originally came from Georgia.

Not to put a damper on your repaint plans but I co-owened a paint and body shop in the 70's and 80's and a good rule of thumb is factory finish + two meaning that as a general rule, a car that means a lot to you and you expect it to maintain its looks for many years down the road should be limited to two repaints max over the factory paint. After that the paint simply gets too thick to flex with the constant expanding and contracting sheet metal and will not hold up as well as the previous finishes. The first sign of deteriation is usually paint checking. When my dad ordered a new '63 Ford Galaxie and went to pick it up from the dealership, he noticed scratches on the hood where it looked like one of the binder chains had been dropped on it so the dealer repainted the hood. The car is still in the family today and the original paint has held up great but unfortunately the repainted hood has checked all over and will need to be either stripped or sanded down below the checking before it can be repainted again.

Regardless, you would be wise to maintain the same color as what the car was originally painted at the factory no matter how many times it has been refinished.