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

Doing my research to get started, and it looks like all the 53 Caribbeans were shipped out black to be modified, and painted after, so all inner fenders and firewalls were black.

What I need to know is, was it gloss black, or flat black? There seems to be disagreement as to whether the cars were painted black, or just left in black primer for shipping. I guess also important to know if the primer they used back then had gloss to it.

Trying to get as close as possible to authentic on my restoration.

Thank you!

Some of this has been discussed on this forum in the past, but really, "Leeedy" is the guy you want to hear from or make contact with on this. He was in and around Mitchell-Bentley at the time these cars were built and is probably one of the few folks still with us today who had first-hand exposure to their activities. Plus, he has the memory of the proverbial elephant. Growing up around East Grand Blvd, he's published in the PAC quarterly a good many articles on Caribbeans, Panthers, other Packard show cars, the Packard factory, etc. I suspect he'll find this thread, he's on here with some regularity, though perhaps I'll send him an email with a link to this.

Yeah, I spent days going through every topic in the post-war section even barely related to my car, as well as all 190 some pages of Big Kev's restoration. There's a lot of great information here! That was just the piece that I never saw a definitive answer on.

In the same topic I think they were deciding that the 54's may have come in light colored primer vs dark, but there was still a difference of opinion as to whether the '53 was black primer or black paint, which would definitely impact the gloss.

I'll send a PM to Leeedy and see if he can shed some light on it, and post his answer here if he hasn't beat me to it!

Thanks for the direction!

Quote:

Hello...

Look under Post #20 of "How Did They Do That?" in the V8 Packard postings. I described precisely how 1953-54 Caribbeans were primed and how they arrived at Mitchell-Bentley. This was also pictured (in color) in an article I did many years ago in The Packard Cormorant (TPC) magazine. See PAC's web site for TCP magazine subject matter index. You can still order many of these back issues through The Packard Club... or look for them on eBay.

While my original color photo seems to have leaked out of the magazine and onto the internet, I'll describe it again here. The vehicles were delivered to Mitchell-Bentley as follows:
? Front fenders only were done in black primer.
? The rest of the body was done in red oxide primer.
? The hoods were unpainted bare metal (they were neither primed nor painted until after the Caribbean hood conversion was performed.

The black on the front fenders was not the fuzzy-feeling kind of flat black, but but more the dull appearance of hi-temp exhaust paint black.

The firewall initially would have been red primer and then finally body color of the top coat. Final body color also went on for inner fender splash well (engine compartment side).

Attached is an image of pre-conversion 1953 Caribbean as delivered to Mitchell-Bentley from Packard.

Hope this helps!

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Leeedy, thank you for sharing your Caribbean photographs over the years!!!!! Everytime I see an article you have written I rush over and read it asap! do any of you know which Cormorant issue showed the rough-in Caribbean photos in them? thanks!!!

There is a downloadable index to back issues of The Packard Cormorant on the PAC website. The issue you're probably looking for is:

"1953 Packard Caribbean, The" 129:16

That would be issue #129, starting at page 16.

Awesome info! I haven't made it through the V8 Packard posts yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time.

Thanks for sharing it with us again!

I just read the post you mentioned, and will probably start reading through the whole thread (and much of the v8 section) tomorrow.

Your posts have such tremendous information in them, I wish there was a way to subscribe to a user so that I'd be notified whenever you make a new post.

Don't forget to look at the pictures, although this one looks like a special one. Did the 53 have script down that low, and the wire caps look different.

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/uploads/photos/9023.jpg

Video is good too,
packardclub.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2604

The rear tire cover in the commercials is chrome, did the early ones have chrome, and the latter ones painted?

Good info! From what I've been able to find, the '53 Caribbeans didn't have Caribbean script at all, but some people have added script from the '54s.

Also, it's possible that the preproduction cars had it.