Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Here is the clip Randy is talking about:

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It would have been soooo easy for them to have made the Ultramatic a three speed, have two gears numerically higher than 1:1, and use the direct drive clutch as the 1:1. You could have had a low 1st gear for quick take off, a decent second gear, then it shifts to Direct for High gear, 1:1. Would have been easy.

SPOT ON Eric!!!! That's what i'd like to do to the T'Ultra. Any ideas on how??? It would require somekind of mod or replacement to the planetary gear set of course but what or how???

A CNC machine and $1M at least and I'll do it for ya!

Quote:

I always thought that, too! Sadly, a race driver with real experience with V8 Packards, even running at NASCAR as well as dirt tracks with a '55 Clipper Panama maintains that you just couldn't get the T-L set up right for optimum performance. The Panama retained its spring suspension. (See Pics at right of the late Jack Harlin's #50, if they are still there. Otherwise, go to the Packard Pictures 1955 folder.

Below is Jack's verbatim answer when I suggested to him that T-L would've been the hot setup at the track.

THIS IS LONG BUT GREAT HISTORY FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH:

HA I wish U luck in finding a Packard that raced let alone one with torsion Hope U do find out as I would like to know also.
We took the TL 56 to Darlington & it was a joke more or less. To give U a run down on Packards in racing. Since I wasnt doing a very good job we got Buck Baker to take it out. After 8 laps he brought it back & said if U guys make the race Im going to give U all the room I can & get away from it. We lowered the rear, cut the TL switch & I got black flagged.
Pit boss, Brunner, said the rear springs were broken, fix or leave the track.When told no springs on it he looked underneath . We leveled it out & when it raised up he thought we were a bunch of Yankees that modified a car that wasnt stock & red tagged us. They called the P dealer in Atlanta, to find out if a production car, or we modified it. Imagine now this was NASCAR not a local track. Any way no other Ps at that time were raced. Remember they were still fighting the Mason Dixon line back then & Junie Donlevy from Va. was furthest one North besides us from Harrisburg, Pa. This was a "good O'le Boys" group then.
I only told U this as to finding any that raced. We had the only P in local races also.

The # 50 had regular suspension. I think I mentioned we installed heavier coil springs from a Henny ambulance.
We bought a totaled 56 Clipper 2dr. HT with TL to race. Didnt matter what we did it just wouldnt handle. Both of us been in racing since 1947 running Ford coupes, & no stranger in setting them up, even though each required a different approach.
True torsion in race cars have 2 bars in front & rear, mounted side to side, & adjusting them at the opposite end. In other words the bar for RF wheel is adjusted at LF end of it.
If U adj. more weight in RF, it changes wt. in LR wheel also, & LF gets lighter along with RR. Thats why a scale is used under the wheels to go back & know what U have. Different tracks different setting like gear changes. With 8 to 12 lbs air in tires plus stagger on rear tires it becomes a science getting the proper balance hard to tacky tracks & choosing all these settings for last laps of race cause tracks change during the race. NO such control Of Packards TL A lot more involved than this but U get the idea. Jack