Happy Easter and welcome to Packard Motor Car Information! If you're new here, please register for a free account.  
Login
Username:

Password:

Remember me



Lost Password?

Register now!
FAQ's
Main Menu
Recent Forum Topics
Who is Online
180 user(s) are online (97 user(s) are browsing Forums)

Members: 0
Guests: 180

more...
Helping out...
PackardInfo is a free resource for Packard Owners that is completely supported by user donations. If you can help out, that would be great!

Donate via PayPal
Video Content
Visit PackardInfo.com YouTube Playlist

Donate via PayPal



(1) 2 »

1955 Caribbean Convertible BOOT - wanted
#1
Just popping in
Just popping in

Jworth
See User information
I am needing a Convertible top boot or boot pattern for my 1955 Caribbean. Anyone have one or a suggestion on where to look/call?

Thanks

Posted on: 2022/10/11 10:04
 Top  Print 
 


Re: 1955 Caribbean Convertible BOOT - wanted
#2
Home away from home
Home away from home

Leeedy
See User information
Ask the National Packard Museum in Warren, Ohio. They have the very low-miles 1955 Packard Caribbean that Howard Hughes bought for Jean Peters... NEW.

This Caribbean is the closest to NOS anyone will ever see. Unless someone has done away with it, the original top boot and boot storage bag were in the trunk.

Of course, it is even more likely (given the way museums work today with limited knowledge of such things) that they are naively displaying the car with the top lowered. Absolute SUICIDE to that convertible top. So catch it while you can.

The folks at the museum ought to allow a pattern to be made from the top boot.

Posted on: 2022/10/11 12:03
 Top  Print 
 


Re: 1955 Caribbean Convertible BOOT - wanted
#3
Home away from home
Home away from home

ECAnthony
See User information
Here's the boot on the car as of September 2020.

Attach file:



jpg  20200918_123247.jpg (127.28 KB)
1445_6345b417e58f1.jpg 1920X933 px

Posted on: 2022/10/11 13:21
 Top  Print 
 


Re: 1955 Caribbean Convertible BOOT - wanted
#4
Home away from home
Home away from home

Leeedy
See User information
Ohhhhhhh, that poor car! All those years of good care and sane storage of the top... only to come to this... O-M-G!

And... naturally like folks today who just don't understand these cars, they cover and hide the most interesting part! Now no one viewing this Caribbean can see the bright pink color on the inside of the rare factory original top! No one can examine the original factory convertible top fabric. Why?

This museum has the rarest, most unusual 1955 Caribbean... with a beautiful factory original top (most people–even diehard Packard fans– have never even seen one). But the museum chooses to hide it all. Lower the top and cover it. Just like any other garden variety convertible Wow. WHY?

Here I am driving this Caribbean in Beverly Hills in the early 1970s. It had around 850 miles on the odometer at the time. We rarely put the top down. Mostly for shows and temporary displays. But never for extended exhibitions like now.

People now viewing this Caribbean can't see the top fabric. They can't see that it had color in the top well and on the inside of the top. They can't see how the top was made. AND... the original fabric will shrink and crease in no time flat if left in lowered position. Again... why? Just a very, very, very bad idea.

Attach file:



jpg  LeeHHughesCarbbean001.jpg (120.46 KB)
1249_6345e4e1363d1.jpg 1920X1082 px

Posted on: 2022/10/11 16:49
 Top  Print 
Like (1)
 


Re: 1955 Caribbean Convertible BOOT - wanted
#5
Home away from home
Home away from home

Joe Santana
See User information
So glad ‘40s have canvas, not vinyl. I saw a ‘55 or ‘56 at Hershey or St Michael’s recently with the top down, but even the boot shrunk to a point where it couldn’t be secured.

Posted on: 2022/10/12 10:04
 Top  Print 
 


Re: 1955 Caribbean Convertible BOOT - wanted
#6
Home away from home
Home away from home

Marty or Marston
See User information
The boot on the wife's '55 Caribbean is in good shape. While I can't be sure it is correct, it fits nicely and looks good. However, there is 3000 miles of asphalt between Simi Valley CA and where you are.

I could install it, take some pictures and make some measurements for you. I would think that should work OK for a good upholsterer.

Posted on: 2022/10/14 19:29
 Top  Print 
 


Re: 1955 Caribbean Convertible BOOT - wanted
#7
Just popping in
Just popping in

Jworth
See User information
Marty, I would greatly appreciate if you could take some pictures and measurements and if your boot and send it to me. That would be really helpful. I am in Delaware

Posted on: 2022/11/8 7:23
 Top  Print 
 


Re: 1955 Caribbean Convertible BOOT - wanted
#8
Home away from home
Home away from home

Marty or Marston
See User information
I'll try to get to it in the next week or so. I need to move some cars around in order to put the top down.

Posted on: 2022/11/12 13:36
 Top  Print 
 


Re: 1955 Caribbean Convertible BOOT - wanted
#9
Home away from home
Home away from home

Marty or Marston
See User information
Sorry it took so long. I would think any good auto upholstery person should be able to make one without a lot of problems.

Attach file:



jpg  IMG_4481.JPG (155.36 KB)
1063_6387dfe039163.jpg 1920X1440 px

jpg  RightSideDShoingLocation.JPG (176.42 KB)
1063_6387e00163a7d.jpg 1920X1440 px

jpg  ShowingHump.jpg (203.35 KB)
1063_6387e13b066f0.jpg 1920X1331 px

jpg  RightSide-SnappedInPlace.JPG (184.16 KB)
1063_6387e1667308e.jpg 1341X1920 px

jpg  IMG_4484.jpg (264.43 KB)
1063_6387e25344dd9.jpg 1440X1920 px

jpg  LeftSideNot Snapped.JPG (166.88 KB)
1063_6387e26954124.jpg 1920X1440 px

jpg  LeftSideNot-Snapped.JPG (180.49 KB)
1063_6387e2921872e.jpg 1920X1440 px

jpg  RearPanel-DriversSide.JPG (153.08 KB)
1063_6387e2e81ab28.jpg 1920X1440 px

jpg  Sketch.JPG (387.73 KB)
1063_6387e3019376f.jpg 1920X1440 px

Posted on: 2022/11/30 18:11
 Top  Print 
 


Re: 1955 Caribbean Convertible BOOT - wanted
#10
Home away from home
Home away from home

Leeedy
See User information
Quote:

Marty or Marston wrote:
Sorry it took so long. I would think any good auto upholstery person should be able to make one without a lot of problems.


Nice effort... except for one major point: where did the snaps on the top of the rear seat backrest come from? And where is the boot flap? Why is the boot on top of the rear backrest instead of behind it?

The illustration here is completely missing the tuck-in flap on the boot. Not there at all. Take a look at the big flap on the Hughes Caribbean boot (obviously not in proper mounting position, but there).

Original boots had a large tuck-in flap with a built-in stiffener in the front of the boot... but not snaps on the top of the seat backrest. The boot tucked behind the backrest, not on top. Where did these snaps come from?

Posted on: 2022/11/30 19:13
 Top  Print 
 




(1) 2 »




Search
Recent Photos
Photo of the Day
Recent Registry
Website Comments or Questions?? Click Here Copyright 2006-2024, PackardInfo.com All Rights Reserved