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Not to brag but I think my Imperial LeBaron is bigger and with the reverb turned up all the way (it was adjustable), it sounded like a concert hall! The main point was to give a little depth to the sound that stereo later provided.

Here's another within an hour of my abode.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/329198642928254/?ref=browse_tab&referral_code=marketplace_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks

Interesting car with a 1955 front clip and 1956 side trim. Could it have been a very late test car or prototype of some sort, especially as it’s supposedly original and unmolested?

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Sometimes that was a "dealer special" added to 1955 cars to get them off the lot. One member here has a 55 400 that apparently from the dealership had 56 trim added, mirror spotlights on both sides of the car, rain guards, etc. added to it to help it sell.

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I would be interested in parts for my rose colored 56 400

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If you're not old enough to remember the 1960s, reverb units were all the rage. All the rage. Radio deejays ran their microphones through reverb units. Record companies used reverb on their recordings.

Reverb was also the rage on electric guitars in the late 1950s as accessory units and then as built-in features on guitar amplifiers. Les Paul and Mary Ford recorded with reverb, tremolo and echoplex effects– both on their guitars and on Mary's voice.

Jimi Hendrix was experimenting with reverb, tremolo, echoplex, Leslie and more into the 1970s.

Many of the car units (1960s-1970s) were universal-fit aftermarket. They sold like hotcakes for a while. But some units were even factory options. My Oldsmobile Starfire convertible had optional "Vibrasonic" on the rear speaker. Other cars had them too.

A lot of these things faded away for cars when stereo-FM was introduced (1966 Cadillac) and became a mainstay. And FM radio exploded in popularity and ceased to be just a haven for jazz aficionados and classical music. FM pumped up the music and became mainstream. The big, round & deep sound of reverb was included in the broadcast from FM stations.

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The car on the FB posting appears to merely be a 1955 Four Hundred that has 1956 side trim added. This was a common thing done when the 1956 models debuted. It was an easy custom trick. A lot of Four Hundreds around Detroit back then were so customized like this.

These things weren't done to a car to "get it off of the lot" but rather because people like the look and having tricked-out options in the 1950s. Customizing and adding accessories were king in the 1950s.

Adding such stuff to a Packard didn't make it cheaper, nor would it necessarily make it sell faster. It was what people wanted.

In an era where cars changed every 365 days, it was the thing to do. People were always trying to make last year's car look like this year's new model. That's how it was in the 1950s and 1960s.

This particular Four Hundred is not just fitted with a 1955 front clip, but also a 1955 decklid and decklid trim. This it is highly unlikely to be any kind of a "prototype." I can recognize those.

However, the one VERY rare thing that no one seems to have noticed is that this car has a very rare option for 1955: patent-leather interior! Black patent leather and gray fabric. Yes, it is in the 1955 dealer color and upholstery book. Very rare option to find and something few would notice today, but a rage in 1955.

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Let me know what you're interested in. Don't be shy regarding small parts, as I enjoy parting old cars. (I'm cheap too)

Found this laying in the trunk while digging around. I know there's extra parts in this car. Can one of you tell me if this is part of a front antenna for a 55 or 6? Thanks.

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Power seat actuator and motor