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Re: 55 Caribbean
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Home away from home
 
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Always nice to post the link: 55 Caribbean
Wow, V8, torsion level, 1955, 3 speed overdrive! That is my Packard dream car.  Will be interested in what the experts say about this car's authenticity. Also, I'm curious, is a 3 speed overdrive a negative or a positive on a Caribbean as far as value?
Posted on: 3/3 13:51
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Paul
www.studebakerskytop.com |
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Re: 55 Caribbean
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Home away from home
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As long as it's done properly I'm confident it would raise the value. None came from the factory like that and doing your own conversion is difficult and expensive. V8 manuals are extremely rare (about 3% of total production, all Clippers) so they have some level of desirability.
Posted on: 3/3 14:19
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1955 400 | Registry | Project Blog
1955 Clipper Deluxe | Registry | Project Blog 1955 Clipper Super Panama | Registry Email (Parts/service inquiries only, please. Post all questions on the forum.) service@ultramatic.info |
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Re: 55 Caribbean
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Home away from home
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Quote:
OK, so no manual transmission Caribbeans. (I'm still learning  ) Makes sense since they were to be the utmost in luxury.
Posted on: 3/3 14:33
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Paul
www.studebakerskytop.com |
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Re: 55 Caribbean
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Home away from home
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The wire wheels look quite different than others I’ve seen and even different than the set I have. Did they change the design from 1954 to 1955 or are the ones on this Caribbean aftermarket?
Posted on: 3/3 15:26
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Re: 55 Caribbean
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Home away from home
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Quote:
No manual transmission Packards at all for 55-56 (not including Clippers). Though even from the start there have been ones rarely converted from time to time, so you can find them here and there. I think this is roughly the third 55-56 manual-converted Packard I have heard of in the last couple years. P.S. The 56 Caribbeans were all push button transmissions from the factory (maybe aside from about 1% of production) and there have been conversions from those to stick-Ultramatic (also from other push button 56 cars).
Posted on: 3/3 16:20
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1955 400 | Registry | Project Blog
1955 Clipper Deluxe | Registry | Project Blog 1955 Clipper Super Panama | Registry Email (Parts/service inquiries only, please. Post all questions on the forum.) service@ultramatic.info |
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Re: 55 Caribbean
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Forum Ambassador
 
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The Utica plant engine number prefix will tell you if a particular V8 engine was built with a flywheel or a flex-plate. There was no available Utica code for a 5688 (Caribbean) motor with a flywheel and I believe the same was true for 1955.
Posted on: 3/3 18:48
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Re: 55 Caribbean
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Quite a regular
 
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Many moons ago, in the 80's, I think, there was an article in (if memory serves) Old Cars Weekly, about a '56 Patrician with manual transmission. After investigation it was found to have been a special order from the factory. So, they may be out there. There was also a '56 400 for sale a few months ago that claimed to be a "factory" manual transmission car.
Posted on: 3/3 21:42
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Re: 55 Caribbean
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Home away from home
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Quote:
I would be interested to see the evidence in that, since I have heard separately that it confirmed with factory records that 100% of senior cars had Ultras. I may be misremembering slightly on where that data came from, but it was something like that. I have heard of cars being swapped to manual when still nearly new due to owner dissatisfaction with the (especially earlier) Ultramatics.
Posted on: 3/3 22:01
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1955 400 | Registry | Project Blog
1955 Clipper Deluxe | Registry | Project Blog 1955 Clipper Super Panama | Registry Email (Parts/service inquiries only, please. Post all questions on the forum.) service@ultramatic.info |
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Re: 55 Caribbean
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Home away from home
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This car was sold at a Barrett-Jackson auction in 2004 for $58,000. It had a stick/o-d at that time. It was sold in 2010 at a R&M auction (unknown price).
Aside from the non-original wire wheels, the engine is painted RED, so either it was mis-painted, or is a 1955 Clipper 320-cid block. Many incorrect decals, and in the wrong positions as well. And, the wrong exterior mirrors. I wonder if the seller will be noting that on their website...
Posted on: 3/3 23:08
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