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

For a while, I had an 8 volt battery in our '48. I had really great headlights but I kept burning out dash lights. I have gone back to the 6 volt and now want to replace lights in the dash. Because of the "flight glow "feature, will the clear bulbs I use in my '47 work or was there a special bulb that gave out the black light effect? If so, who has them? Thanks, Tommy

The bulbs in my '50 are regular, clear bulbs. I think there may be UV filters that the light goes through before it gets to the fluorescent numerics and pointers.

Edit: Yep, it's a filter. Part no. 410718 All 22nd; 23rd - FILTER-INST CLUSTER BLACK LIGHT. 8 per car.

There are black plastic covers over the dash bulbs that make "black" light. The next time you pull a dash bulb, stick your pinky gently in the hole and you can feel the cover.

Quote:
G'day Tommy,
to PackardInfo. Looks like you've already got your answer from some of the knowledgeable Packard people here.

Now here's a request of you - Could you please include your '47 and '48 in the Owner Registry here, together with pic's, any known history and how you acquired them?

And BigKev,

Could you please move this thread to the Post War forum?

Will do.

Wonder how well the filters held up and what they are made of. Most of the colored plastics for turn signal or headlight indicators in the dashes I've had apart have faded terribly from old age and the heat of the bulbs. IIRC when new, wasn't illumination actually a very dim purple with no sign of white light and the glo paint made only the lettering stand out brightly and almost nothing else could be seen??

IIRC when new, they were actually a very dim purple with no sign of white light but the glo paint made only the lettering stand out brightly??

That's my recollection based on a 1950 Custom 8 I owned back about 1959 or 60; kind of a purple glow with brilliant green letters and numerals, very easy to read at night though my eyes were about a half-century younger! By the time I bought another about 15 years later, it was no where's as easy to read at night though I still had pretty good vision. I guess the Radium salt had a relatively short half-life?

HH56 - You remember correctly. Currently the numbers still glow pretty well on my '50 but the pointer on the speedometer and the hands on the clock are barely visible at night. I saw Turbopackman's item on a source for fluorescent paint and may see if that helps. I think my first car, a 1952 Studebaker, also used the ultraviolet type illumination.

Thanks, been lots of years since seeing one up close when on.

The paint Eric found seems OK for the needles --maybe-- but wonder how one would go about doing a bigger job on a restoration with cracked or flaked off numerals.

Unless truly the artistic type, would think without some kind of silkscreen that trying to paint the numerals and have it decent would be a very frustrating experience. Uneven lines from brush or density of application and new paint vs old seems would make things worse so would almost have to do the entire assy.

Wonder if the filters are still available or if a modern type could be found or fabricated.