Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Well, this is new news to me. I honestly didn't know there was a straight 3-speed transmission offered behind the V8.

Building Packard V8s for many years, never has one come through with a standard 3-speed. Without attending the Packard meets, a Packard V8 with 3-speed with overdrive is a rare enough experience - I've seen three or four in fifty years.

My interest in Packard V8s came through the '56 Studebaker Golden Hawk and the manual transmissions were all overdrive equipped. It is difficult to imagine anyone in 1955-56 ordering or buying a standard shift Packard without overdrive. It is an educated guess Packard V8 delivered with a straight 3-speed was a very, very small number.

Any estimates of the total built with overdrives and how many without?

thnx, jack vines

Owen -

The parts book seems to support the possibility of standard and/or overdrive transmissions, including flywheel, for ALL 56th Series models, but the extension of that offering beyond the Clipper line may have been covered in a supplemental Trade Letter that we don't (yet) have.

Based on a photocopy of a "memo" that I have on "Engine Numbers" (that came from T.W. Nertney's binder in the Studebaker National Museum's archive), it appears that Utica simply took the letter used for the Ultramatic versions (that is, "A" and "B") and doubled it for the standard and overdrive versions (that is, "AA" and "BB") for the 5640-60 Clipper chassis. Though there was no mention of any standard and overdrive versions of engines for the Packard line in that paper, we might logically extend that line of thinking to "CC" for 5688 and "DD for 5680 chassis.

I wonder if anyone has checked the Utica engine number of any surviving '56 Senior car equipped with standard or overdrive and ever found proof of that?

I own a '56 Clipper Deluxe with manual transmission and no overdrive. I have seen one other that was delivered here in Birmingham and there was a '55 Deluxe without overdrive here but I've not seen it in many years. I got a spare transmission and driveshaft from a wrecked '55 40 that had been converted and that transmission is Clipper green, so there must have been a number of cars equipped this way. In 1956, there were few highways with speed limits above 60, so not that many people regarded overdrive as necessary, apparently. Plus, the standard rear axle ratio for the stick (or overdrive) was 3.54- the same as Senior cars- and few have complained about them over-revving the engines.

The engine revolutions in a twin-ultra car would be identical to a standard tranny with a 3:54 rearend. Both are in direct (straight through) from moderate speeds and up.
There were even fewer high speed roads prewar, yet Packard sold a lot of overdrives.

I wonder if anyone has checked the Utica engine number of any surviving '56 Senior car equipped with standard or overdrive with and ever found proof of that?

BH, that would be interesting though there would still be the uncertainty of modifications over the years. Concerning the CC Utica code, I agree it would be logical, but in all the documents I've seen it's not given, either my omission or comission we don't know.

I think more interesting would be if 56executive would review all his build slips for models that came with Ultramatic as standard equipment, and tell us how many, if any, have the production code for manual transmission.

I would think that overdrive during 1940-1965 would have been popular as a regional accessory. Probably out west and in the flat lands where driving was long streight stretches of road. Especialy in desert areas. Salesmen cars. Texas, Nevada places like that.

What was the rear gear ratio for the overdrive Clippers versus what was standard for the Twin-Ultramatic?

One big advantage for overdrive is using a lower rear gear for acceleration and having a higher gear for cruising. It makes all the difference in the world in the performance. The '56 Golden Hawk with overdrive had a 3.90 rear gear and 2.81 in overdrive. The T-U cars got a 3.07 rear gear.

Interestingly, on the street, the T-U extra torque multiplication actually showed some quicker acceleration numbers in magazine tests than the overdrive where axle windup and wheelspin was a chronic problem.

On the drag strip, especially when equipped with TwinTraction and TractionMaster bars, the overdrive was much quicker/faster. Some drag-only cars used 4.09 rear gears.

thnx, jack vines

A few other advantages to overdrive trans is it easy to get in low gear without coming to a complete stop sort of a cheap syncro low When in overdrive or second overdrive a quick flooring of the gas pedal gives a nice kickdown without having to shift. A overdrive car with a lower rear axle ratio is a lot of fun to drive and it will also help improve gas consumption. A side benefit is that overdrive is a lot less prone to expensive repairs as opposed to auto trans I always enjoyed driving cars with overdrive Definitely the kick down great fun Most overdrive cars came with lower rear axle ratio which in itself adds to the performance level and hill climbing ability in high gear which was a selling point in the older days.

Quote:G'day WilliamCraig,
See you've been a PackardInfo for quite some time, but only your first post so

And a request, could you please include your '56 Clipper Deluxe in the Packard Owner's Registry, together with a pic, any known history and how you acquired it?

JackVines wrote: Quote:

FWIW, my 1956 Panther (nee Clipper) is 3.23:1. My 55 Pat is 3.54:1. Both were(are) T-U.

Craig