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

Can someone direct me to a good resource for auction; private party or retail pricing information? I am looking at a very nice 1954 Patrician - all original - 60K miles - asking price @ $16K.

Also, does anyone have suggestions on how easy it is to install an electric wiper motor as the vacuum one on this car is not working (only thing that is not). (and where to locate one?)

Thanks.

1954 Patrician is a lovely car, I owned one and drove it for over 100,000 miles in the 70s and 80s. Can't help you too much with the value, but if it's truly exceptional condition that number doesn't sound too far off from what others have paid for outstanding examples. A price guide I have from about 4 years ago lists $17,200 for a top-notch example.

As to the wipers, if authenticity means anything to you, and it should in an exceptionally fine car, have the wiper motor rebuilt by Ficken Wiper Service, cost about $70 or so last time I had one done. Properly rebuilt and with a functioning vacuum booster pump (part of the fuel pump) the vacuum system gives more than adequate service, better in some ways than electric, not quite as good in other ways.

Quote:G'day Patio2,
to PackardInfo. Sorry can't help on value, but WHEN you buy the '54 Pat, could you please include it in the Packard Owner's Registry here, together with a pic, any known history and how you acquired it?

For what it's worth, there is a very nice 53 Patrician on ebay right now for $13K:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200494614274&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

And a '54 Patirician "barn find" at $2500:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330450461568&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Thats strange. The dash on the 1954 patrician appears two-tone green. This is the second non-Carribean car I have ever seen with the two toned dash. The other was a Patrician as well. I wonder if that was an option.

My 54 Patrician also had a 2-tone dash in green. Exterior colors were Gallahad Green metallic over Orchard Green.

Quote:

I noticed the number '400' on the dash of the above Patrician.

Was/is that the Packard series number? And is it that series number that the '55-'56 Four Hundred hardtop gets its name from?

"The 400" was derived from a published (some would say snobbish) listing of the very socially elite families of the time and meant to denote that the 400 series were for the upper crust of society. The Patrician was considered in the "400" series from 1951 thru 1954 (in fact it was the only member of the 400 series except for the occasional limo, 7 pass sedan, Derham or other custom), just as Clippers were 200 series, convertibles and hardtops were 250 series prior to their becoming "senior" line cars, and the Cavalier represented the 300 series. Beginning in 1955 "400" denoted a particular body style (2-door hardtop) within the senior series, and not the entire series.

PS - reading this over, I see I've not done a great job of explaining it but I know someone else will come along and clarify it.

The name comes from Mrs Astor's list of the 400 most prominent people in New York during the last part of the 19th century. Her Fifth Avenue townhouse had a ballroom which would accomodate 400 people, hence the size "limitation". The list became known as "the 400".

Wow! There seems to be a plethera-o-packards on ebay right now. A good handfull seem to be 1954's and some of them have two tone dashes. Typical when I wrote that I never saw many of them besides Carribeans. Now I want my Cavalier to be two-toned.