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What is the difference in like a 1953 & 1956 Packard 4 door? I found both for sale & was wanting to know if they did small changes or did a lot to them. Going to buy a Packard this year an hopefully use it for a daily.

I'm not very knowledgeable about the postwar Packardso but I know 1 big difference is a straight 8 vs a V8 engine.

1956 has the wraparound windshield, improved Ultramatic, V-8.

The big difference between 53 and 56 was the styling, mechanically the higher horsepower V8 and most likely in the 56 Clipper, Torsion Level suspension vs leaf and coil springs in the 53. The 56 also had neg ground 12v vs pos grnd 6v in the 53. That makes adding AC or other accessories much easier in the 56 should you want to.

TL suspension was an option but almost all 56 production had it. In the TL, the front and rear wheels on each side are connected by long torsion bars running the length of the car. The ride is excellent and flat with minimal pitch and squat. A pair of short auxiliary bars and a leveling mechanism keep the car level under varying loads of passengers and luggage. All in all it is a fantastic and reliable suspension system. Both will be fine cars but of the two I think I would go for the 56 just for the suspension.

The Ultramatic (or Twin Ultramatic as it was called in 55-6) operated differently than the "regular or original" Ultramatic of 50-54. They were both at heart the same single speed plus lockup torque converter unit but for the 53 single speed meant just that. You had a low or high range selected by the driver. Once selected it started and stayed in that range with the only "shift" being when it went into direct drive. That was done by a clutch plate coming in and locking the converter into a solid unit. Starts at a stop sign when in high range were leisurely. Many drivers wanted a bit faster start and manually selected low. When the car got a bit of speed they shifted into high. Done under acceleration and with torque from the engine this did not make for a smooth shift and caused disruptions and stresses in the transmission because it was never designed for that operation. Packard made attempts to alleviate some issues when shifting that way but were not completely successful. The Ultramatic was redesigned for late 54 production into a differently operating unit to shift more as the drivers were expecting and to be more competitive with other cars.

The late 54 Gear Start and renamed, but essentially unchanged, 55 Twin Ultramatic had a different valve body and some small changes inside the unit so you could select one of two operating methods. The first duplicated the original operation with the single speed and torque converter lockout while the second method actually started in low, shifted to high, and then into converter lockout or direct drive. Unfortunately with minimal testing before introduction, the transmission proved to be less than stellar behind the much higher horsepower of the 55 V8 engines and, as the horsepower race and lead feet were just starting, there were issues. By 56 most of the problems had been addressed and that unit was a large improvement over the 55. In most opinions, it would still not be a fair match up with TorqueFlites or Hydramatics and is not a transmission to go racing with. Driven judiciously and with a little bit of care both version Ultramatics will provide good service but of the two, the "regular" 53 Ultramatic behind the straight 8 was the proven and very dependable unit.

Finding someone to work on Ultramatics if the need arises is easier said than done. There are good mechanics on each coast and one or two others can be found in the middle but taking one to your local AAMCO is not an option. They have specific quirks and, to be successfully worked on need mechanics who understand their operation and where to look for what may cause any issues.

A lot of the other 56 mechanical components are shared with earlier years although the 56 rear axle is Dana built whereas 55 and earlier were of Packard design and mfg.

To get an idea of the styling changes between the years have a look at the photo archives or model Info sections for both years. The links are on the left menu. Packards were the senior models for the bankers and doctors while Clippers were the juniors and positioned a bit lower as a volume car for the masses. Clippers were available in different price and trim ranges so you would have to compare to the ones you are thinking of buying to see differences.

G'day kalve,
to PackardInfo.

Whether you buy the '53, the '56, or another Packard for that matter, I invite you to include it in the Packard Owner's Registry.

ok will do.