Bought my first Packard a 56 Clipper Super Panama 2 Dr HT.I think its the first time Ive seen Packard tailights in a Packard and not a Kustom.Pretty damn cool automobile, electric torsion level suspension still works, factory pushbutton ultramatic transmission and the previous owner just rebuilt the 352 Packard and detailed the engine compartment.
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <woNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]-->[FONT="]Here is a 55 Packard w/33,000 original miles w/ original paint. [/FONT]
Beautious! I saw my first Caribbean Convertible sighting at a Concourse car show down by Milwaukee's lakefront. It was a neat car and rare, about 276 made in '56
From Edsel's to Packards, huh? Looks like you went from Grandpa's car to Grandma's. Ha Ha, bump to the top for some more Packards.
If it was mine I'd have to figure out a way to put some '51 Mercury tailights in it, just to mess with people. Classy looking ride! That'll stand out from the crowd anywhere you take it.
Threw a seatbelt in the car for Jr's car seat and took it to the last cruise night at Elio's in San Leandro,Ca last night.Alot of the old timers dug it.
How does it "go" compared to the Edsels? Better ride? I imagine you are working with the same weight and less power....
its a bit heavier and yeah it doesnt pull like the last Edsel I had.Tis just cruises and floatd down the road..needs some glasspacks next..
Right on. I actually really do like that car man. I'm surprised noone else is a proud owner on this page. Bump for the Saturday afternoon crowd. Anyone else have one?
These not alot of them on the road, thats why I was askin who else might have one.They made 3,999 2 Dr HT Clippers in 1956.
What does the '55-'56 Packard have in common with a Citroën 2CV? The suspension works on the same principle. So did the BMC Hydrolastic and Hydragas systems. The Citroën was the only one to get the damping right - and that only in the later versions. The Packard is theoretically an easy fix: one would need to connect the upper and lower chambers of the dampers on the same side of the car together with small hydraulic lines, so only the net deflections of the torsion bars are damped. That would allow the damping to be firmed up a tad, and the most thus made of that ride quality, without the bars fighting the frame through the dampers. I can't remember the finer minutiae of the Torsion-Level: do the little secondary torsion bars at the back have their own dampers? If not, rigging some in the correct way might improve the system even more.
I had a 53 exceutive limo. Big ol whale. I loved that car. I sold it to the guy who used to drive it for American Airlines when it was new. He flipped when I told him it was the same car and even still had the AA property tag in the door. I know it went to a better home. He asked how much I paid for it and offered me $500 more. I've also had a 52 and a 55. I'd love another one.
I have a 54 Packard Panama. The car set from 78' until 2000 when i hauled it from AZ to TX then in 2003 I hauled it to UT where I live now. A battery and some fresh gas was all it needed and the car fired right up. The braking system, however, was in need of complete overhaul. I Drove the car away from my wedding in 2007 and since then have done some minor modifications and repairs but am hesitant to tear it down for the restoration it deserves because i love the way it looks in it's mostly original condition. I have had the car to several car shows where it seems to be very poplar among men in their 70's+, and they always have some Packard trivia for me. The next repair needs to be the windshield, but i am having a hard time turning loose of $$ for this costly repair. Here are some pics of my 54 Packard.
My brother moved out of my house last month and gave me his '55 Packard Clipper. He didn't feel like moving it. As you can guess, its a basket case and needs quite a bit of new metal, but it was free. To me anyway.
This '52 Packard 200 (forerunner to the Clipper) was for sale locally at one time. I was just about to call on it when it disappeared, so I bought my Falcon instead. Probably a blessing, as it's very easy to get parts for the Falcon, and I doubt that's the case with a Packard. I still dream about it sometimes, especially since someone posted a gorgeous 250-series hardtop in the "Mild Customs" thread. It was for sale on Detroit Craigslist recently. I think the '51-'54 cars are my favorites. Probably at least partially because they're so unloved.
There is a good Packard site for those who need tech info and general Packard crowds: www.packardinfo.com I have a '55 Packard 400.
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