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In Case You Can't Afford a Caribbean.

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  • In Case You Can't Afford a Caribbean.



    Craig

  • #2
    Ohh, that is SWEET! Hard to believe that nice a car is stored outside with snow all over it. Looks like a used car lot.
    Paul
    Winston-Salem, NC
    Visit The Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: www.studebakerskytop.com

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by r1lark View Post
      Ohh, that is SWEET! Hard to believe that nice a car is stored outside with snow all over it. Looks like a used car lot.
      Brings back a sad memory. In 1966 or 1967 I used to get a lot of neat Studebaker items from a small salvage yard just outside NAS Barbers Point on Oahu. The owner was a nice Chinese gent who let me walk the yard. One day I walked in and there sat a nice red and black '55 Packard Clipper hardtop. The owner of the yard told me that he had just towed it in from a parking lot at the Honolulu airport. It was considered an abandoned car. He told me that if I could get the title, he would let me have the car for storage costs (very low). I did a lot of detective work tracking the owner- name, Honolulu address, etc. He had apparently decided to leave the island and never come back. I was unsuccessful at finding him on the mainland. The Packard was pristine, had the self-leveling feature and a trunk nearly full of NOS Packard parts from Frost and French. Last time I saw the car it was at the bottom of a stack of cars to be crushed.
      Paul Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia.
      '64 Daytona Wagonaire, '64 Avanti R-1, Museum R-4 engine, '72 Gravely Model 430 with Onan engine

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      • #4
        A rare model, the Consolation.
        Skip Lackie

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        • #5
          One of the cars I would love to own. Many years ago a then member of our chapter had a two tone blue Packard like this one. His had a three speed w/odrive. I loved that car. Just standing next to it made me feel good.
          Joe Roberts
          '61 R1 Champ
          '65 Cruiser
          Eastern North Carolina Chapter

          Comment


          • #6
            These things are coming out of the woodwork!



            sigpic
            Dave Lester

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            • #7
              The Oklahoma City car looks like it has issues with the Torsion Level system -- sits kinda low in the front.
              Paul
              Winston-Salem, NC
              Visit The Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: www.studebakerskytop.com

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by r1lark View Post
                The Oklahoma City car looks like it has issues with the Torsion Level system -- sits kinda low in the front.
                Paul, as hard as it is to believe, many of those cars with Torsion-Level Ride achieve that stance due to not having been greased properly through the years.

                A 1955-1956 Torsion-Level Packard has about as many grease fittings aft of the cowl as it does in front of the cowl, with all the pivot points for the compensator bar system, and the longitudinal bars that run to the front wheels. Few of them get greased as they should and as a result, the system binds up and the bars don't rotate ever so slightly on their pivots, to keep the car level.

                I spent a lot of time under my 1956 Clipper Super hardtop when I first got it and, still, one side of the car sits a little lower in the rear than the other. If you attend many Packard meets, it's unusual to see one of those cars dead-level from side to side in the rear, or the proper ride height front to rear.

                It was an excellent system and slick as snot when new and properly maintained, but few of them were. BP
                We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

                G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by BobPalma View Post
                  It was an excellent system and slick as snot when new and properly maintained, but few of them were. BP
                  My Dad always spoke highly of the Torsion Level system. If you remember, my family had a Packard dealership and took on Studebaker in '57. One of his favorite stories was going to pick up the used straight 8 Packard Marine engine that was going into my Grandfather's new boat (a 26 foot cabin cruiser). The engine (and I suppose the heavy marine forward/reverse transmission) was put into the trunk (!!) of the '56 Packard, and of course dropped the rear of the car down significantly. But then it slowly rose up to normal ride height as the Torsion Level compensated for the weight. I can't remember if this would have been my Grandfather's Senior Packard, or my Dad's Constellation, but my guess is probably my Grandfather's car. He always drove a Patricians, Caribbean, etc.

                  I've still got the marine transmission that has the Packard Marine brass nameplate on it. Thought I had a picture of the plate but can't find it right now.
                  EDIT: found the Packard Marine plate:
                  Click image for larger version

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                  Here are a couple of the Packards my Grandfather drove:
                  A Caribbean hardtop parked at his house:
                  Click image for larger version

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                  Another one, pic taken on a trip to see relatives in Florida:
                  Click image for larger version

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                  Last edited by r1lark; 05-18-2018, 05:48 PM.
                  Paul
                  Winston-Salem, NC
                  Visit The Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: www.studebakerskytop.com

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by r1lark View Post
                    Here are a couple of the Packards my Grandfather drove:
                    A Caribbean hardtop parked at his house:
                    [ATTACH=CONFIG]72580[/ATTACH]

                    Another one, pic taken on a trip to see relatives in Florida:
                    [ATTACH=CONFIG]72581[/ATTACH]

                    Cool beans, Paul; thanks.

                    Did he trade the black & white '55 400 toward the '56 Caribbean hardtop? BP
                    We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

                    G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Skip Lackie View Post
                      A rare model, the Consolation.
                      There may be some that do not "get" your comment. The Packard model is a Constellation (a lot better than a "Consolation"). This type of error often happens with Studebaker models, where all one has to do is look at the car to get the model name correct.

                      There were only 1466 for 1956. I do not have the number for 1955 (probably lower).
                      Gary L.
                      Wappinger, NY

                      SDC member since 1968
                      Studebaker enthusiast much longer

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by BobPalma View Post
                        Cool beans, Paul; thanks.
                        Did he trade the black & white '55 400 toward the '56 Caribbean hardtop? BP
                        Well.......my Grandfather was the primary owner and President of the dealership, so he got a current year car to drive of his choice.

                        Once the dealership started selling Mercedes-Benz, he would drive those:
                        Paul
                        Winston-Salem, NC
                        Visit The Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: www.studebakerskytop.com

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by studegary View Post
                          There were only 1466 for 1956. I do not have the number for 1955 (probably lower).
                          Actually, Gary; there were 6,672 1955 Clipper Constellations, per The Standard Catalog of American Cars, 4th Edition.

                          They also verify your 1956 figure of 1,466. BP
                          We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

                          G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by BobPalma View Post
                            Actually, Gary; there were 6,672 1955 Clipper Constellations, per The Standard Catalog of American Cars, 4th Edition.

                            They also verify your 1956 figure of 1,466. BP
                            Thanks, Bob. I was thinking that the 1955 figure would be lower than the 1956 figure because I thought that the 1955 Constellation was a late offering (maybe I am incorrect on that).

                            In the 1980s, I took a decent appearing, complete and running 1956 Constellation (one of 1466) to the junkyard because no one wanted to pay $100 for it. If there were things like CL and eBay then, we MAY have gotten more. People were used to getting Packards for near zero at that time.
                            Gary L.
                            Wappinger, NY

                            SDC member since 1968
                            Studebaker enthusiast much longer

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by studegary View Post
                              Thanks, Bob. I was thinking that the 1955 figure would be lower than the 1956 figure because I thought that the 1955 Constellation was a late offering (maybe I am incorrect on that).
                              Not that I'm aware of as to a late introduction, Gary. All the literature I've ever seen on 1955 Packards has the Constellation hardtop at the top of the Clipper Custom line from Day 1. BP
                              We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

                              G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

                              Comment

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