Clipper47

Personally I would be leery of buying any car without seeing and driving it and I am talking from sad experience (no not my Super Clipper <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />). Pictures can be very deceiving. A lousy paint job and pitted chrome can look pretty nice in a photo and I see some evidence that whoever painted this car wasn't very careful with overspray. If you can't give it a real good examination or have someone you can trust to do it for you I would wait for one that you can inspect. The Ultramatic was standard on the 50's but I would prefer to have a standard trans with overdrive if I were shopping for one. Restoring a Custom is a very expensive proposition especially if that 356" engine needs a rebuild. The asking price seems about on the money also but I think if you decide you have to have the car you could make a offer for less and probably get it since this car was on Ebay at least once before . The seller seems very upfront about the car and is probably honest but his ideas and yours about the condition may differ.

Sometimes with Packards we need and get help from unexplainable sources. Perhaps it is a reward for being such a nice person. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

"Black Dalia" 2006, truly aweful movie. One 1948-49 Packard Custom 7 passenger in a night scene.

I rewired my 1947 Super Clipper with a harness from Rhode Island Wire. It came with new dash light bulb sockets. It took me about a week to install but it wasn't as big a job as I feared once the seats were removed which allowed me to get under the dash and see what I was doing. I took the radio, glove box and instrument panel out as well which helped. I sawed the old harness off at the firewall and pushed the ends inside so I could wiggle the wires around and replaced one wire at a time. I also saved the old harness and salvaged a lot very good wire and ends such as sections to the rear lights which I have used to wire other accessories. I ran two extra wires to the trunk as well in case I decide to install other accessories in future. I needed a soldering iron to attach the bulb contacts to the parking and tailights. I installed a set of Trippe lights a few weeks ago and used some of the old wiring for those as well to keep the engine compartment looking original although I wired them to a relay. The oil pan on the Clipper wasn't hard to get off since Packard had drilled holes in the frame conveniently to allow a socket to get to those front bolts.I recall that I had to lift the front of the engine slightly to get the pan off amnily because the front mount was compressed with age.

If you are referring the the Packard family coat-of-arms I believe the first year it appeared was 1929.

Maybe some people don't like being insulted by peabrains that nit pick all the faults they can find, or used to have one just like it except it was a 66 Chev, or try to tell you what's what and all about a car you have owned for 20 years, That's one reason I got rid of a 66 Corvette. I was always getting the "Did you know the build date code on your alternator bracket is wrong?" from the "experts" sit their grandchild with the chocolate ice cream cone inside without asking, or drag a cowboy belt buckle the size of a hubcap over your fender peeking under the hood, etc etc. I have had all of that happen. You must be going to the same car shows I do! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I have a '56 Packard which has an ol' V-8 in it, and I'm thinkin' about pullin' in out and installin' a Ford 4-cylinder engine, I once chased down a 1947 Super Clipper in the streets of Havana Cuba (you'll see why) to see what the car had for an engine and I was shown a 4 cylinder Zatstava GTL in the place of the 356" engine so your swap is a great idea! Bellhousings are apparently still available froma Yugo dealer in Bukhara,Uzbekistan for a Zatstava/Packard/Zis (remember those old '41 Packard Lend -Lease dies?)tranny swap so maybe that's where "the brightest and best" went also? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Not a Packard. Why not post it in the above "What is it?" forum. There are some very knowledgeable car guys there.

NAPA has them.

Merry Christmas from the once Great White North! Thanks for the Super Clipper picture! Wow I didn't know my car used to be driven by Santa!!

"Don't Come Knocking" 2005 with Sam Shepard, Jessica Lang and Eva Marie Sainte. A 1953 Clipper Deluxe is prominent in the movie as a washed up old cowboy movie actor drives from Utah to Montana to look for his son. Nice movie-nice car!

Cars are only new once. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">did you feel the $24K was too much? Or did you buy it? </div></div> I didn't buy the car but not because of price. This particular car was a highly optioned 120CD with a known history and not restored original so I think the price was reasonable because of it's uniqueness and provenance.

According to the Kimes book there were 3672 Clipper "Sportsters" made in the 26th series (1953) A beautiful car indeed!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Well, while the subject of value has come up. What about a 36 120B touring sedan in excellent Original condition? A legit #2 condition. </div></div> I had a chance to buy a car in similar condition about 1 year ago; very low mileage(approx.30K), all original including paint and an immaculate interior #2-3. I think the asking was a pretty firm $24000.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> BTW, That's the best designed, strongest and most durable lever-type trunk-latch that I've seen. And I think it's all stainless-steel, at least I haven't seen any rust forming on it. </div></div> It's because it's a Packard part. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Rick, Looks identical to the one on my '47. I believe they are the same for the years you mentioned and almost certainly the Clippers'41-47. The part # in my 1947 Master Parts Book is 31.167

Seems like a reasonable asking for a pretty scarce model but probably some room to dicker down. Does the car have overdive (Aerodrive as Packard called it) or Electromatic clutch? Overdive is a very nice feature. The car is identical mechanically to the 120 so parts are not an issue other than small trim pieces etc. which are unique to the model and if missing might be hard to find. As for the engine I was able to clean and repaint the engine in my '47 (and it has the bigger 356" engine) without removing it. Since you will want to repaint all the ancilliary items like generator, starter etc. once these are removed you should have good access to the engine.I used Bill Hirsh Packard green and it has held up well for 5 years. I removed the head on mine to paint it but also to inspect it for warpage which you may not need to. These cars are prone to rust so besides the obvious rocker panels, floors and spare tire well inspect the front of the car specifically under the headlights where there is a sort of shelf which tends to hold mud and salt. If these are solid likely you won't find any significant rust issues. Old wiring may also be a problem so check that out as well although new harnesses are easily available . Like most all Packards these are superb cars IMHO.

Northwestern Ontario-180 miles north of Duluth MN. No snow and pouring rain! The old snowblower isn't getting much of a workout yet.

I don't mean to imply that those who do enjoy showing their cars are "show-offs" - they just enjoy their ownership a little differently than I do. Crossing the border into the USA last year a young US Customs officer made the remark that "So your going to show off your car are you?' My response was "Show, yes, I'm not going to do the off part."

In this area there are quite a few cars both rare and fairly common that never see the light of day it seems. For example I know of a lovely original 1935 Rolls-Royce, a Jaguar XK-140 and a beautifully restored Daimler SP250 sports car that I have ever only seen a couple of times at Cruise-ins or car shows in 20 years. I know of only three other Packards in the area and only one ever comes out and rarely. I sometimes think that the owners don't like their cars mixing with the run o' trhe mill Chevies and Fords. I take my Packard out as much as I can so people can see what a beautiful car it is. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Good advise. I would never buy a car without a thorough personal inspection or an inspection by someone impartial and knowledgeable about the car model.

I too am amazed at the ridiculous prices paid for the 60's-70's muscle cars. Maybe I'm just disappointed that I didn't hoard away a dozen of them when you could pick them up for a few hundred bucks after the 1973 OPEC oil embargo. What truly astounds me is that the NADA price guide difference between say a 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda with a 340 engine and one with a 426 Hemi is over $300,000!! A Plymouth Satellite with a Hemi is valued at $20,475. The same car essential in Roadrunner version is valued at $159,000? Not a market I want to play in when with a little fabrication of part numbers and data plates the price goes up by 1000%. I'll stay with Packards.

Mike, I don't know how big or long your arms are but I have no big problem putting bulbs in the dash of my 47 and I'm not small. I can usually get the bulb holder into the hole by feel but a mirror and light may help to give you an idea what wires will be in the way etc. As mentioned the wiring in these old cars can be quite brittle and the sheathing eroded so be careful how you handle them. Good luck!

Mike, It can be a problem to reinstall a bulb but no where near the grief of taking the dash gauge cluster out. You might be able to see the bulb hole with a mirror and light or just by feel. That's what works for me. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />