Buick Wheels/Rims

[Guest GaryT]

Guys, PLEASE don't boot me out for not owning a Buick but I could really, REALLY use some help with this. I own a '53 Packard Clipper that's all original except for the wheels. The PO explained that the man he purchased the car from passed away while the car was in the middle of a frame on restoration and during that period of time, the original Packard wheels were lost by the shop doing the restoration when they relocated. They stuck some hideous and ugly Chevy Blazer wheels on it to move until they could obtain another set of original wheels but from what I understand they couldn't find any and the car ended up being sold without them. I have exhausted all hopes of finding a set of orginal Packard wheels anywhere within a reasonable distance to drive and the least expensive shipping I have found is $40.00 per wheel! I have thoroughly researched the interchange books and the indication is that there are no other wheels that interchange with the Packard HOWEVER!...a couple of human sources have indicated otherwise. There is strong evidence suggesting that Buick wheels from around the late 40's up to the late 50's and possibly even the early 60's are very close relatives. What I have confirmed is that the Buick and Packard wheels share the most important dimensions of all which is the large 3-3/8" center hole, are 15" in diameter, have the 5x5 bolt pattern and both have the alignment pin holes. It is my understanding that Buick Supers and Specials had 6" wide rims while the Roadmasters rolled on 6-1/2" wide rims. Either will work in place of the 5-1/2" wide original Packard wheels and will actually work better since I need a minimum 6" rim for my current P235/75 R15 tires. The backspacing is slightly different by as much as 1/2" but I don't think that will be an issue. What I would really like to find out is if the original NOS Packard full wheel covers I purchased will fit the Buick Wheels. What I need is a measurement across the center of an orginal Buick full wheel cover from say the early 50's up to the late 50's. the measurement needs to be from the outside edge to outside edge of the sawtooth "clips" that grip the inside of the rim. This measurement on my Packard cover is 14-5/8" which I'm hoping (and praying) is the same as the Buick cover...this my last hurdle to get over!!! if this measurment is within 1/16" then I am convinced that the Buick Rims will work! Thanks in advance for any and all help!

GaryT

[Leif Holmberg]

Gary,it dosn`t matter if you have a Packard, we try to help you anyway,14 9/16-14 5/8 is the measure i got on my 1950s Buick wheel.Most of the Buick wheels at the time you are talking about is 6",but 1955-1959 cheapest model had 5,5".

I hope you can use this for your help. Leif in Sweden.

Edited March 5, 2012 by Leif Holmberg (see edit history)

[Guest GaryT]

Thank you so much Leif! That's exactly what I needed and pretty much confirms that the Buick wheels are a good alternative for the Packards that are getting harder and harder to find. Once the wheel covers are on, I doubt if anyone will ever know except maybe the die hard purists! Ironically, the Buicks of the same era even share the same 9/16-18 lug bolts as Packards as opposed to most other cars that used lug nuts. Thanks Again!

Gary

[Rich Morton]

Paul,glad to see it seems like you got your answer.I feel silly to even ask because of how well sorted out your original explanation was,but have you seen the AACA Packard forum as well as the Packard Club site?Here is the Packard club site.Packard Automobile Classics, Inc. - The Packard Club Good Luck,Rich

[Guest GaryT]

Hi Rich,

Yes, I had performed searches and posted inquiries in the AACA Packard Forum as well as a couple of other Packard sites but I didn't receive a whole lot of feedback. It's been a slow process but I think I've nailed down enough information to support that although Buick and Packard Wheels are not identical, one will fit the other. Thanks again Guys.

Gary

[bhambulldog]

Does your Packard have the accelerator press starter switch on the carburetor ? That's a Buick feature, too. Looking under the hood of a packard i spotted that and several other Delco-Remy parts; voltage regulator horn relay, etc..