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Continental Kits


ChicagoPack

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Guest imported_PackardV8

I keep forgetting that at 50 i'm the oldest man in here and that many of u do not remeber the 70's. During the late 70's to very early 80's there was a SUPER Fly kit available for Cadillac and i think Lincoln too. It was to resemble the car used in the popular film of the time of the same name. I's liked to find one of those converted Cadillacs to ad to my collection.

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Hey Keith (PackardV8), you are not the oldest guy in here, e.g., I'm 59.

As a matter of fact, I think it's great that there are some younger guys (20-40) owning and and mod'ing Packards. Even for us old(er) guys, we're just "caretakers" of these cars and will someday pass the ownership on to the younger guys, who will pass them on...etc.

On the other hand, modifying Packards and hot rodding them has not changed since at least the 1970s (when I was involved in high performance)...oops, that's about 30 years which is the age of some of the younger DF guys. Maybe we should switch this topic to its own thread... <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

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Guest imported_Speedster

Man, I have too much trouble trying to find garage space for these Big ol' Packards as it is, without hanging something like a continental kit on the tail end. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> I guess you could hang a snowplow on the front also, but I don't think that would improve the looks any, either. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

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HI KEITH

In response to Randys request I wouldnt know where to start. It would be a small book, all the things we did & not all on Packards alone.I bought a totaled 49 Ford contv. Winter of 1950. I installed a 48 Packard grille, & a home built Cont. spare. I used the Pack powdered gold instead of silver metallic in the copper color lacquer I mixed up. The Ford dealer wasnt too happy when first seen. We extended the 1/4 panels on a 56 Clipper 11" & mounted a cont. spare in between. Put a 54 Carrib body on a totaled 56 400 HT frame & that was for the owner of the Packard dealership. Not that any one would care, I'll be 81 in November. Jack

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Guest Randy Berger

I shouldn't reply till I have the picture in my grubbies, but a friend of mine has a pic taken at Carlisle of a 1955 Caribbean with a nicely done Continental kit hanging on the rear. It has stainless extensions for the lower rear stainless that run rearward from the rear tire - all in all it looked pretty good. The thought did cross my mind that some continentals weighed down the rear end and had to have extra leaves or extended shackles to put the car at normal height. Not so with the T/L leveling system <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. When my friend comes back from vacation I will borrow the pics and post them. (yes, I have more than one friend <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />). I wonder if Jack Harlin kept a picture of that Clipper with extended rear fenders and Cont. kit?? I would like to see it.

YFAM, Randy Berger

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HI RANDY. Sorry, but this is something I cant back up. I had a good sized photo album with Packards only in it. All the race, modified, ones I owned was lost in the moving here. It was a big loss for all of us, now after all these years.

No computers or disc back up. A few pic. werent in the album & thats all I have.

The ones (I) miss are the few times holding the checkered flag. HA Jack

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  • 3 weeks later...

For those of you who pooh-poohed the idea of a continental kit on the back of an Exectuive hardtop, take a peek at this lovely car. According to the seller, the continental kit was a factory option. I've never heard of one being offered, I think most likely a dealer option. BUT, I think it looks pretty snazzy.

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Packard did offer a Continental 51--54 models. The big difference in it & after market kits were the replacement stone shields. Packards end extensions. bumper to 1/4 panels, filled the gap with a much better design plus a split rubber gasket on extension end at 1/4 panel to protect the paint. I never installed 55 or 56 kits but the ones i've seen appeares to be factory also as the center bumper section & guards are modified for better alignment of bumper to tail lights. Thinking back I think the 51--54 kits included different guards also??

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Guest Randy Berger

I didn't see this at Carlisle,

but a friend snapped a pic of this 56 Caribbean.

Note the stainless extensions at the bottom

of the quarter panel.

If I were to leave the cont. on I would put the

plain sheetmetal cover style and then add the

Packard Caribbean gold lettering identical to the

trunk. That is if I owned it <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

YFAM, Randy Berger

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For those of you who pooh-poohed the idea of a continental kit on the back of an Exectuive hardtop, take a peek at this lovely car. (snip)</div></div>

The best looking continential kit on a 1951+ I've ever seen. Kudos to whoever accomplished it. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

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