Packard postwar chrome wire wheels had slightly thicker rims by definition. The triple plating process alone would make any rim thicker. And of course spoke wheel rims are put to stresses that ordinary disc wheels are not. So a somewhat heavier gauge of the rim itself also makes plenty of sense.

As for the matter of balancing these wheels, today in the 21st century there are so many ways to attach weights including ways to make them not look obvious or different... or visible at all in some cases. In reference to the Packard Service Counselor notes... there was–mentioned or not–the added issue of attaching (and maintaing grip) of a lead weight to a spinning, slippery new chrome rim, plus the thickness.

By the way, these wheels are so often referred to as "Kelsey-Hayes" but they were actually made by Motor Wheel Corporation. Cadillacs of the same era used K-H and you can easily see the differences by simply looking at the wheels and how they are laced. The Packard wire wheels were much stronger.

As for radial tires on these wheels, I am unsure what "stresses" radials would cause. Since bias-ply tires "squirm" down the road and radial tires "moosh" down the road, I fail to see why radials would pose undue "stresses" since they actually roll smoother! They just don't look quite as cool and beautiful as old bias-ply Firestones or Good Years or General Nygen whitewalls!

Has the Director/President of The Packard Automobile Club de France not been able to help? Seems an obvious point to start if you haven't already; I believe his name is Jerome Hardy and you can contact the Packard Club de France thru the "Regions" section of the PAC website, or Jerome at jerome.hardy@classiccarnetwork.eu

Hello...

Yes, one story is that a Pan American is located in France... but I don't know much more than that. Trying to track down any information on this car.

Thanks!

Peter, thank's for putting the cart behind the horse. That is a Rolls Royce, designed in positional awareness to build one of the best cars money can buy! Even conceivably padded and branded, vegetable tanned, lime green 10oz leather straps, cut from Connolly with handmade double-stitched seams, embroided owner initials and brazen roll buckle, held in place by four nickelplated Chicago Screws, which can be removed to change out the buckle..., a firework of eye-flattering details instead of an ill-fitting functional balloon silk cover from the bargain bin next to the desused railway station.


[picture source: http://www.marburger-lederwaren.de]

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Friartuck,

I don't know of anyone making these, but maybe this link would help.

http://www.classicpreservation.com/vactankrebuilding.html

Regards,

Dave

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g'day all, I would suggest that the side mount wheel covers are a total owner driven after thought. I had a 23 Ghost and my association with these vehicles encourages me to suggest that the spare wheels were almost always left naked, especially in the UK. Unless they were Springfield Rollers, in which case many had tasteful covers, as required by the American purchaser. In any case and in all fields, as a Manufacturer, "exclusivity" has it's price. I find the 20HP Rolls Royce to be good looking for a period when some coachbuilders were putting some dreadful designs on very expensive chassis. Peter Toet

1,ooo tons eccentric punching machine at the Stalin Motor Works


[picture source: "The story of automobiles" (Moscow 1950)]

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Dave, nothing written there and elsewhere. All I found were some few pics (attached).
BTW Interesting size difference between windshield and side windows and very British color combination. In my view the color of the spare wheel covers are unharmonious.




pictures sources

pic #1 www.necronomviia.picturepush.com
pic #2 www.picasaweb.com

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HH,
Is 100 psi what the pressure in the system on the car? Would the pressure be the same for all brake systems?

THe Sept 56 price list does indicate 440912 (ENDING IN TWO) and 476009 cranks ONLY. NO others.