1956 Packard Caribbean Hardtop, in cardboard.

[Mark Crowel]

I have started a 1956 Packard Caribbean Hardtop, about 1/20th scale (5/8ths inch to the foot). By 1956, the Studebaker-Packard merger was two years old.

My usual strip-and-panel construction. I have tried getting more accurate with my models, many times, but a lack of patience and proficiency in geometry gets in the way.

I finally realize that I like my basic method; its consistency, predicatability, simplicity, and its look. I've done so many models this way on the paper modeling forums, that it has become my trademark method. It's the way I build a car.

I started with an old magazine advertisement as the reference for my profile drawings and subsequent patterns.

[Dr. Cranky]

This is going to be interesting. Please keep it going . . .

[Mark Crowel]

Thank you, will do.

[Mark Crowel]

Now for the assembly of the center body section. You see why it's called strip-and-panel construction. The panel parts that you saw in the first post, are joined by strips. The strips for the center section are two and a half inches wide.

Notice the half-inch wide strips along the edges of the undersides of the strip parts. This makes the edges double thick for easy gluing. I don't like to use flaps for gluing; it's cumbersome, and can be sloppy, so I glue edge-to-edge, strip edge to panel edge.

When joining two strip segments together, as with the bumper segment to the grille segment, they are connected, by both being glued to a piece of paper.

[FuzionTheAce]

Cool Stuff!

[Harry P.]

Nice!

[Deathgoblin]

Hey, I'm new here and just got back into car modeling, but does this help? I got it at the Packard museum in Dayton, OH. I may have more if this isn't correct.

[VW Dave]

Cool project!! If it helps, I can get lots of detailed pics of a 1:1 '56 Caribbean that belongs to a local guy(he's also a model builder, so I know he'd be into it). PM me if I can assist.

[Mark Crowel]

Thanks guys, for the compliments and the offers of help. I was able to download some Caribbean photos from the web for reference, plus I have Nathaniel T. Dawes' excellent book, The Packard, with excellent color photos.

I'll give you a holler if I need more, though.

Also, it's encouraging to see this many positive reactions from plastic modelers to my simple cardboard models. I like cardboard, and I have fun working with it.

Thank you all, for accepting me.

[Mark Crowel]

When I try to upload my photos, here's what I get:

Error This file was too big to upload

Used 1.93MB of your 1.95MB global upload quota (Max. single file size: 21.23K)

I might have to continue linking viewers to my website to see continuing photos on the project.

[charlie8575]

Using the tags from your Photobucket account, you can post pictures directly from there.

Charlie Larkin

[paul alflen]

STUDEBAKER AND PACKARD DIDNT MERGE TILL 1956. THEN YOU HAVE THE PACKARDBAKER MODELELS FOR 1957 AND 1958.

[Harry P.]

Also, it's encouraging to see this many positive reactions from plastic modelers to my simple cardboard models. I like cardboard, and I have fun working with it.

Thank you all, for accepting me.

As far as I can tell, there's no law that says a model has to be made of polystyrene plastic and nothing but polystyrene plastic.

Plastic, wood, metal or paper... I say they're all models.

[pharr7226]

Hey, I'm new here and just got back into car modeling, but does this help? I got it at the Packard museum in Dayton, OH. I may have more if this isn't correct.

There's a Packard museum in Dayton? I grew up in Dayton and never that.

[Mark Crowel]

A little more about the Studebaker-Packard merger: the business deal was finalized in 1954, when it was Packard that bought Studebaker. In 1956, when Studebaker-Packard became insolvent, it went into receivership, and its creditors put it under Curtis Wright's management. That's when the decision was made to concentrate production of both makes in South Bend, hence the "Packardbakers" of '57 and '58.

Sources: Richard Langworth, Studebaker, the Postwar Years,

Nathaniel T. Dawes, The Packard.

[Harry P.]

There's a Packard museum in Dayton? I grew up in Dayton and never that.

http://www.americaspackardmuseum.org/

[Mark Crowel]

My Dad and I went to the National Packard Museum in Dayton in 2002. A nice, large collection. The Air Force museum is also in Dayton, but we didn't have time for it on that trip.

Harry P.: I appreciate the encouragemnt. Thank you.

Charlie: I'll try the photo advice.

[Harry P.]

Some interesting background on the Studebaker-Packard merger that you might not have known (from wikipedia):

The Studebaker-Packard Corporation was the entity created by the purchase of the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana, by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, in 1954.

Packard acquired Studebaker in the transaction. While Studebaker was the larger of the two companies, Packard's balance sheet and executive team were stronger than that of the South Bend company.^{[citation needed]}

It was hoped that Packard would benefit from Studebaker's larger dealer network. Studebaker hoped to gain through the additional strength that Packard's cash position could provide. Once both companies stabilized their balance sheets and strengthened their product line, the original plan devised by Packard president James J. Nance and Nash-Kelvinator Corporation president George W. Mason was that the combined Studebaker-Packard company would join a combined Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson Motor Car Company in an all-new four-marque American Motors Corporation.

Had the complicated set of combinations gone through as planned, the new company would have immediately surpassed the Chrysler Corporation to become the third of America's "Big Three" automobile manufacturers. However, the sudden death of Mason in 1954 (succeeded by George W. Romney) and disputes over parts-sharing arrangements between the companies doomed any chance of completing the proposed merger. This failure to combine the companies effectively sealed the fates of all four.

Packard executives soon discovered that Studebaker had been less than forthcoming in all of its financial and sales records. The situation was considerably more dire than Nance and his team were led to believe; Studebaker's break-even point was an unreachable 282,000 cars at a time when the company had barely sold 82,000 cars in 1954. Furthering the new company's problems was the loss of about 30% of Studebaker's dealer network by 1956.^{[citation needed]}

Alas, Studebaker-Packard tried a company reorganization in which Studebaker took the part of the volume and commercial car and truck seller from South Bend while Packard was to re-occupy the luxury market - one of Nance's targets since he took over Packard's presidency in 1952. The gap in between was filled by a new make, the Clipper. Technically, it was a lighter Packard, built in Detroit alongside the senior cars. Next generation of cars would have to be concentrated on one location, and there was a detailed program for sharing as much sheet metal as possible. Although Nance was presumably right, dealer's resistance against the Clipper as a new entry in the intermediate field was big.

Following a disastrous sales year in 1956, Nance resigned and Studebaker-Packard entered a management agreement with the Curtiss-Wright Corporation.^[1]:p255 Curtiss, led by Roy T. Hurley, insisted on major changes. All of Studebaker-Packard's defense contracts and plants where defense work was carried out were picked up by Curtiss, Packard production in Detroit was stopped and all remaining automotive efforts were shifted to South Bend. The Packards (for 1957 and 1958) were essentially Studebaker Presidents with large amounts of bright work. The vehicles were referred to as Packardbakers by comedians.^{[citation needed]} The final Packard rolled off the assembly line in July 1958. That year, Studebaker instructed company personnel to sell their Packards and use only Studebakers.^[1]:p255

[Harry P.]

If you ever get the chance, Harry, the Studebaker museum in South Bend is fantastic. Not that far from Chicago, and well worth the drive.

Yeah, I should visit there some time. Only been to South Bend once... and that was The Tire Rack!

[Mark Crowel]

[Mark Crowel]

[Mark Crowel]

[Mark Crowel]

[Deathgoblin]

There's a Packard museum in Dayton? I grew up in Dayton and never that.

Yep, very nice museum. I do warn you that if you go, do so in the fall or on a cooler day. They aren't air conditioned well. But their collection if fantastic. I've got loads of pics and as soon as I get the time, I will post them.

[MikeMc]

IMG]http://i1082.photobu...rnsandsheet.jpg

your missing "["..and url....in the front of the link...here you go

Edited September 4, 2011 by MIKE THE MANIAC