This 1956 Packard Caribbean convertible is one regal car. Unfortunately, this one is in rough condition as you can see. It’s listed on eBay in Isanti, Minnesota where they know a thing or two about road salt and it has a $25,000 buy it now price or you can make an offer.
You can see the snow tires on the back of this Caribbean and that has to explain the rust situation. I can’t imagine driving a car like this in the winters here in Minnesota but that’s what people did, drive whatever cars they had year’round even if it meant driving an ultra-luxurious convertible in the winter. All is not lost, however. The seller says that “This car is nearly complete and in very restorable condition. Pulled from the barn of a local collector this car has not seen the weather for decades and has solid floors and frame.”
With fewer than 300 1956 Caribbean convertibles made they are very rare and as such they are quite valuable. Hagerty lists a value of a #4 fair condition car as being $47,200. This car is a long, long away from being in fair condition but they list $115,000 as a value for a #2 excellent condition car. Would it be possible to bring this car around for $75,000 in restoration costs? If so this could be a good buy.
The seller has provided a decent number of photos but only two overall photos of the exterior are included. The interior will need multiple specialists during the restoration process as these were not simple cars. The push-button transmission controls alone would probably make a NASA engineer weep let alone tracking down power window issues and other possible trouble spots.
The engine should be fairly straightforward, although it won’t be inexpensive to rebuild and restore this 310 hp 374 cubic-inch V8. In 1956 Packard offered a coupe version but value-wise the convertible is almost four times as valuable. Have any of you restored a car in similar condition to this ’56 Caribbean?
Awesome car in it’s day! Sure are a LOT of hours there waiting for someone. Just hate finding out later on that I worked a ton of hours at $0.60 an hour. Been there, done that. Labor of love has a funny way of doing that to a guy though. 😓
Two fours on that Packard…that wasn’t standard was it ?
That reminds me, I have to get beer for the coming long weekend!
Actually yes, the 310 hp. was a dual quad motor.
Considering I can’t even hazard a guess when they last made bias belted wide whitewall snow tires it was probably just an old used car the last time it saw the open road.
At least at that point they parked it and didn’t trade it in for a shiny new Ford Falcon or the like!
I am so over my head in this “hobby” anymore. 25 grand for this? Good fortune to all you folks with deeper pockets than me.
Stunning car when restored…$5,000 as is?
It’s going to take a lot of $ to make this a Caribbean Queen again…so says Billy Ocean.
I’m guessing at over $100K to restore this classy Packard to showroom condition, Scotty.
The guy has a lift, but doesn’t take the time to shoot the floors, rockers, or quarters from underneath?
The iconic tail lights have been installed on a ton of customs. I think most were 1956 to 1958.
The Senior Packard cars like this Caribbean have what is known as the Cathedral taillights, They were used in ’55 & ’56 only. The more commonly used taillights for custom cars were the Packard Clipper lights that swept up and back to a point. They were used on Packard Clippers in ’56 & ’57, and all Packards in ’58.
Seems I have seen these in great shape for that kind of jack or less. Has everyone gone bonkers? These were not hot sellers when new as I recall.
With 300 built, I doubt you’ve seen one of these for that money in great shape. Maybe this guy’s price is too high but 25K for a ‘great’ Caribbean convert isn’t happening.
Gonna need the BIG tube of bondo for this one. The “snow tires” are the giveaway, I’m sure, one day in storage, those headlights literally fell right out, it was a bad spot for all those “eyebrow” headlight cars in the salt. With low production, I doubt you’d ever find fenders for these, maybe, but a ton of work otherwise. Cool cars that haven’t kept pace with other classics, you’ll have to have a love for this car, because in a restoration of this kind, you’ll be under water in no time.
Such a pretty lady. Shameful to see her not looking her best. Hopefully someone will take on this labor of love. She deserves to be restored.
Could end up being a parts car, but that’s OK- she could help put 5 nicer cars back on the road.
I’d like it a whole lot more if it were a hard top instead of a rag top.
That’s a big project, but very doable. Considering the rarity, and the completed value I would say go for the restoration. It’s not every day a car like this comes around, and there is more to the hobby then profiting when completed. You would be close at today’s value, but what kind of price can you put on owning and preserving such a rare piece of history?
Always liked the Caribbeans…..this is the only one I’ve ever seen that didn’t have the white/black/pink exterior color theme. These were rare back when they were made, can’t be more than a couple hundred left kicking around at this point.
I’d be surprised of there’s even 100 of them left.
How many days a year can you use a convertible in Minnesota? Luxury or no, this car should have stayed indoors during the snowy winter/spring/fall timeframe. Agree about the hooded headlight phenom…not many manufacturers were putting sealed inner fenders on cars back then that could keep those from being rust traps. Seen that happen on 59 Fords, early Corvairs, tri-five Chevy, etc.
The May 2018 issue of British mag THOROUGHBRED & CLASSIC CARS has a six page article about Packard collector Ralph Marano (95 cars in the collection, 66 Packards). Has some stunning photos of the custom jobs Packard showed the public to drum up interest in their cars.
I saw that too. I believe he had the Packard Request, and my personal favorite, the Packard Predictor!
Okay, I saw it at a show with the Request. I thought they were owned by the same person. Thanks for the info.
Dan
The Packard Predictor is in the Studebaker Museum in South Bend, Indiana. It was always in the possession of the Studebaker Corporation until it was given to the Museum. It has never been in private hands.
Wow, I don’t live that far from the museum… the Predictor would entice me to make the drive.