I love writing Engine Line Up pieces. I learn a lot doing the research.

Back in 1946 there wasn’t a lot of imagination when it came to naming cars. Packard either named their cars after the engines that powered them or their engines after their car models plus the cylinder count. This led to the following models names:

Clipper Six
Clipper Standard/Deluxe Eight
Clipper Eight
Custom Super Clipper Eight

The engines available for the Packard line up included one 6 cylinders and two 8 cylinders.

First up is the 6 cylinder dubbed – Clipper Six. This was an inline (straight) L-Head 6. (Note: An L-Head is a type of internal combustion engine having both inlet and exhaust valves on one side of the engine block – making the shape of an “L”.) The engine displaced 245.6 ID and had a bore and stroke of 3.5×4.25 and a compression ratio of 6.7:1. It had four main barrings and solid lifters. Top it off with a Carter WA1 single barrel carb (Model 530S) and you’d get 105 hp.

Clipper Six Engine – 1947 would be the last year this engine would be used in the Packard

Next up is the inline eight, referred to as the Clipper Standard/Deluxe Eight.  It was an L-head as well that displaced 282.04 (yes .o4) cubic inches.  It’s bore and stroke were 3.25X4.25 inches and the compression ratio was 6.85:1.  It had five main bearings and solid lifters all topped with a 2 barrel Carter (WDO) Model 512S.  On a good day you could coax 125 hp out of this configuration. Consider that the average weight of the Packard’s for that year 3,922 lbs with the heaviest being almost 5,000 lbs (4900), you’ll need all those horses to get these beautiful pieces of steel moving.

Last is the Super/Custom Super Clipper Eight.  Again it was a straight (inline) eight cylinder and an L-head.   This power plant was 356 cid with a bore/stroke of 3 1/2×4 5/8 inches, 9 main bearings and hydraulic lifters.  Topped with  a Carter’s (WDO) two barrel Model 531S it produced 165 horse power.

Clipper Eight Straight 8 cylinder L-head engine

Thanks for reading.

Tim