Pelican or Plain Cap?

You guys know I hate ornamentation. Got my hands on a correct 1935 plain senior Packard radiator cap. What do you say?

Aug 21, 2026

Reply to alsancle…

Replies (51)

· 3w

With the pelican.

(edited)

· 3w

With the plain cap.

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· 3w

Pelican. I think.

· 3w

I understand your caution about ornamentation, but I don’t think the Cormorant is gaudy . I say, fly the Cormorant out in public and in any public showing, but if you’re going to leave the car unattended while you head out for dinner, throw the plain one on there and put the real one away, someplace safe.

· 3w

That is a great idea John! Leave the car unattended in a bad part of town and hope someone steals the ornament.

· 3w

😊

· 3w

What I really want to do is throw the tires in the trash and put the wheel disks back on. Unfortunately, the factory photos shows whitewalls. Blah.

Note no pelican.

(edited)

· 3w

A.J., I'm with you on the clean look. Have never been a big ornament lover. We might be in the minority.

· 3w

The standard eight 4 passenger phaeton with plain cap.

· 3w

I think there is a viewpoint that the higher up the food chain the car is, the more modest, less attention drawing, the hood ornament should be.

A little bit of a flex saying “I don’t need any more adornment.” So there is that…….

Similar to a Duesenberg ad where the car is never shown.

· 3w

I'm a fan of the plain cap.

Packard and Lincoln = old money = understated. A gentle nudge in the ribs.

Cadillac, Deuesenberg, etc = new money = flashy and loud.

Understated is always better.

· 3w

Man after my own heart. The spot lights are a crime against humanity but they are drilled through the cowl. There is nothing that can be done about them without respraying the cowl.

· 3w

If my former Investment Banker boss drove this, I'd say the plain cap, matching the motorcar quite well.
If my Dad's friend, the Oil & Gas Landman Jim Leslie drove it, I'd say one of those ostentatious blue uranium glass radiator mascots. Preferably, lit up at night.

· 3w

Jeff, my dad had a lighted Lalique ornament for this car with the correct base. I told him if he installed it I would stop talking to him.

· 3w

😂

· 3w

I lean plain, but as a RR guy I appreciate a good ornament.

· 3w

Honestly, if you didn’t mention it, I probably wouldn’t even really notice the cormorant on there. It’s a grand enough car that it can overcome a bit of bling. There’s only one feature on this era Packard that I just can’t seem to ignore. Salma Hayek could be washing that car in a wet t-shirt and I’d still be thinking to myself “What’s up with those bumper ends?”

· 3w

😂 I don't believe you.

· 3w

Me either. Let’s try it and find out for sure.

· 3w

Here’s a question though, why in the world did they choose a cormorant? It’s only the ugliest water bird there is. Why not choose something cool like an osprey or something?

· 3w

Will the Stearns ornament fit AJ?

Actually that car gets better looking all the time. Bird or no bird....

· 3w

It is sitting on a shelf Steve so its available.

Here is the Stearns with the knight.

· 3w

And without.

· 3w

I still say that’s one of the coolest ornaments ever. I look at the “without” photo and all I hear is a sad trombone.

· 3w

Sigh... Maybe I will reconsider.

· 3w

Off topic, but is that a late Packard behind the Stearns?

· 3w

Picture is a couple years old. But I believe that is a 52 Patrician.

· 3w

With wheel disks. Although they look to be fully chrome instead of painted as shown in the factory photo.

· 3w

I think I prefer the chrome wires to chrome discs. If they were painted like the factory photo I may feel differently.

· 3w

Here you go Travis. I like them painted.

· 3w

The painted covers are absolutely better. Did they all have those over-riders on the bumper? Like I was saying, the bumpers bug me on these.

· 3w

No. its a bad option that I talked my dad out of.

· 3w

I have had better luck with AI photos but this give you an idea of the wheels a different way.

· 3w

I was a little surprised to see painted wheels and spokes on this 12 cylinder car.

· 3w

Interesting it has the chrome headlights. My dad tried to do that and I stopped him. Painted wheels look ok with me. I'm not against chrome wires but the tires have to be black.

· 3w

AJ, I do like the change in appearance going to blackwalls makes in your Packard.

This isn’t AI, but a Photo from Robert Turnquist’s book: The Packard Story, the car and the company.

You can see my car as it was when photographed for his book, and how it is now with whitewalls. I want to go back to Black when I get an opportunity.

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· 3w

John, I think you will be happy with the change. It used to be so easy to swap the tires out and now it has become an expensive ordeal. Good news is that with proper storage those tires will still be on the car when both of us are long gone.

· 3w

I think this one is the winner. Just a simple tire swap.

· 3w

Now with a black top.

· 3w

Which I think is better than Beige. Or Maroon.

· 3w

The black walls look great with the chrome wheels. I don’t hate the maroon top.

· 3w

I like blackwalls and black top. Understated and Formal….

· 3w

John, that car looks great to me, either way.

· 3w

I am with you alsancle on my car I put the pelican away and went with a plain cap

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· 3w

Beautiful coupe!

· 3w

I think there are only 2 of those 35s. @MilburnDrysdale has taste in cars if not friends.

· 3w

If you like the 35 Coupe here is a 60 plus year old article on it.

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· 3w

This thread reminds me how much I like the 35-37 Packards.

(edited)

· 3w

I have never liked the pelican but realize it is pretty unique to Packard. I think it is awkward with its head down and tall wings. I am always a fan of the Goddess of Speed and with her leaping forward like the Lincoln's greyhound or Jaguar's jaguar; it gives the feeling of power and speed to me.

· 3w

Is the Goddess of Speed the flying donut?

· 3w

yes, the donut chaser.