1956 Packard Caribbean Hardtop.

[markcrowel]

[markcrowel]

[markcrowel]

I hope I did the backside of the front seat correctly. I was working from photos downloaded from the internet, plus factory photos from a book.

[rockpaperscissor]

It looks like very heavy seatback padding. Was that a safety feature for the back seat passengers?

[markcrowel]

Yes Don, I believe you're right. Safety features began appearing on cars in 1956. Studebaker sedans had extra padding on their front seatbacks, also. Ford introduced seatbelts as an option that same year.

[markcrowel]

I'm now convinced that I spend more time building the interior of a model car, than I spend building the body.

In paper modeling, we have to make the parts first, before we can glue them in place.

The steering wheel is a 1/16th inch wide strip of cardboard, covered in colored paper and coiled into a loop. Likewise the horn ring. Circular pieces (steering wheel center and dash guages) were made by a quarter inch punch and an eighth inch punch.

The stalk for the pushbutton automatic transmission control box is made from layered 1/16th inch wide strips, covered in colored paper. These strips were shaped to form the sides of the little transmission control box. The face of the box is a sheet of silver coated cardboard; the backside is regular cardboard covered with colored paper. The unit is oversized, and on my model you wouldn't be able to open that glovebox door with that control box in the way. but there's no way I'm doing THAT job over!

[markcrowel]

I'm posting one picture at a time, because sometimes I get a "Web Page has expired" notice, if I attempt a multiple photo upload.

I have dial-up, and I suppose that has something to do with it.

[markcrowel]

Another dash view.

[markcrowel]

I'm trying a multiple upload again.

I discovered that I needed two more brackets on the back of the front seat.

[rockpaperscissor]

Looking good, Mark. This one is really going to be colorful.