Features The Krakenberg Kellison

So you think being tall is tough? Try being a fat guy, yet I have wedged my ass into some impossible places all in the name of cars!

 

Is it still powered by the W Block?

 

I bought a Kellison in the late 1970s that was sitting on a early 1950s Ford chassis. I had dreams of building it but ended up selling it to a friend of my brother. The guy cut it down the middle and made a wall hanging out of it for his basement. Made me cry. Another one that I wished I had never sold.

 

Can someone photoshop a J-5 with "Gurney bumps" on both the driver side and passenger roof. I have a J-5 and can't fit in it.

 

I’ve have most of an original Kellison catalog at home buried in a box of magazines, I’ll have to dig it out and scan it.

 

You're right about photo's not doing it justice. I saw it also at the Roundup, during midday and the sun working on the paint job was something else (actually, that's why i went to see it). Have to say, it had to be the #1 wildest paint job there.

 

enzo said the x k e was the most butefull car in the world...he never saw a kellerson..

 

You mean he made TWO wall hangings... What happened to the other side?

 

I saw it at Bakersfield a few months back and just had to check it out. The paint job isn’t my cup of tea but it is beautiful and dramatic in the sun. The car is just waaay cool. I was really hooked when I saw it had a 348/409/4 spd in it. The best.
I bought a bare J5 body about 20 years ago and squirreled it away for retirement. I found it in a backyard in Stockton, Ca when I responded to an ad for an old custom ‘50 Stude pickup. Two weeks later it was sitting on a pallet at my folks house. It had a full floor, dash, inner fenders, all factory fiberglass. I envisioned a 327/4 spd/Corvette IRS combo with real mag Americans. But the Too Many Projects Syndrome won out. A few years ago I sold it to Joe Davis of Eagle Field fame. Last I heard, they made it a roller and it went to some Scandinavian country.

Mine had the doors factory hung, a full floor and inner fender panels and it all appeared to have been done at the factory. It was very nice. I’m guessing it was optional and was designed to fit the factory Kellison chassis or maybe the C1 Corvette chassis.
At 5’11”, I mocked up interior stuff to see if I fit before getting too excited about building it. Getting in and out required some practice but the interior room was fine. The seat bulkhead was fixed and seemed to recline perfectly for me.

 

I built one of these original single headlight model back in the 60's . It had a Kellison frame with a 49 to 54 Chevy front crossmember and suspension. We got it in Sacramento assembled it over a long weekend and started driving it back to L.A. when the junkyard Chevy 3 speed trans gave it up so we ended up getting it to L.A. on a trailer. It had Studebaker windows. Quite a looker.

 

You hoodlums are trouble. Serious trouble.

 

Too late.. Now what?

 

Jim Broadwell [I think} made the Jabro for the H modified scca class. Based on Crosley components you could buy a whole car for just about $3500 in '62. Some assembly required. I was like 14 years old when I checked but if I rubbed two nickels together I could come up with 9 cents.

 

Woooff;
I like those, & esp that paint job. I could look at it for a long time, & the smile wouldn't leave. .
Marcus...

 

I came across it for sale; $49,000; San Martin, CA.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1803326623405218

 

I had a Kellison kit on a VW pan. They just ran a couple 15' lengths of channel iron under the pan to mount the front nose hinges and rear tail hinges. Their own design body was much better than their imitation GT40. The Devin was also a good one. I put one of those together for a guy with a Porsche engine while I was working at Kit Car magazine.

 

High school wet dreams. I sent away for the catalog in 1962; it's still in the files today.

jack vines

 

You didn't happen to get a Plan Pack did you? Dreamland.

 

Beautiful,but to close to me.

 

There was a guy on IG, that stretched a Kellison 6"(?) longer.
It was done nicely, most people would never know.
Would make it easier for us tall people.
Curious to see what a stretched Cheetah would look like.

 

What a Great deal. With the latest talk of Paint materials skyrocketing ,the rarity of the J5, The amount of hours in that paint job. Someone stands to get a very good deal.