History We ALL Love a DARE! PIX of TRULY Extinct Makes?

SunRoof said: When I was about 6, Dad had a whole yard full of Kaisers, so kind of have a soft spot for them. I can still see them sitting there. Even tried driving the bronze '51 4 door backwards down the block into the middle of a very busy street at 3. LOL Wasn't funny then.

Jimi: Man, after CARS themselves, what I LOVE is BSing with guys/gals about their first-hand stories, like this, AND hearing about the geniuses, gods, crooks and kooks who built America's cars and trucks!!! God bless the HAMB!

 

Yo, SunRoof! I looked EVERYWHERE. What did you do, Google it? Anyway, however you found it, I KNEW I had not imagined it. About the time I was starting to think I was crazy, my buddy bails me out!!! (Turns out, I am MERELY delerious! LOL)

 

Found these two also. Google is great!
Phil

 

1963 Studebaker Wagonaire TV Ad from "Mr. Ed"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5bI0jG741E

 

Thanks, CustomCab! Yup I am ONLY delerious, and you guys are proving it. What pals! And, HJ, GREAT you found the link on "Mr. Ed"! I thought I'd mentioned that they sponsored the show, in part, AND, about the ONLY cars you ever saw outside the stable were early-'60s Studebakers!!! What a flashback!!! (Maybe I mentioned it OR NOT. After all, I am only delerious -- NOT crazy!)

 

Everything "old" is "new" again








For the 2008 model year, [COLOR=green !important][COLOR=green !important]Ford[/COLOR][/COLOR] introduced the innovative (WTF), integrated Tailgate Step on the 2008 Ford Super Duty [COLOR=green !important][COLOR=green !important]truck[/COLOR][/COLOR]. This is an industry first. It is anticipated this will also be seen on the redesigned 2009 F-150.
When not in use, the Tailgate Step is tucked away inside the tailgate of the pickup. To use it, simply lower the tailgate, pull the middle section of the tailgate out exposing the step. The tubular section will drop down and will look like a step. Next, flip the little piece on the step to make a larger step surface.

Then, pull up the sturdy grab handle that's conveniently stowed in the tailgate plastic protector. And you're done! What a simple invention (WTF) that means so much. You'll no longer have to stand on the tire and reach over or climb up on the tailgate. Now you can just step up.

 

HAMBer 296V8 posted this on another thread. It's a for-real custom '51 or '52 Kaiser sedan. Not really a never-was, 'cause you can do anything you want with a custom. I just thought I'd pop it in here, 'cause it's COOL!



HJ, I have been trying to find a pic of a Henry J convertible custom, as I know at least a couple have been done. Do yo have a direct line on one?

 

RE Post #2051, SunRoof, maybe that's why so many under-talented modern musical acts do so many covers of classic records, eh?

 

This 1952 Henry J was built by the Kaiser Frazer Corporation. The only other convertible Henry J like it was a prototype car that the factory built to showcase at the auto shows back in the early 1950's. The prototype was then destroyed. This car was purchased by the seller on eBay from the first owner who saw the prototype 1952 Henry J convertible at an auto show that Kaiser Frazer Corporation attended. At least 30 years ago and he decided to make one based on the detailed pictures of the prototype that he had taken at that auto show.









The following Henry J convertible pictures were submitted by Ryan Steffey, Naples, Florida and the belongs to his father Robert Steffery who bought the car in 1973. It is a 1955 prototype built for the Detroit auto show but the car was never produced since the Henry J ceased production at the end of 1954. He started the rebuild and now Ryan plans on finishing the project. This car's serial number (Body Number)is #1 as seen on the name plate shown below.
Ryan knows of only three of these cars being built and this one is the only one remaining.

 

Did you notice in the text it said "This is an Industry First". If StrudelBaker was still in business the could get enough $$$ from Ford to keep them in busines with that comment.

 

Sorry Jimi; Didn't have any thing to do with post 2051, that was HJ'S You really are delirious today. LOL

 

<CENTER></CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER></CENTER>

http://oldcarandtruckpictures.com/EricGordonsKaiserConvertible/index-a.html

I think I just gave up a one of my secrets. LOL​

<CENTER> </CENTER><CENTER> </CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER>ERIC GORDON'S '54 KAISER CONVERTIBLE
[SIZE=+2]APPROVED BY DESIGNER "DUTCH" DARRIN[/SIZE]</CENTER>

 

HJmaniac,

Is it me, or did Kaiser use a hood blank for the trunk??? Always loved the Henry J and it's great to see some of the convertibles survived!

 

It sure looks like it. A HAMBER uses an F-1 hood to make a the rear deck on a boatail speedster he is building.

 

Super Cool Custom. Here's a link to another Kaiser custom

http://www.huffreport.com/archives/kustoms/ladyk.htm

as well as a couple pics of a mild 1951 Kaiser custom I took back in 1990 and a 1954 Kaiser Manhattan

 

Don't know if it is extinct, but there was ONLY ONE of its kind, folks. It is the car designed during the war by Howard Dutch "Darrin of Paris." He'd hoped to find a backer to help him mass produce it. Instead, he found others to build it under their own auspices -- Joe Frazer and Henry Kaiser.

Darrin's prototype would serve as the basic template for literally hundreds of thousands of '47 through '49 (and, in fact, '50) model Frazers and Kaiser cars. A technical and historical fact is that this would be the foundation for the first Frazer prototype, and the first-year Frazers and Kaisers were built by Graham-Paige, of which Frazer was head. Since Henry K. didn't have a car to build, it was rather convenient to utilize Darrin and Frazer's design. But, to be fair, Kaiser infused two-thirds of the dough.
<TABLE id=ph_style1 summary="" convertible.? five-passenger Darrin?><TBODY><TR><TD id=wrap2></TD><TR><TD id=wrap7><TD id=wrap9>


</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Sincere thanks to the Frazer Fraternity, which shows this photo on the internet at their site, public.fotki.com/kfnut/the_frazer_fraternity/darrinby, site of the official chat room of the Frazer Fraternity organization. For a great read, first just search Frazer Convertible on Google.

 

SunRoof alleged: Sorry Jimi; Didn't have any thing to do with post 2051, that was HJ'S You really are delirious today. LOL

Jimi: Hey, I may have Alzheimer's, but at LEAST, by God, I don't have Alzheimer's !!! (Oh, BTW, support mental health, or I'll kill you.) LOL

 

Now, didn't I say Kaiser might have made it, but they needed a V-8???
ALSO in the realm of the NEVER-WUZ, a sa-weeet Custom from Sweden.


'07 GoodGuys Custom of the Year, posted last year on another Kaiser thread.
(HJ know, 'cause he posted there, too.).


Surprise her with a Kaiser, amaze her with a Frazer. Or. . . . . just buy her a Tucker.

 

Flashy Kaiser Manhattan was also a "flash in the pan".

The 1955 Kaiser Manhattan.

Despite all the high hopes and dreams that Henry and Edgar Kaiser had for their still fledgling company, competition from Detroit’s Big 3 became too much for K-F to bear. Just five months after the introduction of the 1955 Manhattans, the Michigan plant closed and production was continued in Argentina through the 1962 model year. <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript"> <!-- // begin DisplayAds("Frame1","",""); // --> </script>

The 1955 Kaiser Manhattan was the final model and perhaps a fitting send off for a progressive manufacturer that just couldn’t stand up to the competition. Cosmetically the ‘55 was nearly identical to the 1954... the only change being a slightly raised center fin which ran the length of the simulated hood scoop. The 1954-55 face lift was the product of stylist Buzz Grisinger under the direction of Edgar Kaiser, the founder’s son. It seems Edgar was enthralled by the beautiful Buick XP300 show car which first appeared at the 1951 GM Motorama. Buick styling cues are readily identifiable, particularly when viewed from the front. Compare the floating headlight bezels of the ‘55 Kaiser in the photo above with those of ‘54 production Buicks (Buick photo on my web site at www.thefinman.com). Kaiser’s concave grill treatment was, in my humble opinion, much more pleasing than Buick’s “buck tooth” design of 1954. Other interesting styling cues include dual arched windshield and rear window headers and a large taillight lens which ran forward well onto the top of the tailfins.

Mechanically, Kaiser and Frazer automobiles were fairly reliable and performed well. Six was the number of choice for all Kaiser and Frazer automobiles when it came to cylinder bores. Riding a substantial 118.5 inch wheelbase (3” longer than a Chevrolet of the same vintage), all 1955 Manhattans were equipped with a supercharger which upped the rated horsepower from 118 to 140. This feature was an option on 1954 models. Power was managed by a three speed manual transmission. Overdrive was optional at $107.00. An automatic cost buyers $178.00. Rear axle ratios of 3.91:1, 3.31:1, 4.55:1 and 4.10:1 were offered.

Convenience and appearance items on the order list included power steering and brakes; air conditioning; an eight tube radio ($89.00); tinted glass ($16.00); two-toned paint ($15.00); leather upholstery ($250.00) and real wire wheels ($290.00).

The 1955 models, available in two and four door sedan body styles, would be the last American built Kaisers. As Edgar Kaiser reportedly once said, “slap a Buick nameplate on it and it would sell like hot cakes”. But in the spring of 1955, production would cease at the Willow Run, Michigan plant, a retired, war time facility that Kaiser-Frazer had acquired from Ford. Tooling and manufacturing facilities were transferred to Argentina where Industrias Kaiser Argentina (IKA), in a joint venture with Kaiser Motors of the U.S., would produce the Manhattan under the model name “Carabela” until 1962.

The 1955 Kaiser Manhattan two-door was a rare car indeed, as only 44 were built in 1955 with the entire production of two-door models occurring in January and February of that year. Built by Willys Motors in Toledo, Ohio.

More pictures of a '55 Supercharged Manhattan Two Door Here;

http://rides.webshots.com/album/548928176JyQRXY




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After all the Edsel stuff we did a few weeks ago, I finally found THIS again on another thread. HJ's kit-krunch comment remined me of it. NOT the kind of thing we usually look at here, but it's too much fun NOT to see how Edsel was once cool enough to customize fo a Deuce!

 

Henry Kaiser said a lot of stuff, ya know?

 

1954-62 Kaiser

​

The End of U.S Production and the Move to Foreign Production

The Kaiser Willys Merger - Overview

Kaiser bought Willys-Overland in 1953 for US$63,381,175, renamed it Willys Motors and combined the remains of the Kaiser product lines into it. Before the sale, Willys was hemorrhaging money and saw a steep decline in domestic sales of all models of Jeeps and cars. In 1954, the Willys Motors business unit lost US$35 million and posted even lower sales. Although the Jeep line had solid foreign sales, <st1:country-region><st1>U.S.</st1></st1:country-region> and Canadian sales of Jeeps and Willys automobiles were uninspiring. The Aero was a very nice solid car but cost W-O far too much to keep in the marketplace. Under the new Willys Motors, the necessary decision to discontinue all Willys and Kaiser passenger cars was made and, with the focus shifted to Jeep sales, Willys Motors did considerably better. By 1956 Willys Motors had turned an estimated US$15 million profit and expanded foreign sales while cultivating a domestic market for Jeep products.

Kaiser Automobiles for 1954<o></o>
<o></o>
1954 was not a banner year for sales of Kaiser automobiles. Nor was 1953 for that matter. About 3,500 1953 Kaiser Manhattans were leftover at the end of the model year and these were returned to the factory to be face lifted into 1954s with new front fenders and hood, new taillights and new paint. These models were then sold as 1954 Specials, the entry-level low-priced models, which were a very good deal for the purchasers since they were trimmed as the high-end Manhattans. By mid-1954 all of these Early Specials were sold and the Late Special, built on the 1954 body (the differences: a larger rear window than 1953, new dash and a much more Spartan interior), was in production. 929 Late Specials were built by the end of the model year. The top-of-the-line <st1:city><st1>l</st1></st1:city><st1:city><st1>Manhattan</st1></st1:city> had seen some of its sales stolen by the bargain-buy Early Special but Kaiser also suffered from a lack of funding to complete their V8 engine and found GM unwilling to sell them the Oldsmobile Rocket V8. They then turned to McCulloch (renamed Paxton in 1956 using the middle name of their corporate leader Robert Paxton McCulloch) for superchargers for the 1954 <st1:city><st1>a</st1></st1:city> to increase the horsepower of the venerable 226 cubic inch (3.7L) Continental L-head six. The normally aspirated 226 turned 118hp but when equipped with a supercharger would deliver 140hp. Only 1,200 Manhattans were sold in the 1954 model year<o></o>
<o></o>
With the 1954 model year coming to a close Kaiser management had a dilemma. If they announced an end to passenger car production their distributor and dealer agreements required the company to buy back any new cars, parts and accessories held by the distributors or dealers . By manufacturing a 1955 model the company was relieved of a considerable expense. For 1955 a very minor cosmetic change was made consisting of casting a new hood scoop to make the '55 distinctive from the '54. The only other change made to the car was the implementation of a new body numbering system for all Kaiser-Willys passenger cars and Jeeps. The 1955s were also the first models to comply with a late 1954 agreement between the AMA, the auto manufacturers and the <st1:country-region><st1></st1></st1:country-region>government to implement a new vehicle identification system replacing the use of the engine number to identify a vehicle for licensing. This new number, called the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), required a plate with this VIN to be attached to the body and to have this number also stamped somewhere on the frame. Kaiser assembled 270 Manhattans for the domestic market (226 four-door 51367 and 44 two-door 51467 models) between February and April of 1955. There were no Specials produced in 1955.

Down but Not Out<o></o>
<o></o>
Meanwhile, Kaiser's management was making deal to build Kaiser cars in a foreign country. Starting in 1951 <st1:country-region><st1>rgentina</st1></st1:country-region> sent their emissary, Brigadier General San Martín, to the <st1:country-region><st1>U</st1>nitee States</st1:country-region> in an attempt to convince an auto manufacturer to build cars in <st1:country-region><st1>A</st1></st1:country-region>. In 1954 Kaiser was the only one to accept the offer with the rest believing the market was too small to justify the investment. But they didn't have the rugged products Kaiser did. On <st1:date year="1955" day="19" month="1">January 19, 1955</st1:date> Kaiser and the government of <st1:country-region><st1>Argentina</st1></st1:country-region> signed an agreement to permit Kaiser to manufacture automobiles and trucks in <st1:country-region><st1>A</st1></st1:country-region>. In February, Kaiser created a wholly owned subsidiary named Kaiser Automores, the holding company which in turn owned part of the newly created Industrias Kaiser Argentina S.A. (IKA), the manufacturing and marketing arm. Other partners in IKA included the government-owned vehicle manufacturer IAME and private investors. In August Kaiser applied for and got an import license to bring in 1,021 completed cars, manufacturing equipment and spare parts from the USA. Groundbreaking for the new factory was in March of 1955 with the first Jeep vehicle rolling out of the plant on <st1:date year="1956" day="27" month="4">27 April 1956</st1:date>.

Back in <st1><st1:city>Toledo</st1:city>, <st1:state>Ohio</st1:state></st1> once the domestic production of the 1955 Kaiser Manhattan was complete in April, Kaiser began assembling export models of the <st1:city><st1>Manhattan</st1></st1:city> deleting the automatic transmission and the supercharger found on the domestic models and completed the assembly of these 1,021 cars in June. Once this last Kaiser was produced, the production line was shut down and its disassembly was started. 1,006 cars were ultimately exported to <st1:country-region><st1>Argentina </st1></st1:country-region>with six more sent to Argentina as company cars and six retained at the <st1:city><st1>Toledo</st1> </st1:city>factory. One of these retained cars was requisitioned by design consultant Brooks Stevens and still in his possesion up until 1995. Anecdotal evidence suggests the balance of these cars retained in the<st1:country-region><st1> USA </st1></st1:country-region>were equipped with superchargers and Hydramatic automatic transmissions and used as executive cars. Interestingly, several more 1955 Kaisers would be assembled between 1955 and 1957 from parts remaining at the factory. The first of which, serial number 11022, was built for George Harbert, the head of Toledo engineering, having all of the domestic factory options and domestic standard equipment installed along with being painted in an unusual three-color scheme. Another two cars were assembled in the next few years the last of which is still in existence with documentation from Kaiser Jeep confirming its assembly in 1957. <o></o>
<o></o>
The new Argentine factory was built in the city of Santa Isabel in the province of Córdoba with the Kaiser Manhattan being rechristened the Kaiser Carabela - named after a type of Spanish sailing ship. The USA vinyl and fabric interior was replaced with a more rugged leather interior, the speedometer was recalibrated in kilometers with the temperature, oil, and fuel gauge annotations in Spanish and the spring rates were increased to accommodate the unimproved Argentine roads. Oddly, the dash castings with annotations for vent, heater, headlight and wiper controls remained in English. No consideration was given to offering an automatic transmission due to the anticipated difficulty in obtaining service in remote towns. Production started on the Carabela on <st1:date year="1958" day="25" month="7">25 July 1958</st1:date> and, in the remaining months of year, 2,158 cars were built. IKA was also building Jeep vehicles at the <st1:city><st1>Cordoba</st1></st1:city> factory and assembled 20,454 Jeeps in 1958 alone. The combined Carabela-Jeep production of 22,612 units was 81% of all vehicles manufactured in <st1:country-region><st1>A</st1></st1:country-region> in 1958 with the only competition being a state-run utility vehicle manufacturer. Many have questioned the wisdom of building IKA automobile factory in remote <st1>Santa Isabel</st1> which was far from ports and transportation hubs but the principle reason is that Córdoba was General San Martín's home province and he had strong ties to President Juan Perón<o></o>
<o></o>
In 1962 the Carabela, the “Gran coche argentino” (the Great Argentine Car), ended production with some 15,000 cars assembled providing elegant transportation for the doctors, bankers and other notables in <st1:country-region><st1>Argentina</st1></st1:country-region>. Unlike the <st1:country-region><st1>U.S</st1></st1:country-region> operations, the Argentine operations also built Carabela limousines. The Carabela had some stable mates in 1960-62 in the form of an Alfa Romeo 1900 sedan derivative named the Bergantin (another type of Spanish sailing ship) and an Argentine-manufactured Renault Dauphine (badged IKA Dauphine). In 1962 Rambler variants licensed from AMC would replace all of these. The final form of the AMC variants was the potent <st1>Torino</st1> which saw a lot of racing on international circuits. The Carabela is to this day the heaviest, longest, and widest car ever manufactured in <st1:country-region><st1>A</st1></st1:country-region>rgentina.

Kaiser in <st1:country-region><st1>Brazil</st1></st1:country-region>

The focus of this is essay is the history of the Kaiser product line but a similar exercise was undertaken in <st1:country-region><st1>Brazil</st1></st1:country-region> using the Willys Aero product line. The Willys Aero was manufactured in <st1:country-region><st1>Brazi</st1></st1:country-region> through 1967 with a variety of modernizing facelifts to the original body. Below left is a 1954 Willys assembled in <st1><st1:city>Toledo</st1:city>, <st1:state>Ohio</st1:state></st1> and to the right is a 1960 Willys built in <st1:country-region><st1>Brazil</st1></st1:country-region>.

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<o></o>
And the End

In 1970 Kaiser divested itself of all automotive operations selling the Kaiser Jeep Corporation in the USA to American Motors (with AMC being bought by Chrysler in 1987 for US$360 million), selling Willys do Brazil to Ford and Industrias Kaiser Argentina to Renault. The net profit from the sale of the all of the auto operations was US$145 million
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Kaiser Carabela Bizarro

 

Kaiser Carabela Truck Convertion

 

Kaiser Carabela Funeral and Flower cars

 

Kaiser Carabela Limousine (Built only three)

 

I asked my friend who was the Midwestern VP of the KOFCI about these. This is his reply.

Hi Mike,

I do know about about the cars in general, tho I've never actually seen the ones for sale.

The 55 is a rare paint code car. It was probably...since it's a 2dr...built for a company executive. My dad knew of few of those guys and my uncle ended up with one of the factory exec cars that was painted the same off shade of black.

The two IKAs are actually imports from Argentina. If you go to mercadolibre.com and type in IKA, you'll get alot of listings for cars and parts. It's the Argentina version of ebay.

They are, as described, funeral coaches. Both are on stretched chassis and are, in my opinion, not much to look at!

The 55 is advertised at somewhere around 17 grand which is probably fair money if the car is in good shape. Let's put it this way....if I had the money and it is an exec car, I'd own it.

Hope this helps!
Jim

 

Thanks Mike As you can tell from the posts I made, I did some research on the IKA cars from Argentina and I would have to agree that some are not much to look at.

The comments about the Black '55 are quite interesting.

Jim

 

SunRoofJim, of course, I am and always have been engrossed in anything I can learn about the Kaiser (and Frazer) cars. As NICE as they looked in the second generation, I really think they could have been competitive in the market -- given one or two versions of a V-8 (if for no other reason than THAT was the rage by the mid-'50s).

Honestly, there was an undeserved perception by the lay public that flatheads were obsolete (and that "old hat" mentality started decades earlier, not in the '50s). But, then as now, perception IS reality, and that is how people spend their trust and bucks.

Yes, the Continental Super Hurricane could make 145 hp with a McCullough supercharger, but all that the salesmen and ad men (for other companies) were pushing at that time was color, flashy interiors, cool gadgets & creature comforts AND raw horsepower. By '55, my DeSoto, dead stock, cranked 200 hp with one Carter-4 and could run 112 in a measured mile.

I don't bring this up idly. The point I made before is that Henry Kaiser had at his disposal a Graham-Paige OHV V-8 design, if ONLY he'd have started to develop it, meaning IN STEP with what Chrysler, GM and FoMoCo were doing after the war.

Kaiser (the man) went in too many directions that wasted capital (which could have gone for R&D) -- and the G-P engineer who designed the V-8 eventually wound up at AMC, with his design in hand. Explains a lot.

The failure of K-F, in my opinion, lands at the feet of Henry (not Edgar) Kaiser -- and certainly not upon Joe W. Frazer.

 

As far as I know there are four surviving examples: the Victoria, formerly of Harrah's, then sold to a collector back east, and now going to a hotel collection in Alaska. The second vehicle which first appeared on ebay a few years ago, was a recent restoration.
It went through the collection of the Imperial Palace in Vegas. And the remaining two cars, one of which was unfinished were with Heine until the 1950s. In the 60s they went to the Cars of the Stars collection in Buena Park. The collection is long defunce, but the family probably still has a collection in store. They were in Carpenteria last I heard. In my research there was a hint of a 5th car, but no solid evidence. Heine had a protege named Molinari, who built something called the Molinari Special, which was a one off. Many of the cars built in San Francisco, and California would be considered orphan cars or limited production. Ever looked up Fageol? There's an exotic orphan for you!