1951 Kaiser Drag'n build

hi jeepman here. i plan on having my kaiser jeep FC150 at goodguys saturday, if i see you i'll swing by and say hello. i belong to the kaiser club here in phoenix, those are unique cars.

 

I stopped after work yesterday and bought my first copy of TRJ ever. It's worth every penny. Page 52&53 would make a great poster. The paint job just blows me away. Congrats on a fine job and I hope to see your Kaiser in person at some point.

Blind Elwood

 

It is always.

 

I just got my copy of TRJ a couple of days ago, read the article and this whole thread and man, this Kaiser is awesome !!! I can't even imagine the satisfaction...
Great job !

 

First time i've seen this thread. WOW what a transformation. A beautiful car.

 

I read the TRJ article on your car and saw where the build was covered on the HAMB so I finally made it through all 60 pages.....wow......amazing!!!! Great build, great chrome, paint, interior.....everything. Thank you for sharing the build with us.

 

Thanks guys. I appreciated Ganahl's acknowledgment that there is a lot more work than can be shown in the article, even as long as it is, so I'm glad to hear the article is leading people to this thread. I didn't know how beneficial this thread would be to my build when I started it. It's cool how things come around isn't it?

 

Any chance this is going to be at the Round-Up this year? Please?

 

Pretty amazing transformation from post #1 to now. Nice work.

 

LSRU is over 1000 miles and I don't have a trailer, so it's doubtful.

 

Don't think I can add to what everyone else has been saying. Awesome first build. Mad skills. Just read all 60 pages and my eyes are burning. One of my favorite Kustoms ever. Genius.

 

Hey man, a thousand miles in a Caprice is nothing!

 

Shhh, don't tell them it's a Caprice. Somebody might get their panties in a bunch!

 

C'mon Keith, a thousand miles...? Blue painter's tape is your friend. Just ask BobK......

(please come to Austin )

 

wanna start over?

 

Ooh, I would like to build a '55 Traveler, but man to think about doing all that work over again... I would rather build something completely different for the next build. Then again I bet I could build this same car in half the time the second time around. So much time was spent "learning" as in doing things the hard way, doing them twice or just spending a lot of time staring at the car and thinking.

 

Maybe next year when the boy is walking and the car has some rock chips.

 

I just Googled Kaiser Traveler to brainstorm for a minute and found this.

 

Just make that your other Kaiser, don't hack the Drag'n into a hatchback.

 

You Got it Done? Very Cool... Awesome Looking Ride..

 

I'm likely buying a pair of 51 Kaisers this summer to keep them from the crusher... NTAPHSE you wanna build a fleet?

 

You want something different? Here's a challenge and it's close to home http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/2876414775.html

 

Keith, I just spent over three hours going through this build. I was pointed in your direction by HAMB member, Millersgarage, bacause I had just posted a wanted ad for replacement gauges for a 51/52 Kaiser Cluster. Of course, he pointed me to your gauge thread, which eventually pointed me here. Having grown up in SoCal, Torrance to be exact, I have known of the many famous customizers, for years. Unfortunately, I have only had the pleasure of meeting a couple, of which Mr. Winfield, sadly, wasn't one of them. Anyways, I'm truly amazed at your tenacity, especially for someone your age. You are truly an inspiration to all of those un-completed projects, lurking in garages all over the world. Only one word came to mind that can possibly convey your build: STELLAR
That's it in nutshell!
Congratulations on the new addition to your family and God bless you all.
Ivan

 

Hey thanks Ivan! Did you get your gauge problem figured out? You can always call Kaiser Larry for parts. I would also recommend taking Gene's Sheetmetal Fabrication Class. It's a good way to get to know Gene at his best, teaching the skills he's learned over the decades.

 

Not yet, I've been slacking but I think I'm entitled to slack now right? I just need to pull them out and take a look. I did take a day to clean up the headlight wiring and mount the hi-beam switch though. Still need to lower the seats and mount front shocks. Oh, and calibrate the speedo so it will read correctly. Every time I drive the car I make a list in my head of little things to change or fix.

 

Holy crap. Just spent my entire work day reading this front to back. 61 pages of glory. You make me want to get a Kaiser. Unreal. Simply unreal.

 

You're very welcome Keith. I would have loved years ago to have taken a body class from Gene, but now I live in North-central Alabama, so that would be too far away. I haven't decided which way to go with my gauges yet. I truly want to keep the mechanical speedo for the "look" I'm after, but I definitely need to replace the other gauges. I had thought of installing some 2" gauges like you did, but was hoping for some other possibilities before I go that route. I have actually found some aftermarket "in-dash" replacement gauges that look like they would work, but unfortunately, the fuel qty gauge doesn't match the three others(Sweep) so I'm still researching online... Again, it has been a pleasure getting to see your build. Ivan

 

excellent job man. Now I have to get my fat ass in gear and put a car on the road!

 

I'm right down the street, call me when you want a hand!

 

Hey everyone, Rodder's Journal 54 should be on the news stands for a little while longer, but 55 is coming soon. Make sure you get a copy before they are gone.