ron hausmann Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 All,Thought that i would post up pictures of the "Shed-find" 1918 Kissel Model 6-38 Sedanette which I picked up yesterday. It had been stored for decades with thousands of other things in 5 sheds in the middle of New York. All the fenders, lights, engine, trim are there but not pictured. According to the National Kissel registry, this car is the only known 1918 Kissel Sedanette that exists. The Kissel Sedanette was a Roadster bodied car with a convertible top (not pictured) which then could be removed and a wood enclosed-car top easily put on for Winter. It worked yesterday because the car was too high to fit into my enclosed trailer.The 1918 Kissel Sedanette was the immediate precursor to the new 1919 Kissel Gold Bug Models.Ron Hausmann P.E. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcarfudd Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 That's a whale of a find! Good luck with it! Are you planning a preservation or a restoration? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 Great find. Looks like a fun project. Can't wait to see more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 Fantastic find, Kissel always made an interesting car. This is a unique body style, that's "convertible" for the seasons. Many early high end cars came with two bodies, an open one for the spring/summer, a closed one for the winter/fall, and if you were well enough off to own such a car, then you could hire (or had on the payroll!) people to change the bodies. Actually, if you think about it, if the cars were made correctly to do that, it's not that big a job....Congrats on a great find...I'm constantly amazed at the number of cars still out there, but it's a big, big country! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Did you get the roadster body too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 I think that is the roadster body, with the hardtop attached... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted September 1, 2013 Author Share Posted September 1, 2013 Trimacar is correct - the whole carved wood top can be taken off at the belt line,vand a convertible top with top bows installed. You can't see it here, but we got all of the bows, top portholes, both windshields - the one for the wood top and the slant one for the convertible, and all the fenders and trim. We have Kissel model 6-38 engine number 38-4631 with the car. That's why this is really a good, complete find.i will post pictures of parts later.Ron Hausmann P.E. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motoringicons Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Great find Ron! Will you have it ready for the 2014 St. Johns Concours?!?!?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted September 2, 2013 Author Share Posted September 2, 2013 Motoring icons,no way can this be ready for St. Johns in 2014. I have a full time engineering career for a few years yet, so this one, like the 1923 Kissel Brougham Sedan, will have to be done the occasional night and weekend. Probably about two years. But it will be easier than the Brougham because so much of the woodwork has bee precut by the prior owner. And several body panels refabricated. These were not pictured but I now have a shop full of them.Thanks, Ron Hausmann P.E. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted September 3, 2013 Author Share Posted September 3, 2013 All,More pictures showing what the 1918 Kissel Model 6-38 Sedane' or Sedanette with two different tops looks like, as well as the actual car now disassembled. As the Sedan's restoration progresses, we will post more. In two years done!Ron Hausmann P.E. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bkazmer Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 All,More pictures showing what the 1918 Kissel Model 6-38 Sedane' or Sedanette with two different tops looks like, as well as the actual car now disassembled. As the Sedan's restoration progresses, we will post more. In two years done!Ron Hausmann P.E.If transport permits, it would be really cool to show it with one top on and the other displayed alongside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted October 7, 2013 Author Share Posted October 7, 2013 All,Time for a few more pictures of the "1918 Kissel All-Year, Hundred Point Six Sedanette" now that we have most of theb parts sorted out. There are also period correct advertisements from 1917 and 1918 which show this two-top car. It appears to be, according to the Kissel Registry, the only removable top Kissel which has survived. I'll restore it first with the soft top, so I can drive it while I carve the oak top pieces needed.Thanks, Ron Hausmann P.E. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2Wrench Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 ...and the excitement builds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lordairgtar Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 So nice to see another fine Wisconsin built car in caring hands. Thanks for posting this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted July 12, 2014 Author Share Posted July 12, 2014 All,Have been working on the 1918 Kissel Sedanette Chassis. Here are a few pictures from July, 2014 showing the completely rebuilt chassis which has been powder coated, new springs, and ton of suspension parts. Chassis with 6 brand new WHITE Coker "non-skid" 34 x4 tires will be rolling in a month. Then do the Holland Blue wood and main body parts this winter while the fenders and auxillary parts are painted gloss black, and while the Kissel Model 6-38 engine is assembled and run. (That's a Kissel Model 8-126 engine in the background - no car, just engine. Largest 8-cylinder engine produced in the United States - Lycoming, also used in Cord L-29 models, but Kissel customized their Lycoming engines. Big hunk of metal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motoringicons Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Looks great Ron. We are looking forward to having it at the St. John's Concours when it is completed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lordairgtar Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Thanks for the update on your project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted October 21, 2014 Author Share Posted October 21, 2014 All,More pictures of the 1918 Kissel Model 6-38 Sedanette restoration. As of today, 10-22-14, the chassis is nearly completed and powder coated and painted. The fenders and aprons have all been fitted, applied, and then taken off to be painted. The wheels are ready to be painted. Now comes the hard part - finishing the removeable oak hard top so that the body can be finished to match, and then, and only then, the converible top. One more year!. Remember, this is the only Kissel Sedanette (4-Passenger Convertible Gibtralter bodyied Kissel) that exists!.Ron Hausmann P.E, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I love the 1931 DeSoto lurking back there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Wow. Great find. Glad to see this Kissel found a good home. Very Cool Car. :cool: Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 There was one of these detachable sedan bodies that somebody had found and put in the "What is it"? forum recently. I explained how some cars were made with winter and summer interchangeable bodies but I don't know if the message came across. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 All,A few more pictures of current restoration as of November 2014. Rear axle has been serviced, restored, and bolted in. rear brakes and new linings have been delivered, installed and faithfully adjusted. Wood wheels have been sanded, painted, clearcoated, and are ready to be mounted on car with tires to complete the rolling chassis. Then we start the wood body framework.Ron Hausmann P.E. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 Kissel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Ash is also less acidic than oak. Also less stringy. Pretty much the same price as oak, we pay $3-3.50/bd ft for clear kiln dried ash depending on thickness. Some folks can be allergic to ash dust so best to wear a dust mask when sanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted December 5, 2014 Author Share Posted December 5, 2014 Thanks Restorer 32 for the advice, which I will follow.I am just starting the wood restoration of the removeable top, which must be done to guide the dimensional correctness of the body below. A few pictures of the unrestored top are attached. the wood appears to be all ash. The wood for the body however is completely disassembled. Kissel sales literature of the time actually says that they used both oak and ash. and the two Kissels which i have done so far used oak for many of the upright structural members, as in the sedan verticals, and ash for the more carved pieces horizontally. The thick bottom body rails are oak.Ron Hausmann P.E. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 We've seen oak, ash and even some maple and mahogany in cars we have done. We even did a '28 Caddy Dual Cowl that someone had used treated pine lumber to repair but that's another story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 All,Update. Chassis with new brakes and heavily sanded wheels finally done. Here's a picture from 1-17-15 of the chassis in the foreground with my 5 (yes 5) other Kissels in the backgroundRon Hausmann P.E. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Ron, looks like a Kissel dealership! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted January 24, 2015 Author Share Posted January 24, 2015 All,Recent pictures of sole surviving 1918 Kissel Sedanette restoration, phase 2. The removeable top has been leveled and a permanent stand/jog has been fabricated. The base of the top (pictured) has 12 studs which mate to female holes in the body (not pictured. These are then bolted in place for an exact fit. The pin points need to be EXACT in three dimensions, and dead level, which they are now. Also removed and disassembled the 97 year old windshield which is in pretty good shape, considering. rubber seals are rock hard though.RON HAUSMANN P.E. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 All,Updated pictures of restoration as of April 3, 2015.Removable wood carved top has been restored, strengthened, and made new with carved oak and epoxy. Then I have "slung" the top from the shop joists, above completed chassis, so wood body parts can be "mated" properly in three dimensions. Oak Body pillars and framework are being fabricated by hand and thus fitted. It's starting to look like a car, a really BIG car in fact !! Mating the removable top and bottom halves of doors will be a chore, since no original hardware survived.Stay Tuned. RON HAUSMANN P.E. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan at larescorp Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I don't know how I missed this one before now. Very cool car Ron! Great work so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 All,Here is the restoration status as of May 25, 2015 in text and pictures. the oak body frame, complete with routed window channels has been assembled and glued together. Metal body panels are almost done being fitted. creating the wood floor structure is underway as is the space for the trunk, which is really small but detailed. I've just located a sales brochure and original parts manual supplement which helped me to figure out the top mounts and door hinges. Also got US Patent office Kissel documents which show the patented Kissel "All Year Top" mounting details.With all this oak carving, I now have developed Carpel Tunnel Syndrome - a real bummer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted July 1, 2015 Author Share Posted July 1, 2015 All, Here is the status as of June 30,2015 at 8 PM. Nearly all of the basic wood carving is done, FINALLY. Just the doors and trunk left to make. the three dimensional pins for the removeable top all mate. All the sheet metal remnants fit perfectly, which comes as a surprise to me. I thought that there would be some giant mistakes. I fitted the lower doors, seats, hood, and body panels today one last time. Now I need to get a sheet metal expert to help patch the rotten areas. The engine part sorting from two different parts cars can proceed. Thank God that I have a patient wife. Thanks, RON Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted July 28, 2015 Author Share Posted July 28, 2015 All,Here is an update of restoration status as of July 27, 2015. We were happily interrupted since last update by the birth of another grandson and two family vacations, so less advanced than normally would be.Door bottoms are carved and fitted to the skins. They fit tightly.Door tops are reglued after disassembly and some new pieces. they mate fine.Found two SOSS disappearing hinges (special from Duesenberg) that match my Kissel ones. Thanks to Pete and AACA.Bought two remaining regular brass hinges. Unclear why Kissel used three SOSS and one regular per door ??Soon, body will be removed from frame for sheet metal fitting.RON Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan at larescorp Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Congrats on the new grandson! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted August 11, 2015 Author Share Posted August 11, 2015 All,A couple more pictures of the perfectly fitting "dutch" doors that the All-Year Kissel requires, so that the top can be removed. I'll never do another wood restoration, but time aside, am very proud of how my carved oak members and features fit!Thanks, RON HAUSMANN P.E. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted September 11, 2015 Author Share Posted September 11, 2015 All -This month's restoration update and pictures. August was car show and Woodward Dream Cruise month so less progress.We used the one rusty remaining original Kissel body fitting to fabricate a dozen new ones. These L-shaped male and female members mate the dutch doors together so that they act as one when the hard top is on, but you can remove the top halves easily for convertible use. We followed Kissel's 1917 patent document to make these. (Thanks Joe Leaf)We fitted and refitted the hinges and body metal and the L-anchors to make an exact fit in three dimensions. Very tedious.We restored the Kissel patented suicide door release handles, again just like the patent.We added final reinforcing oak plank at certain points and finished the removeable wood floor plates.We recarved all the trunk lid oak parts which were rotted and attached the metal and refinished the hinges and latches.Next up is the cowl and body sheet metal.Ron Hausmann P.E. (Last Picture is my 1923 Kissel Brougham Opera Sedan which won at the August Milwaukee Masterpiece Concours.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 Nice work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted December 6, 2015 Author Share Posted December 6, 2015 All,Been awhile since we updated on our progress on this 1918 Kissel Sedanette restoration.Since last posting, we have finished the car's dashboard, restored all the instruments (not shown), wired the chassis, and fine tun ed the woodwork. We have finished the carving to the extent that I could remove the carved oak hard top for final finish and paint.This is the ONLY Kissel All-Year car that has survived with both hard top and convertible top, and as well, the ONLY Kissel Sedanette model to survive.It is pictured next to my 1923 Kissel Gold Bug and as you can see, this is one big, tall car.!!Ron Hausmann P.E> 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron hausmann Posted December 6, 2015 Author Share Posted December 6, 2015 More Pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now