1917 kissel 6-38 4 passenger roadster

[Rbrown1917]

I just recently acquired my first prewar classic which has been a goal of mine for some time now. The car being a 1917 Kissel 6-38 4 passenger roadster which many other automobile makes would call a clover leaf roadster. The car is very complete roughly 95% though it is torn down and in the middle of the restoration process. I have very little if any history on the car other than the two previous owners names at this point. The car seemed to have been kept in decent condition with the chassis being very nice with no rust pitting and also keeping all its original metal panels. At some point in the last 10 years the wood in the car was redone at a professional level though some hardware will need to be switched having philips head screws, but the work that was done was of good quality. The wheels were redone which is a major plus as well as the engine being rebuilt but of course that will need inspection either way. Pretty excited this is my first Classic and I'm also a new member of the AACA!! i will be on the hunt for some parts in the near future  which include all instrument gauges and a radiator emblem which will be on the top of my list to find. Ryan Brown

[ron hausmann]

Ryan,

Kissel built a number of models in 1917 and 1918 including two 3-passenger roadsters. The standard "Hundred Point Six 3-passenger Roadster" had a convertible top with side curtains while the "All-Year Hundred Point Six 3-passenger Roadster" had both a convertible top and a detachable carved wood hard top. The wood on the Kissel "All-Year" bodies were "Gibraltar-Built" doubled wood which was to accommodate the sliding windows used in the detachable wood hard tops. Attached is a copy of a sales brochure from that time which identifies those available Kissel models. Your body and wood frame identifies it to be the Hundred-Point Six 3-passenger roadster which is shown. It would have a convertible top but not a detachable wood hard top.

Kissel seemed to use the Hundred-Point Six accolade to name their late Model 6-38 cars.

Good luck on this very good acquisition!

Ron Hausmann P.E.c

[Rbrown1917]

So my car would be the 4 passenger model roadster since it has the two front buckets and rear bench with a trunk correct? Could my car have been built as a 4 passenger 100 point 6 and not have the detachable hardtop? my body is the same is the one two down on the left. i do have metal trim pieces that i believe go around the top part of the body all the way around. i will have to check to see if holes exist in them for side curtain rods

Edited September 14, 2017 by Rbrown1917 (see edit history)

[ron hausmann]

Ryan - Kissel built Model 6-38 engine cars with removeable tops from about 1915 up till 1918. There were also a few "Silver" models in 1919 but none survived. In September of 1917 Kissel added the roll-down window feature to their removeable top models, which required a more sturdy wood body. That is the "Gibraltar" body. the top attached to the body using brackets as pictured. The roll down windows ran in hollow channels in the top and body as shown in picture two.

       If your car has a squared-off trunk or bustle, and not rounded, then you do have the detachable top 4-passenger model in the picture. Without more pictures of the wood or back, I cannot tell if it's an early 1917 (without moveable windows), or a later 1917 with windows. You could tell yourself if the wood body parts and doors are two-sided. It's also possible that whomever restored the wood was not familiar with these differences and just did it wrong. If you have the metal covers, you do have the detachable top model. Regardless, you have an interesting car.

       Right now there is only one Kissel car that exists of any year with its removeable top. that's mine. You could carve one for yours and use mine as a pattern.

       I have dozens of period correct factory pictures and advertisements for Kissel Hundred Point Six cars that I'm using in my restoration. Ill bring them along to Hershey for you to view if you like.

Good luck, RON