ron hausmann

All - YEA YEA YEA ! Today I was contacted by Coker Tire and they are going to run several gray tires as part of their promotion with HCCA . Se the attached flyer. I will follow up here and am very hopeful that I can finally source my Kissel gray tires thru this method!!! Ron Hausmann P.E.

Thank you JRA, Actually, I’ve seen gray tires on some antique cars including Kissel, but there is no documentation that I know of about their use. However, that yellow marketing picture showing the Kissel with gray tires was definitely published in the early 1920’s , so that is real. Coker Tire and Universal Tire here in US do make and sell gray tires for a few odd sizes but not the 33x5 or 32x 41/2 size that I require. In the end, I just think that the color scheme in the picture with yellow body, cream wheels, gray tires and black top is just perfect! Much better looking than using either white or black tires! Thanks, Ron

As of April 15, 2024, body is done. Will be mounted on chassis next week.

All, We have been unsuccessful in locating a source for gray colored tires which were used on several twenties cars. My 1923 Kissel originally had gray tires as in this picture. Coker and other tire manufacturers haven’t been helpful making special runs to make these. There is little information on the web about painting tires for actual use. For painting tires, I’m thinking to paint new white tires gray. So far I have located and tested the use of US Navy rubber dinghie gray paint. It seems to work. It’s durable and flexible made to be used. DO ANY OF YOU OUT THERE HAVE ANY ADVICE OR COMMENT? I would appreciate any help. Ron Hausmann P.E.

All - This is definitely not a 1928. It’s a 1926 or 1927 as pointed out earlier by the single exhaust port. These Chevy four-bangers will run all day at 45 mph if they are restored. This example has been well rusted and thus the head and rocker pieces are going to be suspect. The head troughs hold water. Also, these Chevy heads tend to be thin and crack easily. Internals probably good but likely some major flaws on some of the exposed parts. Ron Hausmann P.E.

Sad. But things change and Classic car collectors and enthusiasts of twenty years ago are twenty years older and I think that they haven’t really been replaced in the same numbers. I think it a changed, reduced audience. Just not the demand anymore. The show many years ago at Cranbrook was the best in my opinion. I had my Gold Bug at Meadowbrook and absolutely loved the venue. I had my Gold Bug at later St. John’s and that was great too, but not quite up to Meadowbrook I felt. And I had my Gold Bug at the first Concourse at DIA which felt really cramped and had quite restricted attendance. It was still fun. I’ll miss the shows, wherever they are, in Detroit. But you can always get invited to other nice ones that are relatively close by, like the Milwaukee Concours or the Cincinnati Comcours, if you want to go thru the process. Time marches on. We don’t - our hips give out. My thoughts. Ron Hausmann P.E.

Every states laws are different. Where are you located?

All - As of March 18, 2024, we are moving right along! a. Rear tail light and bracket has been mounted and wired. b. Luggage rack wood runners have been fitted and secured. c. Body and body panels at painter are being coated and rubbed out. Very very nice work. I’ll continue mounting whatever i can onto the frame until we get the aprons and body back from painter to open up a lot of finish work. Ron Hausmann P.E.

I’ve used AER for a good dozen of my unique Kissel generators, distributors, and starters. yes they are very long and backed up. yes they are expensive too! yes they can sometimes take awhile to connect on the phone or text. but I’ve never found any service that is so exact and wonderful when I’ve finally gotten the parts back.! superlative! worth the wait. ron hausmann P.E.

All - Finally after several years, the Kissel 6-38 engine is installed, tuned, and running. And the headlights are mounted. Just some final wiring, horn, trim and a lot of remedial cleaning and touch up, but she’s essentially done!,, Ron Hausmann P.E.

All, As of March 6, 2024 we are finally in the home stretch - final assembly! The painter is painting parts after all have been test fit. All connections and seams are better than when new, and the fun part starts now. 1. Completed chassis has been released by painter and is now at my shop for fitting out. (First 2 pics) 2. Front bumper brackets that I made and signature Kissel bar bumper has been mounted, adjusted, and protected (next two pictures) 3. Rear bumper, luggage rack wood, and mounting hardware have been mounted and adjusted and protected. I was extremely lucky to get a set of original Kissel 6-45 Luggage mounts (last pictures). 4. Mounting final “jewelry” onto car will now continue. 5. soone will start getting body pieces for final assembly. Ron Hausmann P.E.

All, I’ve had good results in patching cracked pot metal parts with J B Weld. Stewart tank bottoms, tank tops, crankcase front covers, etc. as long as the parts still fit and aren’t t warped, and as long as the parts aren’t stress carrying, that seems to last successfully. On parts like pot metal generator endlayes, handles, etc. don’t bother. I just have those pieces machined out of brass or recast. Remy generators in the twenties used crappy pot metal on many of their units, which makes replacement a big problem. After so many decades, those end plates crack and pot metal actually curls and warps, making them useless as patterns. Brass replacements or aluminum need to be made. Ron Hausmann P.E.

All, Started her up and tuned her today. Some modest trim work, hood adjustment, lighting, and minor other things to do. But she’s essentially ready to cruise with nine Grandchildren Ron Hausmann P.E.

All, I have several Stewart tank models complete and/or in parts. And different Stewart mounting brackets. I also have several new rebuild kits. If anybody wants any of my parts, please PM me, with type of Stewart (dimensions of outside) and if you arent buying a complete one, which parts. l am selling off a lifelong collection of 1915-1929 exotic car parts that I’ve canabalized to get 12 complete cars out of. I likely have anything you guys want. Ron Hausmann P.E.

All, The shop that is painting my 1923 Kissel Gold Bug is also working on an original Tucker. You can see it next to my Kissel in several of these pictures. I have seen several original Tuckers thru the years and looking at this one, I was surprised at the relatively poor quality of the bodywork. Imperfect seams, variable gaps, mismatched paneling, etc. Like the bodies were “slapped together” in a hurry. I’ve not seen the movie. But I remember being told that the real Tucker was in a hurry to produce cars in order to secure banking and financial backers. Is this true? Ron Hausmann P.E.

Well today we ran it and she purrs! here are pictures of a completed Kissel Midel 6-38 engine, perfectly balanced, and complete. We will test drive her Friday morning! Ron Hausmann P.E.

Where’s Waldo?

All, After nearly a year that I spent working on m 1924 Kissel Gold Bug, I’ve returned t finishing the 1917 Kissel US Army Light Truck.. Last we3k we cranked up the engine with the help of a new Remy 284 coill and correct distributor cap. Today we put the engine into the truck , with hopes that she will be drive able by next week. Things went surprisingly easy during the install. Here are pctures. Ron Hausmann P.E.

All, Kissel used an unbelievably wide range of trim items their cars. For exampl, while they made only 50 to 100 Gold Bug Model 6-45 speedsters a year, some trim items were only used on those models for a year or two. My cars’ trim is this type. Below are pictures of the front bumper mounts which were used on Kissel Gold Bug Speedsters late 1921 to mid 1923. Even my restored 1923 Kissel Gold Bug does not have original ones. Since I am restoring this, my second 1923 Gold Bug precisely, I have manufactured exact copies of 1923 bumper mounts from period correct pieces, steel bar stock, and metalworking. A picture of an original bumper mount from the Kissel parts manual, is below and is the model for what I’ve made. Several pictures show the “head” part of the mount cut at the 35-degree angle, bar stock, and pictures of metal working to replicate the originals. I also created long slot head screws from modern bolts. ( Four years ago, I was lucky enough to buy rear bumper mounts at Hershey)! A lot of rewarding work. Enjoy! Ron Hausmann P.E.

All - Here are a few more pictures of the car as of January 18, 2024. Also shown are pictures of a couple of the last accessories, after market air cleaner and L and R front mudflaps, that I’ve restored for the car. Now just awaiting body being finish painted for final assembly. Ron Hausmann PE.

PM sent

Hey Doug, I have one senior Boyce motometet but there are better, cheaper ones available on eBay. I suggest you buy there. I have one replacement new thermocouple for those big meters . Sell that for $100 if you want. Always have a spare! Take care. Ron

Doug - OOPS I guess you just need the motometer and the Kissel nameplate, not the cap (dogbone). ill check next week. Ron

Dpug, As you know, kissel had a number of different sized radiator caps. is yours an interior or exterior type? What is the diameter and TPI please? thank you! Ron

Thank you Rob!