ron hausmann

Howard - I have six old photos of this specific type of truck body, most with markings,. I don’t know if these are Army or Marine but they are in this chain. All of the cars are different makes while the bodies appear almost identical except for accommodations which would be unique to that model car. Each cowl is different.

Getting there. Body is not symmetrical as the passenger side has a columnar cabinet-like structure about 6” wide by 18”. You can see that in the photos from 1917 and 1918 if you look close. I suspect that this was to stabilize the otherwise- frail top and for storage as well. I guess having A passenger next to the driver in an army truck wasn’t customary anyway. Tomorrow I’ll start fitting the top bows. Ron Hausmann P.E.

All - as of May 19, 2020 the truck body is taking nice shape. See pictures. The steering column is purposely misplaced in these views because I had to keep it out of my way when building the oak drivers box. Please note that there are several storage compartments required in the tr)C’s walls and bench. The gas tank on light tr7cks is placed under the front seat. My next main steps are: a. Collect and load all spare engine parts for my engine rebuilder. I have three akissel 6-38 derelict engines and should. E able to get one good one out of the lot. b. Finish truck body superstructure to match the pictures. c. Blast, prime, and finish front and rear fenders and experiment with mounting rear ones. d. Build and test fit the running boards. f. Design and create rear step brackets/hitch fittings. g. Scrounge up non leaking radiator core. Ron Hausmann P.E.

It’s not off topic - it’s on topic. I grew up on a farm a few miles away from Hartford Wisconsin. I saw several Kissels, cut down to function as tractors, as a child. They were powerful engines. Moreover my father was a WW2 mechanic and we had a running US Army half track chassis that he drove for fun. So I always had motor oil and Wisconsin cars in my veins. When my kids started graduating college I had enough money to start buying Kissels. And never stopped. That’s it. Ron

Yes that was me. My restored Kissels live at one of the large units at M1 car concourse. Here are several of them at my garage there.

More pics

All - As of May 13, 2020, assembly of the frame components is underway. I’m kind of designing those components as we go, since no trucks of this model survive. Note that I have purposely misplaced the steering co.umn temporarily, to keep it out of my way when fitting oak body components. Challenges ahead are; A. reducing length of all five steering column components by six inches B. unfreezing major rust within brake operating rod components C. designing and ordering gas tank that can actually be filled and gauged with this body on D. Designing and creating instrument box cluster for this unique configuration E. Making a light artillery hitch that is strong, big, and will work for a small towed piece. Stay tuned! Ron Hausmann P.E.

Larry - thanks for your note. Yes let’s get together soon. All - here are current pictures as of May 9, 2020. Body sills are ready to go on. Body aprons have been finished with one coat of camo. Body frame and framed cowl are ready to be mounted permanently on those pieces. Ran out of sill padding so ordered some. This week will star5 doing assembly and she will start looking truck-ish. Ron Hausmann P.E.

Starting to look like a light truck. Here are pictures today May 3, 2020

Thanks alsancle, The pictured car is misidentified as a 1924 Kissel - it’s actually a 1922 or 1923 Model 6-45 Kissel. The top hood vent identifies it as such. I believe this actual car survives and is being restored in New Hampshire right now! ron hausmann

All - Getting back to restoration now that immediate danger is past! I tested NEGAT8VE for COVID19 on Tuesday, April 21 2020,after testing positive on April 1. below are pictures of a 1917 Kissel model 6-38 Light Army Truck cowl, cowl framing and dash instruments casting. The casting rebuild described in post above is coming along well. Just in need of more cosmetic work. Look close. The cowl metal piece was tricky. I cut off the front end of an old car cowl. Try cutting a three-dimensional flared metal cowl completely flat! That new cowl piece required front and back framing to strengthen it. That framed cowl will carry the steering column, instruments, hood, and front framing which requires much strength and rigidity. I carved these pieces out out solid oak. More to follow. Ron Hausmann

All - sorry to have omitted my updates for so many weeks. We are in SE Michigan and things are bad here with the virus. Two weeks ago I tested POSITIVE for coronavirus but seem to be fortunate with a less than severe case. If you are positive, they will keep you quarantined for three weeks, even though you are generally out of danger after ten days or so. To be safe. During this quarantine, after fighting off my milder symptoms, I’ve restarted some therapeutic light restoration work.’ Pictured is an instrument dash plate for my Kissel. The 1916 Kissel dash plate is a beautiful pot metal casting. I’m us g that one. 1917 and 1918 Kissels used pressed metal dash plates. I chose to use a 1916 plate for my car because It was the least damaged and is probably the only one that exists anywhere. No one really knows the difference 1916 to 1917/18?except me telling you here anyway! My cast plate was split on its left side and missing its upper right corner. Today I built a precise form to recast these repairs and so far so good. I used JB Weld in a Saran wrapped form and you can see. It’s great.! After three days cure I can do some dremel work and it will be good as new once painted Stay safe. This virus is bad! Ron Hausmann

It’s a 1923 Kissel model 6-45 Sport Tourster. Will easily Cruise at 60 mph ( if you are crazy enough).

John S. - This light truck is being built on a Kissel Model 6-38 auto chassis, which has a 117” wheelbase and a Kissel-made 6 cylinder L-head engine. As a reference, Ford and General Motors WW1 light truck -ambulances utilized auto chassis rather than true truck chassis. Based upon the 6-38 chassis capacity, this light truck should be a one - ton truck capacity. Ten troopers will be fine. thanks, Ron Hausmann P.E.

I have an unrestored 1931 Desoto sedan with 32000 miles for sale. I’m second owner. Whole car, not just engine. Drove it in college and parked it in 1984. Always heated garage. PM me if interested. Thanks, Ron

All Opinion piece. The only example that I know of that is even close to how this “novel” caronavirus operates is the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. Before all of our lifetimes. Before easy air and car travel. During that pandemic, many thousands of folks died during the “first wave” of that flu. Like now. But MORE people died during the second and successive waves of that virus that followed the first wave. In the UK, twice as many folks died in the second wave of the Spanish flu. So, based on that example, with China returning to normal after its first wave, let’s see if the COVOD19 stays buried or comes back there for a second wave. Getting back to the topic of this forum, the China comeback will tell us a lot about our antique car futures. If no second wave risk shows up, our hobbling probably will be back in step by this summer. But if we see that second waves occur, this will be an 18-24 month disaster. Selling our cars or getting way to old to safely drive them. My humble opinion Now I’m going to my shop to work alone on my 1918 restoration another day Ron Hausmann P.E.

Los Angeles just ordered a one month mandatory quarantine for everyone, with very very few exceptions . Big time shut down of a major city. One month! Ron

All - while working alone on my current 1918 truck restoration and listening to both the lefty and righty radio channels, I’ve had a lot of time to think. COVID19 virus, stock market plunge, massive layoffs, shortages of healthcare guys, etc. Here is what I predict and I hope I’m wrong: 1. Dow keeps dropping to 15,000. 2. Most retirement and 401ks down 50% by this summer. 3. China tries ramping back up , but second wave of COVID19 keeps coming back. Nothing works without a cure. 4. States mobilize their National Guards to help healthcare but also enforce a new national quarantine. 5. US is ordered under true Marshall law-type quarantine at home for two weeks this April. 6. Virus keeps spreading, slowly in US for 18 months til vaccine is arrived at. 7. Federal Stimulus bills will almost “bankrupt” federal government. As a result, Paper money value will plummet. 8. US real estate values will plummet. 9. Over the next 18 months to two years, US economy is damaged worse than Great Depression. Worst damage ever in our history. Hope I’m wrong. Ron

Starting to look like a truck as of March 18, 2020. Ron Hausmann

John - it is possible that your is a picture of a 1929 - 1930 Kissel White Eagle Sedan. The body lines, step plates, wheel hubs, and doors match the one existing White Eagle model pictured here. However your pictured car is longer with rear quarter panel windows, which may be for a longer Kissel Model 8-126 seven passenger sedan, none of which survive.

Here are cargo/trooper benches which make up the lower body of the truck. The front driver seat and cowl have not yet been added. All carved oak. thanks, Ron Hausmann

Hey harvest, I’m “building” a 1918 Kissel US Army light Truck which could easily accommodate an old hitch like this. Can you please send me a couple of dimensions for this and a price ? Thank you. Ron Hausmann P.E.

Framing for longitudinal seats - just like church pews. Ron

Charlie, At my rate of one restoration every 2-5 years, and with two definite jobs in front of me after this truck, my old body may not last long enough to get to a wrecker. I do all the work alone, including carving the oak, and that wreaks havoc on my joints. we’ll see ron

As of February 26, 2020, work is progressing on the framework for the truck body. I’m using premium red oak planking as originally, Kissel used Oak and ash. I’m reverse engineering the framework dimensions from the pictures which I have. See below. This work has highlited a number of problems with stiffness and clearances whichthe original designers must have dealt with. Ron Hausmann P.E.