ron hausmann

All, This is a new thread to make sure that all of you old car enthusiasts are aware of the following once in history event which is happening September 11 and 12, 2010 at this year's Henry Ford Old Car Festival, which is held in Dearborn, Michigan. As many of you know, the Henry Ford Old Car Festival is one of the largest true antique car shows in the US, attracting 600 cars between the years of 1898 and 1932. It is a wonderful event! At this year's Old Car Festival, a dozen of the world's surviving 38 Kissel Gold Bug Speedsters will be displayed right in the middle of this Festival. For a few years now, a few of us who have the priviledge of owning a Kissel Gold Bug have discussed getting a number of us from around the world together, and the idea has taken off!. The Kissel Motor Company made high-end cars, trucks, and military vehicals in the rural Germanic city of Hartford, Wisconsin from 1908 to 1931. Never a big producer, they designed and built a very beautiful, sexy, rakish Speedster known as the Kissel "Gold Bug" from late 1919 to about 1928. These were primarily sold to rich and famous movie stars and producers in Hollywood, California in the Roaring '20's. Only 50 to 100 of these gorgeous, rougish vehicles were ever made each year, and only about 38 complete cars have survived from all years. Some of these Speedsters are now in Paris, Argentina, and 2 in Australia. This year at the Henry Ford Old Car festival, we will have 11 or 12 of these beauties ! Nearly one from every year and model ! All in a row ! Don't miss this history. Never been done before, or at least not since the 1920's! Join us ! Ron Hausmann (313-510-8463)

Folks, This weekend i just started to restore the 1923 Kissel Model 6-55 Brougham Opera Sedan which was sitting in a shed in Florida for the last 36 years. It is the red one in the pictures. This Saturday we unloaded all of the engine and loose parts which were stored in the back seat, and we were very surprised that after so many decades, every landau bar, oil dip stick, special interior nickeled trim piece, and optional floor heating device, - everything - was there. It needs wood work, upholstery, engine, and paint, but it will be a restoration where i won't have to make or substitute parts. The yellow car is my other Kissel. It is a 1923 Kissel Model 6-45 Gold Bug Speedster, very rare and fast. Its fittings are almost the same but the Model 45 engine is a bit bigger in stroke. Thanks, Ron Hausmann

All, The 1923 Kissel Brougham Opera Sedan will be delivered this afternoon to my shop in Michigan! Thanks for your interest. Ron Hausmann

All, Here are a few more pictures of the kissel Barn Find. The file sizes are so large that I cannot get the side views to post, but you get the picture. It is a solid, complete, and very big beautiful 1923 Kissel Brougham Sedan. It has some rare options that i have not ever seen on a Kissel, but that would probably be expected since Kissels were"custom built" according to period literature. It will arrive in Michigan on Monday to begin its transformation. Thanks for all the interest. Ron Hausmann

Here are more pictures

Here is my first try at attaching pictures of the 1923 Kissel "shed find". Please excuse the duct tape. As you can see it it a formal 1923 Kissel Model 6-55 Brougham Sedan with Opera Windows. I will attempt to post more pictures Ron Hausmann P.E.

All, The car was sitting in a garage since 1976. It is all original, and much of the metalwork is still bright. Nickeled bumpers and doors shine.That's the good news. The top wood however needs replacing, which is a relatively easy matter as these were complete squared wood top frames. The upholstery got wet in antiquity and is also shot, although it will be used for patterns. All the engine parts are there except for the rod that went thru the pan and the bottom of the engine block, which is why it was set aside in 1976. As tragic as that sounds, this will not be a big deal to repair. No water jacket damage! And since My stock Car mechanic and i just finished a 100% rebuild of my 1923 Kissel 6-45 engine, we will be able to make this one purr as well. I will get pictures next week when I take possession. Thanks, -- RON --

All, I viewed this car and have purchased it with a goal to have it show-quality restored within two years. All the parts are there but it needs an awful lot of TLC. Many of the parts for this 1923 Kissel Model 6-55 Brougham Sedan are identical to those used on my 1923 Kissel Model 6-45 Gold Bug Speedster. 1923 was a "transition" year for Kissel, moving from their big model 6-45 engine to the shorter stroke 6-55. The Model 6-55 is a CCCA Classic, while the bigger Model 6-45 Gold Bug Speedster is not; go figure. There are only two 1923 Kissel Brougham Sedans in existence. This one which i just purchased, and one in the Wisconsin Automotive Museum. These are very pretty cars, even for enclosed models. Very interesting. Wish me luck. Ron Hausmann P.E.

Restorer32, There is little factory documentation about Kissels. Most was, as you probably know, lost in the 1930's and 1940's when the plant was progressively decimated. But the recent 1922 Lynn Heintz barn find of a 1922 Kissel with E& J's and my own Kissel E & J lights which upon disassembly show a 1923 date and untampered wiring, tell me that these could have been factory equipment. The Kissel brothers were not too formal, and mixed and matched and custom built alot of things it seems. I just bought another Kissel 1923 yesterday, which has standard drum headlights, but very weird green visors on them. I'm sure they are original, butagain they aren't shown in any of the surviving literature. That's enough for me. RON

All, It is not a Cunningham, but is a 1921 or 1922 Kissel Model 6-45 Gold Bug speedster. The fenders are rounded, not flat, which marks it as a 1921, 1922, or 1923. The hood has a top air vent which was discontinued after 326 cars were made, mid 1923. The headlights on 1923 Kissel Gold Bug speedsters wer either "drums" or E & J types. This picture has "Bullett" shaped headlights which were standard on 1921 or 1922's. The cowl lights also look like they are bullet shaped like were on the 21's and 22's, butnot 23. The car is a Deluxe speedster with optional bumpers and Buffalo #5 wheels. It has suicide seat drawers, but they are folded in the body behind the left hand guy. Check out my 1923 Kissel Gold Bug Speedster on Google - Mine is the beautiful yellow one! Thanks, -- RON HAUSMANN P.E. --

Sir, The old Stromberg Catalogues show that many "O" and "LB" model carburators can handle a 250-300 ci engine. They have tables in the last pages of the old Stromberg manuals. Many of these are updraft types and were also applied on 1920-1923 cars (like my big six Kissel). LB's and O-types are available often on ebay. I suggest that you could mount one of these as long as you can get an adapting flange. These are occasionally on ebay (very rare but a standard accessory in the 1920's), or you can have one machined. Model M Stromberg carbs are not common and I have seen several cars retrofitted to use more available stromberg models. Thanks, -- RON HAUSMANN -- PS - Tuning a Stromberg LB or O type requires patience !!

Sir, I am interested in one of the #5 Wrenches. Please call me at 313-510-8463. (It will fit my 1923 Kissel GOLD BUG Buffalo wheels!) Thanks, Ron Hausmann

Sir, Any update on getting information and pictures of the car? I am interested and a Kissel enthusiast. My email is rhausmann@walbridge.com Thanks, Ron Hausmann

Richard, Two Kissel GOLD BUG Speedsters, a 1920 and a 1925, are available at Hyman Ltd. See their web site. Thanks, -- RON --

Lee, I am interested. I own a 1923 model 6-45 which is a little different. Please check out my car on the web. Please send any and all pictures, engine number (on carb side of engine plate), and body plate number (on cowl) to me at rhausmann@walbridge.com . Or call me at 313-510-8463.

Attention all Kissel enthusiats; From September 10 thru 12, 2010, an assembly of approximately 10 of the surviving Kissel Gold Bug Speedsters will be shown at the annual Henry Ford Old Car Festival, held in Dearborn Michigan. Kissel Speedsters were made in very limited numbers in Hartford, Wisconsin between 1919 and 1928. Only 50 to 150 Speedsters per year were custom made. Only 36 Speedsters of all years survive as of today. 10 of these surviving Kissel Gold Bug Speedsters from years between 1920 and 1927 are planning on coming from as far away as California and possibly Paris. It is believed that this number and sequential years of Kissel GOLD BUG Speedsters have never been assembled in history. For more information on this historic Kissel gathering, please email the Ron Hausmann P.E., 1923 Kissel GOLD BUG Speedster owner, at rhausmann@walbridge.com.

Sir, According to the old listings on the "Carburetor Shop" manuals, the OE-2 Stromberg was stock equipment on 1922 and 1923 Elcar 6's as well as Red Wing marine engines in 1927 and 1928. Stromberg O Series carbs showed up on many very rare cars. My Kissel uses an equally hard-to-get OS-2 or OC-2 Stromberg. Luckily, many O series parts interchange. Thanks, -- Ron Hausmann P.E. --

John, The radiator shape and the size of the car indicate that it could be a Kissel. The period advertizing which still exists about Kissels in that period are very similar to the car in the picture, so it could be. Kissels were made in Wisconsin, and never in great numbers. They generally were sold in Wisconsin where they were made, and in New York and Hollywood to rich folks. Unfortunately according to the International Kissel Registry, there are NO surviving Kissel coupes from the "teens" so all you can go on is picture. I am not familiar with Locomobiles so I can't help there. Thanks, -- RON --

All, I live in the Detroit, Michigan area and have dealt with several plating companies. Each of these three companies do not charge any differently between Nickel or Chrome. My 1923 Kissel Model 6-45 Gold Bug Speedster was originally Nickel trimmed and that is the way I have kept it, no matter how much more polishing it takes (and it does!). My 1927 Chevrolet was originally aluminum and chrome. I have been told that the cheaper cars went to chrome in the mid-1920's while the more elitist car makes hung on to nickel into the later 1920's. I have seen an original 1928 Buick in chrome, not nickel. Hope this helps. -- RON HAUSMANN --

All, Well I answered my own initial question this past week (December, 2009) when I disassembled the E & J Model 20 headlights. They are thick cast aluminum, highly polished, and the end screws have a two inch embossed "keeper" or flanged washer that says that these headlights are "Edmond and Jones Patented June, 1921". So I now have an answer and can demonstrate that these are period-correct headlights. Thanks for your help and advice. -- Ron Hausmann --

Restorer32, I actually got thru to the owner of this Kissel and actually spent half a day visiting the car. It's wheels and rear axle were changed out - wrong wheel size if you look close. It is a 1922 Kissel 6-45 Glod bug to be certain (I own a 1923), but the rear trunks and lack of "outrigger seats" have all of us including the Kissel Museum Curator confused. There are no records of Kissels having true rumble seats before 1925. This one has one but the step plates are not something that came with the car (I could tell from anchorage points). We think that the car perhaps was modified from original many, many decades ago. Body was rusted thru in many critical places. I did not buy it. Thanks, -- RON --

Sir, There is a 1920 Revere Phaeton which has a running Rochester-Dusenberg Brothers engine in Mass. It had all the body/engine/chassis parts but it needs an awful lot of help and creativity to bring it back to lfe (one - two years full time ??). Probably would need to recast the solid aluminum radiator too. But if that's what you are looking for, you would have a "one-in-five" in the world show car. They were looking to get 75,000 for it as-is. But it would be very expensive to finish. Thanks, -- RON --

Sir, No I am not the Same Ron Hausmann. I've lived in Michigan 40 years. Good luck on the Stromberg. RON

oldodgeboy, I have a 1923 Kissel Gold Bug with a Stromberg OS-2 Carb with an economizer. I couldn't find any guidance either except the earlier LB-2 has some manual economizer tips. After fiddling with it, I just found the setting that seemed to work best. I believe that all it does is avoid wasting fuel. And for the few miles we drive these guzzlers, I don't think that economy of fuel really matters anyway. Thanks, -- RON --