ron hausmann

All, Was contacted by Boca Raton Concours folks about showing one of my Kissels at the 2023 Show. Insofar as we have a daughter and her family who live a few miles away at Boynton Beach, we agreed to submit our 1921 Kissel Model 6-45 Sport Tourster. It’s an ORIGINAL Kissel car with 14,700 miles and was a true gangster car from Chicago. And it drives like a big old beast. See you all there ! Ron Hausmann P.E.

Penza, I had my bezels nickel-chromed first before going to repair shop. Restoration was done by Scott Speedometer Service, located in Pontiac, Michigan. Phone 248-338-4148 Suggest you talk price. definitely knows how to do it. Ron

Kissel used Spicer units. Ron

Bobs1916, Not familiar with your driveshaft type, but your picture looks identical to my 1916-1924 Kissel driveshafts. See picture. Can you please get us dimensions of the universal end covers and lengths? Maybe they were made by the same sub suppliers. Thank you. Ron Hausmann P.E.

All, Here’s an update on progress as of October 29, 2022. 1. Speedometer has been professionally rebuilt and I renickled the rims . It’s now brand new. 2. Pheeny Walker rim wind clock has been located, purchased and restored. It runs. 3. Radiator cowl welting and shroud welting has been applied using nickel rivets. 4. Radiator cowl polished aluminum trim casting has been restored, welded, and buffed. Lo9ks new. 5. finish painting of wheels to correct off white has been completed.still searching for gray tires. 6. Neville steering walnut Wheels has been sanded multiple ti es and coated to a mirror finish. 7. Cracked cast aluminum steps plates has been professionally polished. One was cracked so I rewelded it and ground and buffed it back to original finish. 8. Remy generator 912 and starter have been professionally rebuilt AND rewound so they are brand new. I pick them up on tuesda6 from Advanced Electrical Rebuild. 9. Numerous small carburetor control rods and anchors have been taken apart, sanded, and repainted. These are all ready for install. My shop is becoming loaded with boxes of fully restored Kissel parts as I await painter finishing my body painting. Once I get her back, it’s a simple matter of applying all these finished units to assemble the car. Ron Hausmann P.E.

Yes it was/is the Joe Antrim car. unfortunately Joe is the one who patched the exterior bullet hole that was in the cowl. Ron

Doug, This may not be the most authentic solution, but it is practical and I would do this if it were my Kissel and I intended to drive it very often. I would mask off the cloth top and coat it completely with a polyurethane spray coating. Two or three coats. Let it soak in in between. The top will look the same but will be a hardened plastic surface which will repel most any stain and rain. Park it under a Wisconsin mulberry tree with confidence. Take care. Ron Hausmann P. E.

All - Ok I have to add to this topic because I actually have an actual “gangster car”. See pictures. Our 1921 Kissel Sport Tourster was owned by a small time player in the Chicago mafia. He bought it new. Some time later in 1922, he stole 500 gallons of booze from the mob, and was a marked man. They hunted him. He was reportedly shot in the leg in the car, complete with a bullet hole in the cowl, but survived as did the almost-new Kissel. He then went into hiding in Indiana along with his stolen booze and the Kissel. The Kissel, being so flashy, was stored then for decades which is why it still has only 14,600 miles. I have a series of letters about this from the second and third owners of the car. Thanks, Ron Hausmann P.E.

Thank you all. I was able to get a used 18” and restored it to fit my Neville spyder. ron hausmann p.e.

Here’s a truly very rare radiator “winter cover” that was on a shed-find 1923 Kissel which I bought several years ago. Aftermarket accessory? Very rough but very thick and tough. Never saw one before nor since. Ron Hausmann P.E.

All, Status as of October 2, 2022. Work on pieces continues as painting of body and fenders at paint shop is underway. 1. Having Stewart speedometer rebuilt at local Speedo shop. 2. Had new aluminum dash plate made since old one was severely pitted. Am polishing it out myself. 3. Buffed and adjusted Neville steering wheel spyder and have created new rim from existing splined wallet rim. Hid the old spyder gaps pretty well. 4. Have started finish painting Houk wheels “antique white” to match the pictures. 5. Restoring front bumper mount hardware. Painting them yellow since rears are yellow. This coming week I’ll crate up various engine parts in preparation for taking engine to get rebuilt. I have everything except a water pump. May have to canabalize an existing engine to get one of these. Thanks, Ron Hausmann P. E.

Better pic.

All , Starting in 1925, Kissel added an option to be able to buy factory equipped three bar or two bar bumpers. Those originals are rare and most, but not all Kissel eights had the three bar types,and the Kissel sixes mostly had the two bars. But they mixed up types a lot. Here are a couple pictures of Kissel three Bar and two bar bumpers. Ron Hausmann P.E.

On the farm growing up, we had a YS Arny White Half Track. My dad was a WW2 mechanic and had it just to fiddle around and drive. It was fun driving into the woods and crushing trees - darn thing would go anywhere. Only problem was that the turning radius was so wide that he had to ruin the corners of the lawn whenever he left the driveway, since our woods and pasture was across the street. Also the battery was really a crazy size. Ron Hausmann

All - looking for unfinished or restorable 18” OD wood steering wheel rim. Don’t need the spyder, just the wood rim to attach to my spyder. please email me pictures and price at ronaldhausmann@yahoo.com Ron Hausmann

John from Australia is one of the most knowledgeable Kissel experts on the planet, so his diagnosis is probably the most correct one. In mid 1923, Kissel discontinued the Model 6-45 engine and chassis (65 hp and 124” wb), and introduced the Model 6-55 engine and chassis (61hp and 121” wb). So there are Model 6-55 Kissels from late 1923. I actually have such a sedan . The tail light in the picture shows what looks like a 1923 tail and tail bracket. So this being a 1923 is likely correct. thank you John. Ron Hausmann

Packard Darin won blue ribbon best in class. trust me it’s bigger than our Kissel Gold Bug. fantastic car! Ron

All - there is another thread now going with pictures of the Detroit “Concourse”. Regardless of spelling, yesterdays show was pulled off well in my opinion. Yes they had too few toilets and some disorganization, but you can’t beat a car show on Michigan Highway 1 - Woodward, for getting the motor city involved . here are pics including my brother and sister in law. I liked it there. Ron Hausmann P. E.

Standard models had wood wheels and no side mounts. Deluxe models had wire wheels with side mounts. Ron

George, Because it has no rumble seat, and because the tires are narrow and the step plates are 6-55 style, I would think that this one is a late 1924 Kissel Model 6-55. It might be a 1925. It’s definitely not a 6-45 from 1923 as those had suicide seats and no golf clubs. Here is a picture of a Model 6-55 from 1925. Ron Hausmann P.E.

More pictures of freshly redone nickel. a. Kissel Boyce motometer with renickeled wings and buffed original radiator cap. b. Engine primer cups. c. Dash fuse box with new fuses and connections d. Dash ignition switch with new key mechanism, internal switching, and tumblers. I experimented with “wiped on” white to fill in the letter indentations and it turned out great. Ron Hausmann P. E.

Sir, what are you looking to get for this wonderful car? I’m an avid actual hands-on restoration guy and I am interested. So are others who are looking at this add. Thank you. Ron Hausmann P.E.

All - Haven’t posted for awhile due to car shows and grandchildren visits, but have kept working on her. Here is the status as of today, September 9, 2022: 1. Picked up brand new 2022 Lincoln Navigator tow vehicle. See picture. My 2015 Expedition gave great nationwide service but it was time to get a new one. I buy Ford Products because they tow much more than other luxury SUV’s. 2. ALL of my nickeling has been completed and picked up. FiniFinish did a wonderful job. I hav posted just a few pictures of the cowl lights, tail light, and brake lever below. I’ll post more later. 3. Rewired cowl lights and Tail with correct cloth wires and new sockets. 4. Purchased a new Neville fat-man steering wheel to replace the fixed model steering wheel that was in it. Anyone who has gotten into a Gold Bug knows that helps, and Neville wheels were an option then, and standard in earlier models. 5. Finished and wired spark plug loom. 6. finished and assembled Stewart vacuume tank. Take Care. Ron Hausmann P.E.

All - it is not a Kissel. It has fenders, wheels, and hood similar to 1914-1915 Kissel, but the body, window slope, and sp,ash pan with hole are definitely not. Ron Hausmann P,E.

Padgett - thanks for posting! I am also a P.E.(Licensed Professional Engineer) but it wasn’t my post. Wish it was. Ron Hausmann P.E.