jimkf

Looks like a customized 51 Henry J.

Yes, I did miss a critical word...air. As the exhaust valve cycled, it drew air into the manifold which was supposed to reduce the amount of unburned fuel being sucked out of the combustion chamber. I have no idea if they really worked.

The device pictured was supposed to allow into the exhaust manifold thru a butterfly valve under the cap as the exhaust pulse went by. This was supposed to improve mileage by reducing the fuel pulled out of the cylinder during cam overlap. Did they work? Who knows...some folks swore by them...other at them as being snake oil. I saw one for sale on ebay a while back and it was made by Clear-Ex.

It's a transmission shift control assembly and fits a Chevy, probably from 1949 thru 54.

I checked our club registry and the car is not listed. So, I encourage you to add it by going to this website: https://eskimo.com/~hhagen/reg/reg.htm About your car, it does look like someone took a few liberties and added parts from other years. The front bumper bridge and bullets as well as the headlight doors are from a 1953 Kaiser. The same holds true for the rear fender spears, tail lights and bumper - bridge and bullets too. The hood ornament and 'V' are also from a 53. Two door Kaisers are not common and one that appears to be free of major rust is even more rare. I attended Sunday's auction and saw the car on a trailer in a nearby parking lot. I thought it looked pretty good. Our club site - www.kfclub.com

The 59th annual convention of the Kaiser-Frazer Owners Club will be held in Prescott, Arizona from July 9 thru July 14. Our headquarters hotel is the LaQuinta Inn located at 4499 Sate Route 69 in Prescott. At this writing, about 150 members and their guests are registered to attend. We also have about 40 Kaiser, Frazer, Henry J, and Willys vehicles to be displayed. Our show and judging will take place on Thursday morning. Yes, the greater Phoenix area can be quite warm this time of year, and this year is no exception - but to see cars that were "built to better the best", it's worth a few minutes away from the air conditioning! We'll see you there!

1951-54 Henry J without overdrive.

Not Henry J. The air cleaner for the six cylinder cars has a breather attached for crankcase ventilation. I think it's Willys Hurricane Six with the 1 bbl carb.

Its the chassis for a 1954 Kaiser Darrin.

Its the chassis for a 1954 Kaiser Darrin.

The top cover release handle is cable operated. There are two release mechanisms that work off the single pull handle and when you pull the handle, the top cover should pop up an inch or so. You may have to have someone help...as you pull the handle, have them try to lift the top cover at the front center. If the cable is stuck, you can reach in and manually trip each release as well.

Replacement rockers used by Kaiser-Frazer had a lip on them. I've attached a few pictures of an NOS replacement panel that shows the U shaped lip.

Willys manufactured two versions of the 161 engine, an L-head unit and an F-head unit. Be careful when sourcing parts because many of the L-head parts will not work with the F-head engine. There's also a 148 L-head, which was an early version of the 161.

While the wire wheels were not options for the Darrin, they were an option for the 1953 thru 1955 full size Kaisers. The wheels on the Darrin are the correct lip lace style. Mopar used a similar wheel but theirs employed rim lace spokes - meaning the spokes did not reach the other edge of the rim like those KF used. Driving a Darrin is a unique experience. Being a fiberglass car that only weight 2175 lbs it's more nimble than you'd think but since it used mostly off the shelf Kaiser and Henry J parts, it inherited the associated weaknesses. Hard cornering like that in a true sports car isn't possible and with just 90hp, it is no speed demon. KF touted the car as more a boulevard cruiser and after owning and driving several Darrins, I would agree. A high school chum owned an XK and an XKE and the Darrin doesn't compare. It is in it's own league and is really a lot of fun to drive.

Did the auction end early? An acquaintance was going to bid but was unable to.

Nick, as I am sure you well know, the only difference between a 1949 and 1950 Kaiser is the serial number tag.

The Kaiser-Frazer Owners Club tracks the number of known Darrins and this is one that we have listed as "lost", meaning it was on our list but changed owners over the years and we lost track of it. I hope the high bidder contacts our club so we can add it to our roster. The car looks like a fairly easy cleanup to driver status. The big win is that the car doesn't appear to be missing any major parts. I attended an auction last summer where the car pictured sold...and yes, it was missing the doors, deck lids and hood.

Bumpity...

I know the seller and had the chance to walk thru his collection several years ago. Yes, most of the cars are projects and yes some are barely good for parts, but as you can see, there are quite a few very restorable rare vehicles in the mix. Aside from the Kaiser Darrin and Studebaker Avanti - unusual enough themselves, there are CItroens, a Panhard, a Fiat or two, at least one Bantam and its cousin, an Austin, and a Powell. When was the last time you saw a Powell pickup? Plan now to attend, I know I'll be there!

Sorry, no red rubber blades.

Selling the following: One pair of NORS Trico model U-778 wiper blades. They are 8 1/4" in length and are in their original packaging. $25 shipped anywhere in the continental US. (I have three pair to sell). Three NORS Anco model SL 9" wiper blades. No packaging with these. $25 shipped anywhere in the continental US. (The photos show two blades but three will be shipped.) One NORS ANCO model 5C Tenedge 7 1/4" wiper blade. This one is unusual in that the rubber is green. $12 shipped anywhere in the continental US. I accept PayPal.

With the exception of the trim, 1951 thru 1955 Kaiser doors are the same. I suggest you visit kfclub.com/forum. It's the Kaiser-Frazer Owners Club message board. You do not need to be a club member to post a want-ad. Where are you located?

It's a rear bumper filler panel to fit a 64 Lincoln Continental. I think it's for the right side.

Selling one NOS spring shackle kit to fit a GMC truck. It's part number 2384405 and is in its original packaging. Will sell for $25 and that includes shipping anywhere in the US.

This was in a box of Kaiser Darrin bits I recently acquired but it doesn't fit the car. The only clue to its application is on a paper tag that was attached. It's marked 2308552. It's obviously a radiator hose filler pipe with what looks to be a heater hose tap...can anyone tell me what it fits? It is for sale so if you can use it, it's NOS and yours for $20 shipped anywhere in the US.