jimkf

Paint it red with a red interior and it's identical - right down to the option list - to one my father bought new in 1975. I remember the paint being so soft that you could dig your fingernails into it and after letting the car sit in the sun, the marks would disappear. He put well over 100k miles on the car and only traded it in because he wanted an Audi (WORST car ever). Mom had a 76 Granada with a 302 and lots of options and only got rid of it due to high miles and the gremlins that appear with them.

I like it. But I like the Ambassador wagon in the background more.

The Kaiser appears to be a Deluxe given the wide stainless trim rub rails and trim around the windshield and back glass. It does have the Special (cheaper model) bumpers and guards on it. Not uncommon to see a Special with DeLuxe trim, quite a few owners dressed up the cheapies to look like the fancier model. Interiors in these were fairly basic so even if it is bad, anything looking period correct in cloth will fool all but the most knowledgeable.

I might have an 813S. I will check my stock and advise. And yes, the 781S will work. I have quite a few good rebuildables.

I see a decent driver that just needs a good interior detailing and some incorrect items replaced. Someone mentioned a $3000 price point and I think that's not far off given that the seat, flooring and trunk material, while perfectly serviceable, isn't correct. Still, it's a desirable stick/overdrive car with no visible bad rust that one could take to a local cruise-in and let the crowd look at what would certainly be the only one in a sea of Camaros, Corvettes and Mustangs. I've owned several dozen Kaisers over the years and a 51 like this is the perfect entry level Kaiser. Parts are plentiful and inexpensive, there's plenty of support groups - especially on FB - and they're easy to work on compared to other contemporary marques.

I recently acquired a 70 Coronet wagon that’s nowhere near as nice as this example but we’re working on it! If I had seen this car before purchasing the Dodge, I think I’d have been tempted to pony up the additional bucks.

Here's the listing - it's in California. If the photos are of the same car, the pictured wire caps are very rare and worth some $$. https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/cto/d/eugene-1954-kaiser-darrin-supercharged/7426294428.html The red paint hue seems a bit off but it could be the lighting. Only one or two Darrins were equipped with superchargers, and that was done as a test by the factory's engineers. So, if this is one of the cars, make sure all of the parts are present. The mount bracket itself is unobtainium otherwise. I think the car is priced about right, even if it does need assembled.

This is off a 50-54 Willys pickup truck. The number of horizontal chrome trim bars varied by model, most had three with two as pictured and third centered in between. The holes noted are not factory.

Well priced and all of the odds and end that I see missing or broken are readily available and won't break the bank. I think it would make a good driver. This one is true 1952, not one of the leftover and reserialed 1951 models. A total of 15685 four door Manhattans were built for 1952.

As mentioned earlier, the correct police would frown on this one for the interior, but the new asking price leaves room for upgrades without getting too far in the hole. Buy it and drive it the way it sits and you'd be a hit at your local show.

I have several Kaisers and I can tell you that the stick/OD combination works best for the 226 engine. As previously mentioned, at 55 mph the engine is just loafing along at barely above high idle speed. You'd be surprised at fuel economy as well. The 51 isn't quite as comfy as the 52-54 cars - the latter had seat placement and spring rate changes that made a noticeable difference, but they're still a great road car. This one is a fairly early production example as it has the 1949-50 radio and corresponding bumpout in the firewall. This example appears to have an incorrect paint color and could a use a detailing in the correct colors under the hood as well - but no one would be the wiser at almost any cruise in or local car show. I think it's priced fairly with maybe some wiggle room. Two door Kaisers weren't common when new and are much less so today so owning one would put you in rare company.

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Yes, I do however I'm out of town and won't be back to the shop until December 13.

Sorry, I can't be of help.

I live in the area and I'm pretty sure this car was on the road not that long ago. The color is unique enough that I would remember it. My guess is that the owner passed away and the family wants nothing to do with obtaining a title, something that's not easy to do in Ohio. Speaking to an earlier comment, the neighborhood looks worse than it is. I owned a home near there for several years and sold only for lack of space.

I see a car that needs a good cleaning and detailing. While the exterior color is less than desirable, the bucket seat/console interior makes up for some of that in my opinion. I've owned a couple of these and rust under the vinyl top, as well as the aforementioned trunk floor issues, are something to check closely. Values of these cars, especially the 71-72 models have risen sharply in the last few years making the asking price for this car not out of the realm of possibility, although I think something closer to $8K is probably more realistic.

K-F did look at building a two door hardtop. With the 1951 model year a two door sedan and two door club coupe were introduced so a workup was assembled to look at the viability of actually putting a true hardtop into production. Called the Sun Goddess, it had power windows - although only the fronts worked, window frames that rolled down with the glass and a four piece rear windshield (that leaked badly in the rain). The car still exists and is nearing a completed restoration. Attached are a few pix. Those in black and white are from the 60s when my dad and I visited with the then owner who fitted 1954 tail lights on the car. Somewhere I have pictures of the existing prototype 1951 Kaiser convertible. It started life as a 1951 two door sedan and was pulled off the line and sent out for the custom work. I'll post 'em when I find 'em. Dutch Darrin, who did a lot of design work for K-F and was responsible for the 1951 Kaiser's design also built a hardtop using a scaled down version of the 1951 body. It sat on a chassis that was mid way between the Henry J and the Kaiser in size. Unfortunately, the car was destroyed in a storm while a Dutch's home in California.

If the factory installed (on the Manhattans only) McCulloch supercharger is intact and working, then the price seems in the ballpark if not a tad high owing to the front seat apparently needing work. The 1960s Western Auto mirrors would have to go though. Two tone green was a popular choice so quite a few survivors are this combination.

Adding a couple pix of the aforementioned 1951 Frazer Manhattan convertible. I call them before and after...unfortunately, the before is the better looking car. It was sold new in Texas and then made its way to Ohio where it was traded in on a new Corvair in 1960. The dealer, Charlie Miller (C Miller Chevrolet) kept it on the showroom floor for a short time before selling it. The car had an engine rebuild and then was parked in a garage where both it and the car disintegrated. I found it in the late 90s and dragged it home, eventually selling it to a collector in Colorado.

Kaiser-Frazer factory produced a convertible for the 1949 and 1950 model years. Something like 87 were made in total in both the Kaiser and Frazer lines. With the 1951 model year selling well, having been introduced in March of 1950, KF explored the possibility of producing a Kaiser convertible using the new body style. So, they commissioned Derham Body Co of Rosemont, PA to put together at least one - some accounts say two - convertibles. One car still exists and has been at several KF conventions. This car is not the second unit, it's a custom build using parts from 1951 and 1953 Kaisers. It's been for sale for a while and has made its rounds on the various KF Facebook pages. KF also produced a 1951 Frazer Manhattan convertible - in an attempt to use up the leftover bodies from the 1949-50 run. A total of 131 were produced and at one time I owned car number 129, the last known extant.

Looks like a decent car for the money. It needs a good detailing but that's more sweat equity than real money spent. Compare the dash pad and lower trim in this car to the 54 early series Special that was recently featured on these pages. By 1954, KF knew they were going to be exiting the passenger car market and the introduction of the Special model was an attempt to use up extra parts on the assembly line floor. It worked as KF sold every one they built. The seats have been recovered - the original config would have been Bambu vinyl, like the dash, with a "Luxura" cloth insert. Both can be obtained if you want originality. This car is equipped with overdrive which makes it a good road car since the engine turns at 30% fewer revolutions with the OD engaged. Like any Kaiser, look for rust in the floors, especially up front at the kick panels. Look for rust in the trunk at the body mounts and on either side of spare tire well. KF always fought water leaks and it didn't take long for the tinworm to do its thing. Having bought and sold a bunch of these, I'd say something just north of $6k would be fair to buyer and seller alike.

Someone thinks there's enough there to make it a worthwhile effort - it's now pending sale. I agree with the former comment, clean the junk out of the car before taking pictures. I see photos of cars for sale showing tools laying on the front floor with a mass of wiring hanging under the dash. That speaks volumes. We had a 60 Pioneer wagon years ago. The only thing it burned thru faster than oil were ballast resistors. The old man kept several in the glove box and could swap one out in seconds. He had a lot of practice.

I think I have a column and box from a 51 Kaiser that was parted out many years ago. I'll check and advise.

I've owned a few 73 and 74 Centurys and this one's caught my eye. Not perfect, but since it's a four speed it's worth a closer look. Now to find the time...

Drive it the way it sits. You'd have the only one at your local cruise-in. Glad it's not closer or I'd be tempted.