For Sale: 1954 Kaiser Darrin 75K OBO - $75,000 (Dallas TX)

[classiclines]

Not Mine

https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/7566903401.html

1954 Kaiser Darrin- My late fathers pride and joy. Special order paint code and special order interior which makes it very rare! Car was repainted in late 60s or early 70s. by a previous owner. 6- cylinder 3 speed transmission with overdrive. Car has not been driven in 2 to 3 years. Car is currently located in Stillwater OK however I am in Dallas TX. Please contact me for more information. Other Kaiser's/ Frazer's for sale as well. Manhattan, Special, Willy's Aero. [Craigslist email process]

[Hans1965]

Dream on. What happened to the paint? I guess for that money you can get a perfect one. 

[jimkf]

This is car 409 of 435 originally built. KF had a program where a buyer could specify - within reason - special paint and interior trim - and this is one of those cars. With the 999 and 888 code, anything goes so the color you see, while nonstandard could be what it was originally delivered in. This particular car was built for a member of the Kaiser family.

 

Darrins were built in batches of roughly 20 cars based on color. The four standard colors were Champagne (white), Red Sail, Yellow Satin and Pine Tint (light green). Special order cars were fit in, usually close to the end of a batch. This car's Schedule and Item Number tell me that it was scheduled for assembly on the 21st day of production and was the 38th car to be built. Most special order cars were built for high profile folks like celebrities or sports stars. If memory serves, around a half dozen were built.

 

The cracking you see in the paint is fairly typical for these cars given the frame, a Henry J unit beefed up for the Darrin, still flexed more than it should have. Most cracks appear around the hood, top well and trunk openings as well as where the panels were bonded together.

 

Being near the end of production, this car has features many of the earlier cars do not - things like upgraded venting into the passenger compartment, better door panel trim and overall better quality construction. I once owned a very early production Darrin and compared to the car I now own, the later is a much better car.

 

With a good cleaning and detailing, I think this car would be fun to drive as-is. Price...it's in the ballpark.

Edited December 14, 2022 by jimkf (see edit history)

[nick8086]

This car was appraised in 2013 for 68k.

 

If it is stock.. and you do not have to find the parts.. You save  a lot of money.. Yes at that price you can not flip the car.. It for someone just to have one..

 

 or It could be a lot of work.. Last pic.s

Edited December 15, 2022 by nick8086 (see edit history)

[alsancle]

I like it.

 

Compare it with this at 46,500:

 

https://www.gullwingmotorcars.com/1954-kaiser-darrin-c-4729.htm

 

Peter Kumar knows what he is doing.  The project car is probably priced very high be he will sell it eventually.

 

 

 

[rustybottom]

On 12/15/2022 at 1:27 AM, nick8086 said:

This car was appraised in 2013 for 68k.

 

If it is stock.. and you do not have to find the parts.. You save  a lot of money.. Yes at that price you can not flip the car.. It for someone just to have one..

 

 or It could be a lot of work.. Last pic.s

what is the point of these somewhat unrelated pictures?

[JamesR]

Interesting car. Thanks for posting.

 

With that inline six, how would acceleration performance of the Darrin have compared with the '53 - '54 Corvette and its Blue Flame six? Roughly the same, or worse?

[alsancle]

4 hours ago, JamesR said:

Interesting car. Thanks for posting.

 

With that inline six, how would acceleration performance of the Darrin have compared with the '53 - '54 Corvette and its Blue Flame six? Roughly the same, or worse?

 

Note sure where these guys get there data:

 

https://www.automobile-catalog.com/performance/1954/1334675/kaiser_darrin_kf-161.html#gsc.tab=0

 

The 53/54 Vette and the Darrin are more like stylish cruisers than sports cars.    I like them but if you want to go fast get an XK120 or 140.

[JamesR]

It looks as though the 1954 Corvette had a distinct advantage in the performance department. More than three seconds faster than the Darrin in zero to sixty times: 11.5 seconds vs. 14.6 seconds. But, as you say, these cars were about stylish open air motoring. As two of the very few U.S. made roadsters available back then, they probably did that better than many other American cars of the era. I'd like to have a ride in a Darrin some day.

 

 

Chevrolet Corvette Performance History: We've Been Testing 'Vettes Since 1954

 

 

[nick8086]

🤗  Wow that is a long hood Kaiser Darrin.

 

James the next one is for you.. I think it is a 1957?

[nick8086]

Looks like it is sold.???