Rusty_OToole Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 1948 Keller Super Chief, one of 18 built, this is the fourth of 4 known survivors. Recently pulled out of a junk yard. 7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lump Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 Wow, very cool! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 There is a great article with several pictures of the restored Keller, Super Chief owned by Sam Barnett in the January/February 2022 Woodie Times. It is very rare vehicle and it deserves to be brought back to life. Does anyone have the contact information for the gentleman that made the video? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted May 31, 2023 Author Share Posted May 31, 2023 39 minutes ago, 46 woodie said: There is a great article with several pictures of the restored Keller, Super Chief owned by Sam Barnett in the January/February 2022 Woodie Times. It is very rare vehicle and it deserves to be brought back to life. Does anyone have the contact information for the gentleman that made the video? All I have is the Youtube connection but it gives his Email as david.nenno@yahoo.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Cocuzza Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 Really neat car and one that needs a "PROPER" restoration. After watching the video and listening to the guy talking about restoring the car - 12v conversion, LED lights.....etc. I will say this: Being only 1 of 4 known, I hope someone can talk him into selling it to them (or the "right" person) that will restore it without the modifications BEFORE he starts to "hack it up" This car needs to be kept 100% originally authentic during the restoration I don't have the resources or I would seriously consider it. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 I would love to do the car, but I don't have the room. The body needs a guy like New Old Wood to work his magic on and bring it back, better than new. From the look's of it the wood is mostly flat with some curved parts that look fairly simple, with no finger joints. If I had to guess it looks like the body is oak, so it's readily available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 AACA President Ron Barnett had one, I think it is still in the family collection. Great find, hope the restoration goes well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 (edited) 8 hours ago, 46 woodie said: There is a great article with several pictures of the restored Keller, Super Chief owned by Sam Barnett in the January/February 2022 Woodie Times. It is very rare vehicle and it deserves to be brought back to life. 5 hours ago, 1937hd45 said: AACA President Ron Barnett had one, I think it is still in the family collection. Great find, hope the restoration goes well. One and the same - Sam is the late AACA 1991 National President Ron Barnett's son, and together with Former AACA First Lady Sally Barnett (Ron's widow), has shown the restored Keller at AACA Nationals. Still in the family to the best of my knowledge Edited May 31, 2023 by Marty Roth additional note (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 Cool car, I hope it gets restored but I had to check out of the video when he said it had been sitting in the junkyard since WW II ! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28 Chrysler Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 At the beginning he said no modifications on this one, then he lost me on the 12V stuff when 6V stuff is available. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalowed Bill Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 I hate to say it, but I believe that I saw enough of this guy to make me wonder if he has a clue as to what he's doing. I only hope that he can get some help form some of the other Keller owners. Lucky that it's not the only survivor. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 (edited) “ Junkyard Dave “ posted this video This video was posted five days ago. It has had 33K views. Jim Edited May 31, 2023 by Trulyvintage (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 24 minutes ago, Buffalowed Bill said: I hate to say it, but I believe that I saw enough of this guy to make me wonder if he has a clue as to what he's doing. I only hope that he can get some help form some of the other Keller owners. Lucky that it's not the only survivor. Thank God he rescued it from further Neglect and eventual Oblivion. Jim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 I think it is cool it was rescued. Not sure about taking the power washer to it. That was something I've never seen. Steam cleaning yes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old car fan Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 1 hour ago, Trulyvintage said: Thank God he rescued it from further Neglect and eventual Oblivion. Jim Are you sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 Did he have to walk across the street to discover it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Cocuzza Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 1 hour ago, alsancle said: I think it is cool it was rescued. Not sure about taking the power washer to it. That was something I've never seen. Steam cleaning yes. I agree about the power washing but that seems to be the "new" thing these days when an abandoned car is found and it needs a bath. YouTube videos will back me up on that,too. I was saying to myslef, when he was spraying the cleaner under the hood, there's no way he was going to power wash there. I was cringing when he power washed under the hood - and didn't even cover the carb. That's why, among other things I picked up watching the video, I am leery about his methods of restoring this car. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 Other than there being only 18 produced what exactly makes it remarkable or even worth restoring?.......Just wondering....bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted June 1, 2023 Author Share Posted June 1, 2023 10 minutes ago, Bhigdog said: Other than there being only 18 produced what exactly makes it remarkable or even worth restoring?.......Just wondering....bob Easy answer: Nothing. It is a crude car with a 4 cylinder industrial engine that couldn't win a race with a Kia. On the other hand if you are interested in the history of the automobile the postwar period gave birth to a lot of new car companies. Well known ones like Kaiser, Frazer, and Crosley, and others that never got off the ground like Tucker, Davis, Playboy, and this one. It started on the west coast as the BobbiKar and ended up being made in Alabama as the Keller. I believe this was the only effort to manufacture a car in Alabama. There was a lot of time money and ingenuity expended on this project and it is interesting how they made a car with minimal expense and tooling. For example the woody wagon body was made in a furniture factory with minimal retooling. But the station wagon was one of the most expensive cars in most makers line. They felt there was a real place for a small low cost practical car in the American market that was not being served by the big companies. In short it is an interesting artifact of a unique period in American history. It tells the story of a perhaps Quixotic attempt to create something new and better for the car buying public. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted June 1, 2023 Author Share Posted June 1, 2023 The vision of Crosley, Keller, Playboy and others who saw a demand for small cars came true, but they were made overseas not in America. In 10 years small imported cars accounted for 10% of the US market. In the seventies the Japanese made even greater inroads. So, they weren't wrong. They just over estimated their ability to turn out a product the public would buy, in sufficient quantities to make a profit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30DodgePanel Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 (edited) 7 hours ago, Bhigdog said: Other than there being only 18 produced what exactly makes it remarkable or even worth restoring?.......Just wondering....bob The story and the history of it I'm sure draws some in. Interesting history I'd never known about until this morning. Personally I've always liked any of the woodie wagon stylings but it's not for everyone. Besides,,,, some people even like pugs, Owner: "Isn't he the cutest dog you've ever seen?" Me "uhhmmmnot really seein it lady..." Edited June 1, 2023 by 30DodgePanel (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 I loved my PUG, and have 2 French Bulldogs. But, yea, they are pretty ugly LOL. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 I watched the video, and think the car needs a more experienced restorer, with access to a cabinet shop. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 Just watch Craigslist for used furniture made by that company. Maybe some of the sofa wood is a direct fit for the roof structure.🤔 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 It certainly has historic value. But... as we all know, rarity isn't always relative to value. Fortunately, some people consider collecting and restoring automobiles a hobby, and the cost to achieve a goal is not based on the the finished value. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsmoke Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 Always good to know that reasonably rare old cars are going to be saved, even if value and appeal are not high. Never heard of this make. Pretty rough starting point so cost of a rebuild will be astronomical, likely 2-3X's value when finished. This guy may be able to recoup some costs thru social media profit. Was also surprised to see anyone knowledgeable in old cars trying to start a car that had been sitting for 60+years by just using some starter fluid etc. I was not surprised it did not start. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootey Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 7 hours ago, Rusty_OToole said: The vision of Crosley, Keller, Playboy and others who saw a demand for small cars came true, but they were made overseas not in America. Whenever I hear Crosley I think of the Crosley Hotshots vintage racing at Laguna Seca. They are just as welcome as Porsche 917’s. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 Bhigdog, if you are on the A.A.C.A. site, you already know the answer to your question. Why restore a Model T or Model A? Slow, can't get out of its own way. Mechanical brakes, unless properly maintained won't stop. Mostly used as a parade car, if it won't overheat. But people still restore them. Why restore a multi-million dollar car? Can't drive it, one ding or scratch and it's over. You need a trailer and a tow car to lug the trailer around and you need a big enough property to store the trailer! Can't take the grandkids for ice cream, don't want to dirty the interior. When you get down to it, no car is worth restoring, but it's what we do as our hobby! I for one would rather restore a car that is one out of four made and bring this car back to life, over a Model T with 15 million made. I also agree that the guy that found the Keller should step back and let reality sink in and possibly sell the car to someone with the resources and station wagon knowledge and experience. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 9 minutes ago, 46 woodie said: Why restore a multi-million dollar car? Can't drive it, one ding or scratch and it's over! .... Can't take the grandkids for ice cream, don't want to dirty the interior. While I would agree with most of what you said, these two sentences do not jive with a LOT of million-dollar car owners. The fact is, there are "condition fanatics" throughout the realm of the hobby. I actually see a LOT more "Do Not Touch" signs on relatively low-value cars than on the million-dollar cars. Every year, maybe more than once a year, some 50 Duesenberg owners are driving their cars like they stole 'em on tours that taken them several hundred miles. Just ask Ed... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 Most of the guys I know that own million dollar cars love to drive them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 1 hour ago, 46 woodie said: Bhigdog, if you are on the A.A.C.A. site, you already know the answer to your question. Why restore a Model T or Model A? Slow, can't get out of its own way. Mechanical brakes, unless properly maintained won't stop. Mostly used as a parade car, if it won't overheat. But people still restore them. Why restore a multi-million dollar car? Can't drive it, one ding or scratch and it's over. You need a trailer and a tow car to lug the trailer around and you need a big enough property to store the trailer! Can't take the grandkids for ice cream, don't want to dirty the interior. When you get down to it, no car is worth restoring, but it's what we do as our hobby! I for one would rather restore a car that is one out of four made and bring this car back to life, over a Model T with 15 million made. I also agree that the guy that found the Keller should step back and let reality sink in and possibly sell the car to someone with the resources and station wagon knowledge and experience. The question was posed because other than only 18 being made it has little to no significance. What if only 9 were made? What if only one were made? Rarity has little to no relationship with quality or engineering innovation. But I do understand the drive to bring something old back to life. I'm probably more addicted than most with that trait but I think it's kind of a stretch to think that resurrecting someone's folly has any historical value other than as a curiosity. ....Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted June 1, 2023 Author Share Posted June 1, 2023 Bhig it's an unusual piece of history. Either you get it or you don't. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drhach Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 15 minutes ago, Bhigdog said: The question was posed because other than only 18 being made it has little to no significance. What if only 9 were made? What if only one were made? Rarity has little to no relationship with quality or engineering innovation. But I do understand the drive to bring something old back to life. I'm probably more addicted than most with that trait but I think it's kind of a stretch to think that resurrecting someone's folly has any historical value other than as a curiosity. ....Bob Ugly girls need love too. 1 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 35 minutes ago, Rusty_OToole said: Bhig it's an unusual piece of history. Either you get it or you don't. It's actually not at all unusual and the fact that only 18 were produced doesn't make it very much a part of history. It's little more than one man's failed dream. A curiosity. History's landscape is littered with them................Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 25 minutes ago, drhach said: Ugly girls need love too. And sometimes they are very very good at it. This time maybe not so much...........Bob 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
63RedBrier Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 Luckily the car was found in what looks like an arid climate. I know if it were in Pennsylvania or the mid-Atlantic somewhere the trees and brush would have buried it after a few years and it would have sunk into the earth with the rain. Glad to hear it is going to be saved! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 I have been grabbing cars out of dry climates my whole life. A dry climate means full sun. That cars does not show the signs that it has been sitting out in the full sun for 60+ years. Looks like you could rub out the paint on the front end. Most cars do not have paint when sitting out that long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 2 hours ago, Bhigdog said: The question was posed because other than only 18 being made it has little to no significance. What if only 9 were made? What if only one were made? Rarity has little to no relationship with quality or engineering innovation. But I do understand the drive to bring something old back to life. I'm probably more addicted than most with that trait but I think it's kind of a stretch to think that resurrecting someone's folly has any historical value other than as a curiosity. ....Bob My definition of Tuckers, thank you. Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 Not to get into a class struggle, and I am by no means trying to offend anyone, but those that can afford to own a Duesenburg CAN afford to "drive them like theyre stolen'. If something breaks, they have the means and the people to fix and take care of them. For the rest of us plebeians a 20k-50k car is a luxury that needs to be well taken care of and maintained usually by our own hands. This is not a knock on anyone from either side of the railroad tracks, just the way it is. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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