1952 Kaiser Manhattan 2-door Sedan - $13,500

[Leif in Calif]

These cars have a lot of style! (way more text and pics in ad) 

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/cto/d/peoria-1952-kaiser-manhattan-door-sedan/7717042262.html

Our Kaiser Manhattan shows 69,100 “A Box” miles. It is a standout Curelean Blue with a Turquoise Blue top. This 2-door sedan was one of only 2,000 that were made, which makes it more valuable than the 4-door version. We have tried to keep its originality intact, as apparently the previous owner(s) have done, too. Just to drive a 1952 Kaiser Manhattan in 2024 is an unforgettable experience.
Mechanical--
(Any mechanical improvements were done by a professional mechanic.)
six-cylinder, 226ci/115-hp motor  3-speed transmission on the column  6-volt electric system
69,100 miles (A Box miles)
removed and cleaned radiator
NOTE - We last drove this car in June, 2023. It was running very well. After we parked it on that date, the STARTER failed to function. Obviously, it won't start without a working STARTER. That's why we have discounted this car so much. This is an excellent opportunity to buy this car $2,000 to $3,000 less than its market value and put the starter in it yourself. If you have any questions, please let us know.

Call 6O2 - four six nine - 258 Eight (No Text or Email Please)

[NC-car-guy]

The door proportion is weird, but I like the interior.

[DavidinCA]

A friend one said to me that when you buy a car that doesn’t run, assume it needs a motor and possibly more and you’ll be pleasantly surprised if it doesn’t.  If it really is only one simple thing, ask yourself why the seller didn’t bother to do it.  That said, the car looks great and the colors are good.  

[m-mman]

25 minutes ago, DavidinCA said:

A friend one said to me that when you buy a car that doesn’t run, assume it needs a motor and possibly more and you’ll be pleasantly surprised if it doesn’t

Good advice, but I have never seen that logic work with a seller when it comes to negotiating a price. 
 

The seller won’t get it to run, but always has it priced like you can drive it cross country.  
 

Nice car but seller can expect to have it a long while at this price point.  

[rocketraider]

That starter doesn't look that difficult to access. Sure, it's not going to be on the shelf at yer FLAPS but a competent automotive electric shop would have it up and running quickly. There's corrosion on both battery posts and cables which could easily cause a starting issue. Duracell batteries in all sizes are notorious for it.

 

I like these high-styled cars. Still think ol' Henry J should have sourced a V8 for them. With that, performance would have equaled looks.

 

I believe part of Henry J's thought was to be able to use common door and roof stampings between the two-door and four-door versions. It made the door proportions on two-doors look a little "off" but I've seen cars with far worse proportions.

[m-mman]

2 minutes ago, rocketraider said:

I like these high-styled cars. Still think ol' Henry J should have sourced a V8 for them. With that, performance would have equaled looks

He tried!  But Oldsmobile said no.  

There are some prototype photos of a K-F V8 that looks very similar to what ended up in Studebaker.  The story was that an engineer changed jobs…..?

[rocketraider]

But am I right that Oldsmobile (ok, GM) sold him all the HydraMatics he wanted?🤑

 

I've thought for years if Kaiser had had an OHV V8 for the Dragon and stuck the 6-cylinder's centrifugal supercharger on it, they could have decimated Lincoln and Imperial sales and made Cadillac blink.

[Bloo]

49 minutes ago, m-mman said:

There are some prototype photos of a K-F V8 that looks very similar to what ended up in Studebaker.  The story was that an engineer changed jobs…..?

That's mostly been debunked I believe. Also it wasn't Studebaker, it was Nash/AMC. As it turns out the Nash V8 didn't resemble the K/F design that much, or so I've been told. The Nash design was done so quickly after their deal with Packard soured, and turned out so well, that it was assumed there had been some cut-and-paste.   Same designer though.

 

The Studebaker V8 had some cross-pollination with Oldsmobile and Cadillac, and there is a lot of resemblance to the Kettering designs. It hit the market in 1951.

 

[rocketraider]

Maybe Studebaker would have done better to partner with Kaiser instead of Packard? A side benefit would have been acquisition of Jeep...

[jimkf]

This is a nice example. It's rare to see one with the original seat material intact. And, being a two door later series (true) 52 makes it all the more desirable. Good color combo as well.

 

I have to wonder why the seller didn't try bump starting the car to prove that the starter is the issue. I'd be willing to bet it is, they are a known failure point.

 

The bad starter not withstanding, a little elbow grease under the hood would go a long way toward validating the asking price.