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History WHY A 1951 KAISER?
When WWII ended there was a pent up demand for new cars. A new company named Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was one of the first to start delivering.
My father purchased a new 1947 Frazer to replace the old family 1941 Chevrolet. It looked like a box and was built like a tank. It was a good sturdy car with a lot of comfortable room inside. In 1951 the new sleek restyled Kaiser was introduced and the Frazer was traded in for a black 1951 Kaiser 2 door Sedan Deluxe.
I always thought the 1951 Kaiser was one of the nicest looking cars on the road and as the years went by I kept my eyes open hoping to see one, but to no avail. Then in 2000 while surfing the internet, I came across a reference to Kaiser-Frazer Owners Club International (KFOCI). Further searching revealed that the Northwest Region was having a meeting in Oregon City, Oregon and I attended. Several Kaiser, Frazer, and Henry J’s were there and it was great to see the cars I remembered from 50 years ago. That led me to join the KFOCI and conversations with members led me to Bob Brown, also known as “Kaiser Bill” living in Altona, Utah. He has a 50’s style show room of restored as well as original condition Kaisers and Frazers as well as other cars of the period. He also has a bone yard of over 50 Kaiser-Frazer cars and many more keepers that he plans to restore stored in out-buildings. I called Kaiser Bill and accepted his invitation to come down for a visit. It turns out we had more than the same interest in cars as his first job was with Bell Telephone installing the telephone system at the Naval Reactor Test Site between Arco, and Idaho Falls, Idaho in the early 1950’s. He stayed at the DK Motel in Arco the length of the job and lo and behold we were the current owners of the same DK Motel!
Kaiser Bill is an authority on restoring these cars and conducted free 4 day seminars with hands on experience in 2002, 2003, and 2005, all of which I attended. Bill taught and demonstrated the proper way (Kaiser Bill’s way—no bondo) to go about a restoration project. It was during the 2005 seminar that I learned of a black 1951 Kaiser 2 door Sedan Deluxe that might be for sale in Seattle and it was in running condition. I called that evening and struck a deal over the telephone.
It was identical to my fathers 51 Kaiser and could even be the same car. However, I found the original owners warranty card made out to a Seattle resident in the glove compartment While the car ran and was driveable I elected to trailer it home for safety sake and peace of mind .
While the car looked great from a few feet away a closer inspection revealed it had been patched with bondo in several places and repainted somewhere in the past. At least it was repainted (somewhat poorly) in the same original color of black. Paint blisters were showing on the leading edge of the hood, as well as other places, revealing bondo and rust underneath. The rocker panels were rusted through in places and paper thin, so the whole rocker panel needs to be replaced on both sides of the car. The headliner was hanging down and the door panel fabric was original but in bad shape so all of that was removed. Removing the front floor mat revealed that both the drivers side and passenger side front floor panels were badly rusted through leaving large holes and need to be cut out and replaced. The rear floor was not too bad but rusted out where the rear body bolts on each side attach the body to the frame. The leather padded dash was original and in good condition. The seats had been reupholstered with a gray non Kaiser material and fairly good shape, but someday the proper material would be a good idea.
The battery box was rusted away and part of the inner fender well where it was attached. The 6 volt battery was hanging in place with bungee cords. The engine was fairly clean and was poorly repainted in a non Kaiser light green (should have been dark green). It is a 226 cu inch 115 hp L-head 6 cylinder Continental engine with a GM Hydro-Matic transmission. The electrical system is Autolite and the wiring under he hood is in poor condition. A new wiring harness will be required. The tires on the ground are new radials and the spare is a Firestone that looks like the original tire.
The stainless steel wide body moldings and grill were in fair condition but needs dings and scratches removed and polished. The bumpers and bumper guards need dings and dents removed and rechromed. The door handles, trunk handle, and other trim made of pot metal was all badly pitted. Both doors had severe rusted out area in the bottom front of the door. All of the side glass needs to be replaced. The curved rear window and the drivers side front windshield are ok. All rubber moldings need to be replaced.
All in all considering the rust issues (probably much worse than normal being a Seattle car), the car should probably be parted out. However, I have a nice big shop, need a hobby, and a challenge so decided to see what I can do with my new found knowledge. The plan is to not do a body off restoration as it requires heavy lifting and a rotisserie device to put the body on. My plan is to see how far I can go with what I have and maybe have a good looking occasional driver without investing a lot of money.
I drove it around the neighborhood a few times watching the road go by between my feet. I then decided to start the restoration process. So far it has been a great learning experience and a huge challenge. The progress has been extremely slow since we travel a lot and at times I have been stymied as how to proceed. The rocker panels were a show stopper for a couple of years as the bends and metal shaping was beyond my equipment and ability. Then I found right and left NOS rocker panels for a 4 door model while at the national meet in Tennessee. The retrofit of the rocker panels to a 2 door model has been a trial and error process but looks like it will be a success. The drivers side is welded in and looking good.
I have documented the car and work I have done with photos that may be viewed by clicking on the underlined in the menu below. Menu (click on underlined to view)
Floor boards rust Drivers side repair Pass side repair
Rocker Panel Repair Drivers Side
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