Fred Walker's KF Inventory moves EAST

[Chris Luecht]

Over the past few months, I have been busy coordinating the herculean task of moving Fred Walker's Kaiser Frazer parts from Colorado to New Jersey.  Duane Hayes has saved the cars at Walker's from the crusher, while I have purchased the bulk of the parts inventory.  I made the pilgrimage to Peyton CO at the end of March and spent many grueling days packaging and loading many tons of KF parts.  Couldn't have done it without the help of my father, brother, and a few new friends.  Parts are currently loaded and on their way to be housed with the rest of my collection of parts here at Willow Run KF Parts in NJ. 

Moving a massive amount of parts across the country is not for the faint of heart.  The labor, time, freight costs, etc. probably aren't the best investment, but I'm glad that I have the opportunity to continue what others like Terry Zeug and Fred Walker had started years ago.  I do enjoy being able to supply the parts needed to keep our Kaiser, Frazer, Henry J, and Darrin cars on the road and will do my best to help as best as I can.  I currently ship KF parts worldwide and will continue to do so as long as I am able.  Anyone who knows me is aware that I share the same passion for Kaiser Frazer automobiles as the rest of us who have caught the KF bug. 

Over the next few months, I'll be busy unloading parts, but will do my best to return emails and phone calls.  I can best be reached via email at chrisluecht@gmail.com  or via phone at 201-294-8969.  Be sure to visit www.KFparts.com for our online catalog. 

One final note:  DO support your club vendors.  While the statement may seem biased coming from a vendor....please keep in mind that your current club parts vendors may have full-time jobs, families, and other obligations that might get in the way of a speedy reply to your KF parts inquiry.  Storing mountains of parts that are slow-moving isn't cheap and can only be rationalized by our love for these cars.

I have attached a few photos of Walker's property for your viewing pleasure.

Best regards,
Chris Luecht
KFOCI Life Member # 8866

[darrin145]

I see a couple of 'calendar' shots there...

Gary

[Gordie]

Congratulations Chris!  Thanks for saving all of those parts and keeping them available for us.  We realize that some of them will never sell  but as far as I know Fred never had a parts list and we car owners never knew what he had available without going to his place in Colorado.  Keep us posted when you get things sorted out and we will look forward to your price lists when available.  The cost of parts, shipping and the cost of moving a car across the country deters most of us from attempting to start a complete restoration.  The low value of most restored and quality K-F products makes them a real bargain when you realize how much it costs to restore one.

[joefrazer]

Having been to Fred's place I can appreciate the enormity of the task at hand. Fred had pallet racking that was three and sometimes four levels high, stacked with just about anything you could imagine for a KF. I was like a kid in a candy store when I walked thru the place. A fellow KFer and I spent the afternoon with Fred and Irma and the only reason I didn't come home with more KF goodies was because nothing else would fit in my luggage. In fact, we stopped at a thrift store so we could buy a couple of cheap suitcases to fill with bit and pieces!

For those of you who have been members forever, you'll remember the KF parts warehouse that George Buchinger ran. Most of that inventory came from IKA in Argentina. George and a few others traveled to Argentina and negotiated a deal to buy several container loads of IKA parts. This was back in the 1960s when expediting something like this wasn't as easy as it is today. It took time for the parts to arrive and time to sort everything but eventually much of the inventory ended up on shelves, much like at Fred's place. I remember wooden kegs full of NOS wheel cylinders, bumper stacked on a top shelf, and lenses by the dozen. As a kid, it was my job to climb to the top shelf and pull down the stuff my dad wanted for his 54.

[Terry T]

I had understood that Rudy and Fred split several tons of Buchinger's  parts a few years ago.

[MarkH]

.................. As a kid, it was my job to climb to the top shelf and pull down the stuff my dad wanted for his 54.

I climbed those wooden shelves to flip through stacks of NOS Aero door panels on the top, sure as hell couldn't do that now. Usually spent every dollar I had when I'd go there, barely had enough change left to buy a burger to share with the wife on the drive home one time.

[MarkH]

................................ I have fourteen tractor trailer vans full ....................

Sounds like quite a collection!
What marque(s)?

[G.B. (All Vinyl Dragon)]

Glad Parts stayed in Club. Good News.

[MarkH]

....................I have fourteen tractor trailer vans full.....................it is important that we save these parts - because they sure aren't stocking them at Walmart !!!!! 

What do you do with the 14 trailer loads you've saved?

[Roadmaster49]

That's the issue. No one wants to sound like a Debbie Downer.  14 trailer truck loads is not something a suburbanite could store.  This HAS TO BE a rural location without ordinances. 

Applauding Chris' and others won't change the landscape.  I would have the money to purchase 1-2 KF's but lack room and time to restore.  Time may become available, but room?  Not sure. 

I wonder (wonder) if some of the parts could be sold to Rock Auto and let them store them.  Just a thought. 

[Roadmaster49]

I believe there was another thread regarding Duane Hayes and how to contact.  Are any of those cars doable projects? 

Colorado is a dry place and chrome looks nice.  The ads we have seen recently (past year) out of Colorado - like the Virginians - I wonder if those are these cars and if we could get confirmation?

[MarkH]

I bought an Aero grill shell from Duane, typically very rust prone due to a poorly drained/ventilated double wall chamber at the bottom. There was some light surface rust where paint weathered away, bottom section was rock solid and the joints where it was screwed tight to the fenders were still shiny.
I haven't queried him about his new KF collection but being stored nearby I suspect sun damage/weathering would probably be what to expect rather than Midwest humidity & road salt damage.
There's a group from Sweden that regularly buys vehicles from him by the truck load, but I haven't heard what he's been selling lately,

As for the hereto now unheard of 14 trailer loads, I'm all ears.

[Roadmaster49]

He is a bit difficult to get ahold of. Those Europeans! Man. How is it they can buy all of our cars?  No one here is doing restorations but the Euro guys are!

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

From what I can gather, there are several ways European car people are able to buy old cars in the USA and ship them home:

1.  Many foreign currencies (including the Euro) are increasing in value against the dollar.  That gives them more buying power.

2.  There are a lot of Europeans, Chinese and other Asians making millions and millions of dollars a year compared to past years through stock trading on European companies or precious metals &  cheep goods for the world markets.  American cars have always been a status symbol.

3.  Except for Japan, many foreign nations have few, if any excessive tarriffs, vehicle requirements for safety/emissions.

4.  The cost of shipping in a cantainer from us to ? overseas is coming down due to a glut of containers for ocean transit (the port of Tacoma WA is forced to expand their container storage areas because of too many empties).

5.  The actual number of cars going out of the country is less than 5,000 a year as some cars purchased at auctions in the USA by foreigners stay here for some months at least in hopes of selling to another foreign bidder at a later auction, and the cycle continues until it reaches a tipping point and prices drop.  Then earlier buyer/sellers jump in.  Sometimes the same car they sold later hits the block and ends up being cheaper than they bought the first (or second) time around.

Of course, this is only one person's opinion

[MarkH]

Well, that really is an impressive collection. You're right about buying the best car you can find, a bargain compared to the restoration cost.