Kaisers and Frazers again grace the pages of Hemmings Classic Car Magazine

[Gordie]

Our Kaiser's and Frazer's just got some new publicity with two articles on our favorite cars in the September issue.  Jack Miller's fine Hudson Museum in Ypsilanti MI, got a great write-up and there is a full color page of the Kaiser Frazer room in the museum with four K-F products in view.  There is also another article on the restoration of a '47 Frazer Manhattan.  A nice restoration and another one back on the road!  This magazine is getting better all of the time!

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

The Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum is a great place for people to visit...it is one of those rare facilities that balances family history (the Hudson side) with the other automobiles, automobile products, and dealerships in the city's history.  The place is fortunate that there is enough interest among retired K-F, GM and even some Chrysler people in keeping the place going.  By the way, they are a 501(c3) organization so any donations can be tax deductable; check with your tax accountant on this.

An item Mr. Wood****** did not mention is the first Manhattan he seriously considered.  This car showed up in California, but the serial number was nowhere near consistent with the body number.  The door post showed a later 1947 model year serial number, but the body tag had what I would call a "double digit" number (I don't recall the exact number but I think it was under 1020, with 1001 being the first Manhattan body built) AND listed Graham-Paige Motors Corporation as the maker, not K-F.  He sent me a jpeg of it years ago when Barbara and I were in KY (and with a different e-mail so we lost the file when we moved and changed computers). 

[Gordie]

It would be interesting to know the story on that early Manhattan and where it rests today.  Perhaps it was a prototype.  I did have a '47 Manhattan with the large radiator and the hood props featured on the early cars but it was a K-F made car.  Those early features must have carried thru to at least April 1947.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

The K-F Parts Book shows a cut point where the props were replaced by counterbalanced springs.  Also, regarding that particular car, based on Glen's information, the car itself was a later 1947 Manhattan but an owner (current or prior) switched the firewall tags either because it said G-P rather than K-F or (more likely) the color/trim listed was more to his or her liking.

Another case of trying to pull a fast one on the newcomer.  Luckily, Glen contacted me and I checked the numbers.

[Gordie]

Currently the lowest number Frazer in the registry is car number 1023 in Arizona.  It was reported many years ago and the info is not complete and it is doubtful that the car even exists.  Bob and Dave Antram probably have the earliest known Frazer and I believe their car is about # 225.  I have seen it and it has all of the early features of the first cars.  Maybe an earlier number will show up some day.  They are still out there waiting to be discovered. My GP Frazer is number F47005656 putting it in about the middle of production and a Oct. 1946 build date.  Does anyone know of a really early GP car?