1952 Kaiser trim codes

[Robin Olsen]

Hi. Can anyone help me find out what the paint and trim codes are for my Kaiser ser# K5221020798 Model delux. From the tag on the fire wall I get the paint as 140 and the trim as 1810  where can I find pitchers showing the colour and style of the interior.I'm having the interior redone and would like to do it as close to original as possible.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

About your 1952 Kaiser Manhattan

Please verify your numbers...there is no Kaiser Manhattan Model delux.  There was a 1952 Kaiser Deluxe series, and trim #1810 shows Caribbean Coral Richmond cloth with 140 Onyx black paint was offered.  Does the car have padded dash, a bit of brightwork on the rear side doors up by the windows, large bumper guards and wide stainless along with"Kaiser Manhattan"  fender script?  It sound like someone switched door post serial number tags.  What is the serial number with prefix on the smaller body tag found below the larger one on the firewall?

Jack Mueller
Club Historian KFOCI

[Robin Olsen]

Hi Jack
   Thanks for your reply. I checked the number on the door post and it is the same as the one on the fire wall...521-1202798....the dash is not padded, the script on the front fender says Kaiser Deluxe the chrome strip above the rocker panel is narrow. The car is dark blue and I can't find any indication that it"s not the original colour.When I bought the car several years ago the seller told me he was the second owner and the mileage was original..28000mi. ... In some ways the condition of the car supports this but in other ways I find it difficult to believe. The interior is weak but the body, the undercarriage, the drive line etc. is very good. The motor had a stuck exhaust valve from sitting for a long time so I had the engine rebuilt... a story for another day.... and now the car is a joy to drive. I have several old cars and they are all for sale with the intention of keeping the last one, the Kaiser being the one I'd prefer to keep. So I'd like to restore the interior to as close to original as economically as I can. Any help you ,or other readers of this form, can supply will be greatly appreciated

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

521 is the Designation for a Kaiser deLuxe, the baseline Kaiser in the later series...522 is Manhattan in the later series.  The paint and trim codes now make sense for a deLuxe.  The deLuxe had the painted dash (your IP number should be 1 if the paint #is 140). 

Richmond cloth in this color is available from STS Upholstery in Oregon (did I get it right, guys?).  As I understand it, they are making cloth in correct color and fabric for K-F cars. 

[pnw_oldmags]

Close but it is SMS Upholstery in Canby Oregon
http://www.smsautofabrics.com/

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

I think there is some transposition here.  The later series 1952 Kaisers (as yours appears to be based on the upholstery--TRIM--code) begin with "12" instead of "102".  That being the case, this is the 798th 1952 later series Kaiser deLuxe (lettering as per the fender script with capitalized "L" rather than the d) to come down the line, with Onyx black paint (including top of dash) and Caribbean Coral Richmond cloth on the seats.  IP number should be 1...if not, please let me know. 

What part of the country are you located in?  1200953 and 1201801 started their retail lives in Wisconsin; both were sold to dealers in the Milwaukee sales territory...953 went to the Random Lake WI area, 1801 to Racine. 

[Robin Olsen]

In my first post I got the serial number wrong. The correct number is 521 1202798  the body number is 5211-3587 the other numbers are SCH 70 and ITEM 22. You were asking about an IP number ,but I don't know what that is. If the car I have left the factory as a black one , then someone has done a great job turning it blue because I can't find a trace of black anywhere and it looks like I'm going to have to really strip it down to get it back to origional.Is there someplace that I can get coulored pitchures of the interior? I sent paint and trim code numbers to SMS awhile ago but haven't heard from them yet.

[Robin Olsen]

I forgot to tell you ..I'm in New Brunswick around 35 miles southwest of Fredericton

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Have a new question if you are in Canada.  Does the DR header on the body tag have a 1 or a 2?  If you want some ideas on the interior, please email me at kaiserfrazerlibrary@yahoo.com.  This is my email and is on the KFOCI site, listed as Club Historian.

Jack Mueller

[Jim B PEI]

Great! Another Atlantic Canada Kaiser, and running too! I'm over on PEI, with a 49 Special (Glass Green) I recently saw another Kaiser, a 53 black with white top, which is owned by Bruce Rodgers, originally owned by the late Mr Fullmore over in New Glasgow, NS, and it is a true low mileage survivor. I believe it still only has 18,000 miles on it. His brother Bert Fullmore owns a 48 GP Frazer I think, over in Parrsboro. Sorry, I didn't take in what the interior was, nor did I get pictures. There is another in Moncton, a 51, another 51 Deluxe in Amherst, and of course, my friend's stock 53 Henry J Corsair 6 on PEI. Several more, but I've forgotten where they all are.

[Jim B PEI]

Here is a link as to Richmond Cloth looks like, in a later Chevelle at #770. Only link I could find, offhand. I think this pattern is called "Rapture" which would be other than what was in a Kaiser, but it will give you an idea of what the cloth texture is like.
http://www.chevellestuff.com/1968/chevelle/interiors/int_bench.htm#770

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Please note the following on Canadian cars....

As has happened with other makes going outside the USA, there were the cars originally desined by the factory to fill an order from another country (including Canada) and there were American sold cars that were purchased later on by overseas collectors and shipped out of the USA.

You can tell a K-F product originally destined for sale in Canada as a new car (or at least the idea is holding up so far) by looking at some specific headers on the body tag (the large tag if a 1951 or later model year) and the door post serial number tag.  Cars destined for sale outside the USA will have a "2" at the DR header (domestic sale cars have a "1") or some number other than "1".  You should also find an FO prefixed number at the SPEC-FO header on the tag.  1951 Kaisers (and perhaps 1 1952 Kaiser) will have a "T" on the door post serial number tag, such as K521-T038472 (made up number for example).  This identifies final assembly at the Leaside, Ontario assembly plant.

The Canadian assembly plant was (at that time) the Reo Motors truck and bus plant.  Reo had a contract with Kaiser-Frazer of Canada LTD to build the cars starting in late summer 1950 and going into the end of 1951.  This, in turn, was the same plant that Dominion Motors set up in the 1920's and before World War II assembled some model years of Graham automobiles.


I am interested in getting a matched set of the door post tag and the body tags (small and large on 1951 and later model years) that show the ""2" and other export information.  If anyone has a set off a parts car, please advise as to price and shipping.