Possibly a silly question

[jasonrocksout]

But I have a 1952 Henry J deluxe corsair, and there's one thing I've never been clear about.  Did HJ's originally come with side-view mirrors?  I see plenty that have mirrors on the fenders or doors or a-pillar, but I've never known if any of them are actually original.

Oh thee of the K-F wisdom, let me know!

[Fid]

Hello, and this a great question.  The Henry J never came with sideview mirrors.  In the 1950s/60s/70s many states required them so people often bought aftermarket units at auto parts stores and installed them on their cars, even though there really was no good place to mount one a Henry J. My '53 J has one for this very reason - it was required by law back in the early 70s where we lived. The mirror on it never worked very well and it also made it impossible to open the vent window all the way to cool me off when driving in the summer.  Kaiser-Frazer did have an accessory mirror that could be mounted on the A pillar or window frame and those worked OK on the Henry J (see the November 2004 issue of Hemming's Classic Car as it mentions this).  The factory Henry J parts book does not list a sideview mirror, nor does the factory Henry J  shop manual.  Other things Henry Js never had:
Automatic Transmission
Opening rear seat windows (although there was a rear wing vent kit that allowed for opening wing vents)
Automatic choke
1951 and 52 models did not have a dome light
1951 and early 1952s (Vagabond models) did not have a glove compartment

Some things the Henry J pioneered:
Idiot lights
PCV valve

Other items that were extra cost on the J:
Radio
Heater
Oil Filter
Fresh air vents
Door arm rests
Backup lights