Things they should have at KFOCI Meets

[darrin145]

This gives me a great idea! Decades ago my house was treated to aluminum siding. While doing renovations I have found that it was first wrapped in Kaiser brand foil house wrap...Well, maybe not...

Gary, aka darrin145.

[GA Kaiser]

@HJ-ETEX.  I think Tennessee will be a good one and draw a lot of people from around the SE and I am really looking forward to it.  I was hoping to go to Virginia a few years ago until they moved it to PA!  Not all of us can afford to have 57 year old cars that are capable of uneventful cross country trips, sometimes going to the store can bring trouble!  LOL  And with this economy, job losses and the price of gas, I'm afraid people like me will be cut out of the hobby altogether. 

That guy with the AMC was ridiculous and should have been told a flat out NO.  Maybe KF groups need to try to mix with the other orphans at a meet and you can give awards to KF's and other orphans.  Let the other orphan car clubs host meets and award to their brand, with our KF's being in the "other" orphan category.  It's only fair to the brand that is hosting a meet. 

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Joint meets have never worked, at least in the Midwest.  The club tried it in the Chicago area a number of years ago and it was a disaster.  A hand was outstretched to have the Studebaker Drivers Club in the Chicago area join us at a meet we had.  As soon as a couple TV crews rolled in to shoot filler footage for the evening news, it suddenly became "Oh this is a Studebaker meet; the Kaiser-Frazer people just stopped by".  By the way, there were only 2 studebakers present!
 

[Roadmaster49]

I think a new club would work as long as there were limits to production years. For instance, Nash through 1956, Hudson through 1957, Kaiser Frazer through 1955, Packard through 1956, Studebaker through 1964(?)

I understand some manufacturing concerns went on after these years and owners with those cars could join the club and participate BUT I think - for instance - AMC implies later years participation.

Also, for instance, the Oldsmobile crowd is strongly divided between the younger OCA which caters to muscle cars and the AOCA (or whatever the older crowd's club is) which only goes into the early 60's if I recall.

So, I think it is time to do this. Many orphan clubs are proud to be "orphan" owners. It would make for better club driving tours, more solvency, more magazine content and better attended meets.

 

[Logan]

At any rate, I think a lot of us in the club at least appreciate and enjoy other orphan brands (I'm not talking about Pontiac, by the way) even if we don't own them.

[joefrazer]

I can see a KF-Graham-Willys meet..that makes sense since there is a connection...but a KF-Studebaker meet...that's a bit of a stretch! I really think the former would be possible and would draw owners since many who own one, own the other...or at least have an interest in them.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

I agree on the Graham-Kaiser-Willys event because there is a historical connection between these three makes.  Any other historical connections (such as AMC, Studebaker, etc) is too far off.

[KWZ]

Excuse my ignorance, but is there a Graham club? 

[pnw_oldmags]

Certainly.  In the PNW we had a join meet with the Graham Club and it went great.  They enjoyed the Kaisers and Frazers and we enjoyed their Grahams.  As I remember 2 41 Hollywoods, a 32 Blue Streak and a couple other older grahams came. It was a fun meet.

[Roadmaster49]

I agree on the Graham-Kaiser-Willys event because there is a historical connection between these three makes.  Any other historical connections (such as AMC, Studebaker, etc) is too far off.

Missing the point. The point is not 100% historical connection because of the manufacturer. The point is long term viability of any of these clubs.  There is strength in numbers. It's not like I am suggesting we ask or join a post war Chevrolet or Ford club. It would be Orphan based and all of the Independents were in the same boat from 1947 to about 1957.

I am sure the magazine and monthly newsletters would be aided by a broader availability of content. Just ask West Peterson who edits and develops the AACA magazine. He has any number of stories he can tap into.

Meets would have more cars. The bank account would be bigger. But the main point is long term solvency of all the Independent clubs that have not built a vehicle in over 60 years (approximately).  I would even disagree that we DO have a historical connection. I have books on Nash, Packard, KF (no Hudson yet) because I am fascinated by the post war automobile economy and markets. Obviously all of the Independents ended up on the wrong side of the equation. Many of the Independents went out of their way to be "different" and we can all share those anomalies at meets and in communications.

[Logan]

I love the '41 Hollywoods (and Hupp Skylarks)--just a great looking car!

[joefrazer]

Yes, there is a Graham club. My intent was to hold a joint meet with them...not merge the two entities together.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

check those books...Graham-Paige made Kaiser-Frazer possible.  Henry Kaiser had interest, "name" and access to capital to start something but no viable product, no dealer system, and no facility to produce it.  Joe Frazer at Graham-Paige had a viable design, over 3,000 outlets to sell it, and a factory that could produce 900 cars a day (the G-P complex on Warren Avenue) but lacked the money to get their car into production and on the road.  Had the first 12 months of the postwar American economy gone as many experts hoped, Graham would have taken in enough cash on 20,000+ Frazers to keep up with their share of Kaiser-Frazer expenses and, while it would probably have faded out in the 1950's, things would have been a lot different for Graham-Paige.

[joefrazer]

Just back from the Midwest Meet in Indy and if you weren't there, you missed a great show. Two Darrins, a Dragon, a Virginian hardtop, and the prototype 51K convertible were among the 20 odd cars in the field. We also had about 100 members and guests who enjoyed things like a trip to the Speedway, a classic car dealership with over 100 oldies and muscle cars on display as well as other side trips that included a local cruise in. Saturday nite's banquet was a sell-out with good old fashioned stick to your ribs food.
The fall Midwest meet will be held in early October in Oconomowoc, WI. Next spring we will be in Dearborn at the Automotive Hall of Fame where we will be the guest of the folks who run the AHOF and we will be part of the reinduction of Joe Frazer and HJK into the hall of fame. Plan now to attend both meets!

[Roadmaster49]

Fantastic!  Good numbers, variety and events. Wish i could have made it.  Will try to make it to the show in my area this weekend, but of course, I have no car (KF variety) yet