Author Topic: Unusual seats in 53 Manhattan  (Read 2746 times)

mbflemingkf

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Unusual seats in 53 Manhattan
« on: August 09, 2011, 08:03:07 PM »
I went to look at a new members car this past weekend and his saets were pretty un usual.  It was a 53 Kaiser Manhattan 4 door with the traditional bleached bambu boucle and bambu vinyl that I've alwayts seen, but instead of the Luxura fabric, the inserts were a solid flat/smooth vinyl (in this case burgundy).  The seats had been replaced as the data code on the firewall supported a green luxura (car was originally green over stardust ivory).  My initial thought was that someone had replaced the fabric with the vinyl, but we tued over each section and they looked totally original.  No 2nd set of hog rings, no double holes, etc.  It appeared that the seats were as original from the factory in every way and appearance.  So far I've had 2 theories; 1 was these are from a Taxi, and the 2nd was these were from a Deluxe.  Looking at the old paper handbook, did not appear the Deluxes came with bambu and boucle vinyl.  Taxi seems pretty remove for 53 seats and the liklehood that there were even any made.

Other theories?  This is pretty interesting!  
KFOCI #4818, Since 1982

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1954 Kaiser Manhattan, 4 Door (Now in FL)
1955 Kaiser Manhattan, 2 Door (Now in TX)
1953 Kaiser Manhattan, 4 Door (Now in Australia)
Thousands of parts & literature (All over the world)

joefrazer

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Re: Unusual seats in 53 Manhattan
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2011, 08:29:35 PM »
Get some pix Mike!

mbflemingkf

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Re: Unusual seats in 53 Manhattan
« Reply #2 on: August 09, 2011, 10:30:40 PM »
Pics are coming per the owner "in a couple of days."  Of course, I won't know how to post them here... :-[
KFOCI #4818, Since 1982

Rear view mirror:
1954 Kaiser Manhattan, 4 Door (Now in FL)
1955 Kaiser Manhattan, 2 Door (Now in TX)
1953 Kaiser Manhattan, 4 Door (Now in Australia)
Thousands of parts & literature (All over the world)

kaiserfrazerlibrary

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Re: Unusual seats in 53 Manhattan
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2011, 05:05:48 AM »
No Kaiser Taxi models were ever made other than the 1949-50 version.  Does the car have any M NUMBERS listed on the Body tag?  If it was factory and there is no 888 999 type numbers for paint & trim,  one or more of those M headers were used. 

When I first started in the club, I had a dragon that had vinyl inserts instead of Laguna cloth; a club member did this prior to my getting the car because he could not find Laguna cloth and the inserts had worn.   Looked good, but was not correct.

Jim B PEI

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Re: Unusual seats in 53 Manhattan
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2011, 06:13:52 PM »
WHICH cloths are being repro'd?
KF
49 Kaiser Special Glass Green, Saskatchewan new
Studebaker
64 2dr 170-6 auto Astra White Commander Special
63 4dr Wagonaire 259V8 o/d Blue
57 4dr 185-6 auto Glendale Green/Turquoise
57 4dr 185-6 o/d Glendale Green/Turquoise W6 clone
lawn art
57 Stude 259V8 auto. 56 Panhard

pnw_oldmags

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Re: Unusual seats in 53 Manhattan
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2011, 02:02:15 PM »
I got Bambu and Boucle from SMS ... Look Great.
They also dyed another cloth for me which I found close for the inserts on my 53K ... I think that is call laguna cloth.
My coloring was in Pea****** Blue if this helps.
Jim Betts  LM6945
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dusty

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Re: Unusual seats in 53 Manhattan
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2011, 06:32:29 PM »
you showed the material on the internet it looked like the material we used to use on steel case office furniture in the 50s and yes it was died PEA****** BLUE pea****** blue was the proper color.