Hi all, I just bought a 48 Frazer Manhattan and look forward to your helpful advice and candid comments, mild to robust. Over the past 35 years there have been many pre 1960
cars in my drive, lots of flathead 6 Chrysler products as well as a fair share of English Rootes cars, mostly Sunbeams along with a Triumph GT 6 and a fair share of VW's. The closest to this family was a 50 Willys Jeepster that my kids adored while their mother loathed the smell of a carburetor running rich and a gas tank always seeping.
Forgive me if you see the saga below twice, as I posted it as a reply to a thread on a 48 Frazer Manhattan on Ebay.
I just got this home on Tuesday. Took the bus from Ann Arbor to Saratoga Springs, where, unbelievably, I got got dropped off in the driveway of the Saratoga Auto Museum, where the car was purchased. Being an extreme optimist, the plan was to drive home, stopping in Kitchener ON on the way back to pick up some dripless undercoating from Monarch Oil. As it turned out, that was as far as i got. I started getting some untoward noises under the hood and parked the car and went to sleep in the back seat at 1:45 AM. Called my brother in MI to come tow me home, after arrangin for a tow dolly with UHaul. when he shows up after a 3 and a half hour drive, they tell us we cant rent the dolly because his Tacoma PU is not worthy of towing the Frazer. As a result I rented a dolly in Michigan on Tuesday and told them I was hauling a '61 Falcon. No problem with the rental and the trip was uneventful.
Now we need to diagnose the problem. I originally thought I was losing a bearing, however the oil pressure continues to be around 35-40 , car idles perfectly, however when engine speed is increased there is a lot of rattling going on. The car was also leaking about a quart of oil for every 125 miles from around the pan gasket. Time for the winter projects to commence.
The 370 miles that I did drive were very pleasant. this car floats down the road, tracks well and stops as well as expected for 2 tons with drum brakes. The ride reminds me very much of the 51 Chrysler Windsor Club Coupe that I drove during my college days, which was 30 years old when I finished. The fuel economy was also impressive, better than most of the quoted numbers I have found.
I'm looking forward to the helpful tips from other members and hope to meet some of you in the future. This Frazer is happy to be back in its birthplace; I live less than 9 miles from the Willow Run plant.
Rich
