New member says Hello

[Mike Fenty]

Dear owners club, I signed up today as an overseas member, UK based, and the recent owner of a 1952 Kaiser Manhattan in need of restoration. 

I have followed your postings on line for a couple of months, and there is a wealth of information available, as well as some great advice.   

I have started to research the Manhattan model and my car in particular, which seems to have lived most of it's life in Nevada, and still bears the US registration plate 515 YUR.     

I am interested to know if anyone has any prior knowledge of my car, or if there are any other UK or Europe based members in the Kaiser club that I can communicate with.

Look forward to hearing from anyone, and keep up the interesting postings.

Mike Fenty
 

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Hi Mike,

There are few if any truly active members in the club currently living in England...the most active in Europe are individuals in France, The Netherlands, Sweeden & Switzerland.  There were a small number of Kaisers assembled at Rotterdam during the years 1949-54 and Haifa Israel 1951-57 (they built a handful of 1954 Kaiser Manhattans from parts on hand after 1955).  Because of currency restrictions in place after World War II, the only way you could buy a new K-F car in England was to either get a special exemption from the government or you were an American posted in the country and paid with USD instead of Pounds Shillings & Pence.

K-F products that were either sold in the UK or on the continent either had tags from the Rotterdam or Haifa plants and have something at the SPEC-FO heading on the larger firewall data plate, starting with "FO" for Foreign Order.

Did you get any factory service info with the car?  If not let me know.

Jack Mueller
Club Historian

[Mike Fenty]

Good morning Jack - your time.

I did not receive any literature with the car, although I have purchased a few pieces off Ebay USA - like paint chips, lubrication sheets and some magazine articles (about the only things I can find available)

I hoped that I would be able to have access to workshop manuals or servicing data after joining the owners club. 

I understand that my car came to UK about 3 years ago with an American Serviceman posted to UK, and it was registered as a UK vehicle about one year ago.

It seems solid underneath, and I hope to have it on the ramps next time I am home for a good look (I work with Anadarko in North Africa)  The wiring seems a bit suspect, but that is to be expected after 60 years I guess.

Until I get it into the shop and have it professionally appraised, I am not sure if I am in a shallow hole, or a deep one financially.  But I know for sure that that I will need things like door and window seals, filters, brake components and consumables.


Regards Mike Fenty



 

[joefrazer]

Hi Mike!

Glad to hear we have a new overseas member. One of our stateside members maintains a registry of known cars and here's a link -> http://www.eskimo.com/~hhagen/reg/reg.htm

Open it and look for your year/make/model. Once located, search thru the listings for your car's serial or body number. If your car is known to the club, a previous owner (not necessarily the last owner) should be listed.

Again, glad to have you as a member!

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

You can run a WANTED ad in the club's KFOCI MONTHLY BULLETIN for what you may initially need including Shop Manual and Parts book.  Most Vendors (including those in the club) tend to work off of part numbers.

[DaveF]

Hi Mike;

I also own a 1952 Kaiser Manhattan........ Live in Washington State close to Canadian boarder.  Welcome to KFOCI.

Dave F.

[84RabbitGTI]

Welcome from Seattle, Mike!