Ypsilanti Auto Heritage Museum KF Pictures

[shadetree77]

My wife and I visited the Ypsilanti Auto Heritage Museum in Ypsilanti, Michigan today. Our first time there. Had a great visit. Really enjoyed the KF section. Also enjoyed the building itself. It still very much looks like a garage/dealership inside and it's easy to picture it as a bustling Hudson dealership back in its heyday. Here are the photos I took of the KF display.

I also inquired about volunteering at the museum. I made mention of the fact that I was a KFOCI member and that I actively volunteer weekly at the Buick Gallery in Flint. I was told that things were VERY slow at the museum both now and in the summer and they did not require any volunteers. They told me that they no longer work on cars at the museum so all there is to do is clean and that there is not even enough work to keep the few regulars busy. I was surprised and saddened to hear this. Seems I read in one of the more recent KFOCI bulletins that volunteers were needed?

Just providing this info. so that anyone who may have been thinking about volunteering is aware of this. Even if you don't get to volunteer, I highly recommend a trip to this wonderful museum. Visitors are what keep places like this open! Ypsi is a great town with lots of historic buildings and restaurants too. We ate at Haab's which has been a Ypsilanti staple since the 1870's.

[shadetree77]

More.

[shadetree77]

More..

[Aeroman]

So nice to see some of Blanch & Ken Mericle's cars again. The yellow Traveler was the car they brought to most of the Nationals that I was also at.

[Fid]

The '47 Frazer Manhattan was Jack Sabin's - an amazing car.

[joefrazer]

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your visit to the museum. The KF display is a temporary set up, assembled by museum staff with the help of club members. It looks great and has received many compliments.

The 47, 48 and 50 Kaisers belong to a club member and are on loan and we're glad to have them on display. The Darrin also belongs to a club member who's loaning the car to the museum as well. It's definitely drawn many comments!

The museum, at one time, was more active with restorations, particularly with Hudson automobiles however, since its change in focus, its aim now is to tell the story of the vehicle makes on display.

[Terry T]

JACK,

WILL YOU EVER CEASE YOU JABS??

[Hollenway]

No Terry,  I don't think he ever will.  I've watched his caustic comments for 15 years and it speaks volumes about Jack as an individual.  Car collecting is supposed to be a fun hobby - and people like Jack do their best to take the FUN out of it. Snide, arrogant,  condescending remarks do NOTHING to promote the K/F marque or foster an environment that entices new members.  I renewed with the club this year only because of Jim Lape.  I felt I owed him that support because he is a good friend.  But when Jim's  term ends this summer - so does my membership.  There are better ways to spend my time and money.  From the day I joined this club there have been so many downright nasty people that I have encountered..... and a LOT of them are from the eastern division.  While it's true I've met some really nice folks as well..... the sense of belonging is just not here for me.   I remember asking my Uncle about this club years ago as he was a dealer - and his comment was: "That club is full of a**holes ".......     It appears Uncle Clair may well have been right. 

[Corsairdeluxe]

Brother Davey,

I share a lot of your frustrations. In my fifty years of membership(#3559),I have met liars, charlatans and out right crooks ,not to mention some just plain mean people. They are sometimes like coming up sharply upon a stepladder in your path at 70 mph. You steer around them. I have. That has allowed me to meet you , Lowell, Big Dave and quite a few others I highly value.

Hold it in the road my valued Brother,

Jim Brown

[Gordie]

The world is full of many different kinds of people and we see them every where.  Please don't give up on the club as most of us do a lot to keep the fun, knowledge and fellowship in the club and the things that we do try to promote that goal.  We need everyone's input to make this thing work.  Stick with us!

[joefrazer]

For those who are just seeing this, there were comments posted that have been removed. That's why you may see posts that seem out of place. Read on.

The Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum (YAHM) is fairly new organization. Previously, the building housed a former Hudson dealer (Miller Motors) who also ran a small museum. When the YAHM took over, they wanted to tell the story of the automobile manufacturers in the Ypsi area, and K-F fell under that umbrella. When Mr. Miller ran the museum several K-F club members donated material and vehicles that in turn, ended up with the YAHM. It's that material, plus some of what Miller already had, as well as items on loan from current club members that make up the Kaiser-Frazer display in place today.

Apparently, there's been issue with my use of the word "temporary" (the deleted postings). I use it because the display, and any display in a museum, should be just that...temporary. Keeping things fresh and interesting is the best way to ensure folks will be drawn to the museum. The K-F display is a mix of material, as I mentioned, from the YAHM collection, as well as club members. Most of the cars on display today belong to members of the KFOCI and will be cycled thru the building as the weather permits and the museum personnel sees fit.

The Kaiser-Frazer Historical Foundation hopes to be a part of the museum and assist in the construction of a display that will tell the story of Kaiser-Frazer. The foundation has obtained it's corporate charter and we are now working with the IRS to obtain tax-exempt status. This will allow tax-deductible donations to the foundation that will aid in telling the K-F story.

I have great faith in the KFOCI and the KF Historical Foundation. I've been associated with the club since 1964 and have met many great people, as well as some we'll just call memorable. I've rubbed elbows with the Kaiser family at a few of their charity functions, had the distinct pleasure of meeting and speaking at length with Dick Langworth, author of many tomes including our club bible, The Last Onslaught on Detroit, as well as getting to know countless club members over the years. It's the association with those I consider my car club family that drew me into assuming an office with the club. I felt I could make a difference and leave the club better than when I found it. Running into a few of those memorable people has made the job a bit tougher, but if I didn't think I could do it, then I wouldn't have thrown my hat in the ring.

Thanks for your time.

[Carpenter]

Some people won't help themselves get better.  They seem to think that the world needs a few a**holes to be complete and they volunteer.  Do NOT let them ruin YOUR world or our interest in KF.  Learn to overlook them and live forward.

[Roadmaster49]

I always wondered why Jack M just 'disappeared'.   I must have missed this original post during a period of minimal forum viewing.  That museum would be great to go to. It would be nice if a person could sit in the cars and / or open them.  Get up close.  Most museums are roped off and I don't care for them. Just viewing static art.

But it is better than nothing.  If the literature is to be sold, that's both interesting and disappointing but these museums need to raise money or go out of business. 

[Jerry Wilbeck]

That '47 Manhattan is just INCREDIBLE!!

[Gordie]

The museum had lots of K-F-W literature and photographs donated by our club members and others.   I am sure that the items being sold are duplicates and it is nice that some of it will be available to people who enjoy collecting it and for restoration purposes.  There are several members who have sizable K-F collections and hopefully they will be preserved intact.  K.F. created an awful lot of interesting paper.