I'm suddenly Kaiser-less....

[51Deluxe]

So much for K-F products being hard to sell. Drove my '51 Deluxe up to Burger King for breakfast. It was full of older car buffs and when I walked in you would have thought I was a celebrity. After fielding lots of questions about the year and model, I sat down to eat and was promptly joined by a local auto shop owner who knew someone local who had a Traveler. after he got up, another fellow came over and asked if I would sell the car. I said sure for $XXXX, thinking he was full of it. He started looking around in his wallet and I asked what for. He said, "a check", and a couple of hours later it was paid for and signed over. I delivered the car and cringed as he slammed the hood improperly and asked me to pull it in a shed too full of junk to get it in. I told him to clean it out and I would pull it in, which I did later when I brought him extra keys. I'm already missing the old girl and my wife, who dislikes anything without A/C, doesn't want me to replace it. His wife complained the whole time and when I left, he said, "wanna be a witness for my divorce?"

[j762538]

So what did you get for it?
I like the Cafe sign too, looks like it had a ice cream cone on it.

[DTort96646]

That sounds familiar. I get that same question at every show I go to, sometimes more than once. Is the car for sale? I always say no, and sometimes I reply, "You'll have to talk to my widow". I can't sell my Kaiser, because I won't have anything to do and I'll have to get another.

[joefrazer]

The upside - you now have the opportunity to experience a different KF. I recommend an early Kaiser or Frazer. While not air conditioned, they're comfortable, easy to drive and simpler to maintain. And, like your 51, it will always draw a crowd!

[51Deluxe]

The upside - you now have the opportunity to experience a different KF. I recommend an early Kaiser or Frazer. While not air conditioned, they're comfortable, easy to drive and simpler to maintain. And, like your 51, it will always draw a crowd!

Well, I only bought the '51 because I prefer the later body style. I'm done with paying shipping on Ebay cars, and there are no K-F anywhere near that I'm aware of, so I may be Kaiser-less for a while.

[51Deluxe]

So what did you get for it?
I like the Cafe sign too, looks like it had a ice cream cone on it.

I don't mind reporting what I got- needs to be out there for reference. Got $7500, about 1K under my investment. So I owned it two years and drove it for about $500 a year. Not bad.

For comparison, my car was completely rebuilt except for the trans and had a high driver quality paint job with redone original type interior. All chrome replated except trunk hinges. Engine compartment show worthy. Downside- rear oil seal leak, a few chips from improper hood closing, clock and speedometer non functional. Original 1951 inspection sticker, 43K miles on clock, speedo stopped 500 miles ago. Probably garaged and not driven much for 30 years or so, almost no body filler or previous rust.

[HJ-ETEX]

Good for you. In past years, when I drove my collectible cars, I would get boobs asking me "How Much Does You What Fer It?" Most of these guys would really want a deluxe bass boat, but they temporarily forgot about that even though they had not even started drinking that day.
I think the guy you sold your car to will drive it twice and then forget about it*.
But it does give you an opportunity to start on another car. If you want another KF product, I think you can find it with in 6 months. And a lot of the magic about a car is the story of finding it and getting it home.

* I bought a Studebaker T-cab truck from a guy near Winnie Texas (That's rice country and there is a good story about me bringing it home). It was nothing fancy other than having a Buick V6/TH350 swap. He had a nicer T-cab that was a stock V8 and painted a tri-color 55 Speedster color scheme. He sold that to a guy that lived about 25 miles away from me and I actually ran into that guy at a convenience store and took pictures of the trucks together 1 last time. You see, the guy thought the truck looked flashy, but he was too stupid to realize it was a 3 spd OD instead of an automatic with a beam front axle and it didn't have AC, PB or PS. I think this guy drove it may be 6 times and parked it for good.

[51Deluxe]

I think the guy you sold your car to will drive it twice and then forget about it*.


I'm not sure he will drive it even that much. I hope not- he's 85 and I had to drive him to the tag office (in his car). The car was nearly perfect and I don't think he will treat it carefully in any way. So the next time I see it the car will probably look a lot different.

[Hollenway]

It indeed would be sad if the new owner doesn't take care of the car.   Honestly - when I have something for sale ( which is rare ) if I don't think it's going to a good home I just won't sell it - at any price.    When you have
put a lot of yourself into a project and then let it slip away for some cash in hand - it always comes with
some " seller's remorse ".     

[51Deluxe]

At first I didn't have a clue he might be careless with it. As I got to know him a little better and got suspicious, and was getting ready to leave the car with him, I left him with a parting remark... "Remember, just one scratch or dent could take $1000 off the value". Hopefully that sunk in. But I don't think so.

[HJ-ETEX]

I am bad with livestock and selling cars. I don't want to sell anything if if isn't going to a good home either.