Kaiser Golden Dragon for sale on ebay

[Fid]

Always thought these were sharp looking cars. This one sure is.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Other-Makes-Golden-Dragon-DeLuxe-/272073336555?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3f58d5a6eb:g:pVkAAOSwfZ1Waf6-&item=272073336555

[Roadmaster49]

Yes very nice. 6 bids getting it to $6100 when I viewed it.   It amazes me that not every one of these sellers are not KFOCI members and you experienced old timers don't know them.  A lot of times you do know the car and the sellers, which is interesting. 

I thought I was not so much a fan of the 1951's but after seeing the 16,000 mile Caribbean Coral car and then this one, I think the issue is the $1000 worn out cars don't impress me.  Get some good paint and a nice interior and these are great cars. 

[mbflemingkf]

The seller is not only a member of KFOCI but he is a past President. 

[Aeroman]

Don't know the car, but know the owner. This car had a windshield visor removed - there are holes in the moldings. Olther than that, nice looking car. I wonder if this was once Harold Pfanschmidt's old car? Or maybe even Langworth's?

[JFerriss]

Well, son of a gun, I have not been on Ebay in a while so I missed seeing this one. I see that this sale has ended in a no sale but this was formerly my car from 2004 to 2008. This 1951 Golden Dragon has been owned by various club members since the early 1980s when it was first discovered by Gene Meyer in a barn in Nebraska. He said it was sold new in Broken Bow, NB. The interior is all original and has survived amazingly well. I first saw it in 1999 in Aiken, GA with Ron Meditz who had plans to restore it but it sat for awhile as Ron was dealing with health issues. Then Ray Frazier bought it from Ron and put a new vinyl top on it (note in the pics it is not original dragon vinyl but early 1950s Lincoln Capri vinyl). Ray also got it running and did a nice job on the body work and repaint. He took it to the 2000 KFOCI National Meet where I saw it after Ray restored it. Then Ray sold it back to Gene Meyer, who I got it from in 2004. I had shown it at the big Ypsilanti Orphan car show as well as many local shows and also took it to the big Gilmore Red Barn show where a bunch of KF cars gathered in 2007. I sold it in April of 2008 to a guy in New Jersey but he then had health issues and must have sold it to the guy in PA who apparently listed in on Ebay. I really enjoyed that car and got a lot of looks and admirers locally. Those marks on the drip cap are from a visor which actually came with the car when I got it. I put it in the trunk when I sold it, having never put it on the car, but it was previously on the car when Bruce Feurstein owned it. After I first got the Dragon, I striped down the engine bay and did a repaint and touch-up to improve everything under the hood and also I repainted the yellow instrument cowl and got a nearly new instrument cluster which cost me a lot but made the dash look great. My only periodic issues were the typical ones from a car that sat along time previously and needed a thorough fuel system restoration, which periodically gobbled up fuel pump diaphragms, but for the most part I enjoyed it a lot locally.  Too bad that it did not find a buyer because it would not take a lot to make it show quality. Attached is a picture of it in 2005 in front of Saffords general store which opened in 1906. This was on the 2006 KFOCI calendar.

[Roadmaster49]

Thank you so much for providing the back story.  It adds a lot to my interest to know where and how a car so nice ends up on ebay, with no obvious indication of KFOCI in it's history. 

Also, interesting it was a Nebraska car.  I am traveling in Nebraska and South Dakota presently and know where Broken Bow is.

[Fid]

When I was a kid in Nebraska, we found some of the best, most well preserved old cars in the small towns around Omaha. Many of them are still on the road today. My '53 Henry J was from Summerfield, KS which is on the Nebraska/Kansas border and the farm where we found it was actually on the Nebraska side (not that it matters that much). Others we found which are still alive are a very nice '49 Frazer Manhattan rescued from a field in Red Oak, IA a '53 Kaiser Manhattan from Pawnee City, NE (home town of Larry The Cable Guy), '51 Frazer from Yankton, Sd (I still see it every summer), '48 Kaiser Custom from Auburn, Nebraska... the list goes on. In those days the Midwest cars were as well preserved as the California cars, if not better.  I know Gene Meyer was still uncovering them after we left.

[JFerriss]

I forgot to mention that besides restoring the engine bay on the Dragon, I also removed the seating and covered the whole floor with POR-15 rust preventative and then covered that with some sound deadening material and then put back the mat and carpet and seats. Overall this is a nice car and I am surprised that it did not sell, but eventually it will make someone a nice car. It would need a lot of small details such as original style wiring etc. to be KFOCI showable but for me it showed nicely locally and was intended to be a driver anyway. I have the 1950 December Life Magazine which has a 2 page spread on the introduction of the new Golden Dragon and I made a poster of it which I used to display when showing the car. Attached is a copy of that advertisement and also a picture of the Dragon at the Red Barn show along side my wife's 1972 Mercedes 350SL.

[Roadmaster49]

Here Mike, is more of evidence of my "negative drivel" that you want members like me to "go away". 

A lot was learned about this car and the previous owner came on and provided the backstory.   Because someone was interested.