49 Kaiser Travelers' Trim Tag decode

[travisd]

Hello, I've recently purchased a couple of 49 Kaisers and was hoping for a little help with some of the trim tag info. I am not sure I have them right but I believe so.

Vehicle 1:

Model 491
Body 5
Paint 130
Trim 1508 A (?)
RD 1
TR 1
SCHED 136
Body Number 0036


Vehicle 2:

Model 491
Body 5
Paint 110
Trim 1502

Body Number 15767

I am currently relying on pictures of the tags so I may be slightly off.  Any help is appreciated.
Kind Regards,
David

[joefrazer]

Here you go...

Vehicle 1:

Model 491 = 1949 Kaiser Special
Body 5 = Traveler/Vagabond body
Paint 130 = Horizon Blue
Trim 1508 A (?) = Light Green Vinyl (interesting color combination...inside and out)
RD 1
TR 1 = 3 speed transmission
SCHED 136 = When car was prodced in the model year. This one went down the line rather late in the run
Body Number 0036 = Body numbers started with 1001 so you might want to verify.


Vehicle 2:

Model 491 = 1949 Kaiser Special
Body 5 = Traveler/Vagabond body
Paint 110 = Cardinal
Trim 1502 = Cardinal vinyl (very nice color combo!)

Body Number 15767

[travisd]

Thanks very much. The body number on the first could be 8036...Thanks again.
David

[travisd]

I agree that it seemed weird that it would have a green int with a Horizon Blue exterior. I went and looked at the registry and it seems almost all with Paint code 130 had trim code 1503. So, I assumed I'd made a mistake. But no, that number is clear 1508. I wonder if it was special ordered that way?

Thanks,
David

]

[joefrazer]

Yep, the numbers don't lie! As for odd color combinations, KF would accomodate most any request from their customers...especially in the later years when customers were scarce. There are stories of garishly painted Henry Js rolling down the line...much to the chagrin of upper management.

Body number 8036 would be more in line with what was produced.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

The body tag does not lie...it is 1508.  None of the Confidential Bulletins I have show the trim for a 1949 or 1950 traveler, however the trim code section of LAST ONSLAUGHT ON DETROIT shows no less than 12 possible interiors (some vinyl, others cloth and vinyl) for the 1949-50 Travelers.   In preparing his book, Dick Langworth had access to collections of materials that have since disappeared or were broken up when the owners died. 

Some later production special 4-door sedans are showing up that also have unlisted trim numbers for their interiors.  The current theory is that during second quarter of 1949 (April 1-June 30th) the factory "sampled" additional paint and trim availabilities in an effort to move the growing stores of materials that had limited shelf life.  One such Special appeared at the 2008 Midwest Division Fall Meet so I got to see it myself. 

As the car has no SPEC-FO number on the body tag, it was not a "typical" special order car, which further tends to support the current theory, that the combinations were offered "for a limited time only" as has been found on some 1951 model year Kaiser and Henry J automobiles.  In time, I hope that Confidential Bulletins listing availabilities at various points and times will help settle both this situation and the 1951 cases I have found.


Also, anyone note the AG "10" on the tag?

Jack Mueller

[travisd]

Thanks for the information. That's really of interest to me. I wonder if that's what happened (?) As for that "10" above the AG, my other Traveler as that also.  What's the AG for?
Here's that tag.

Thanks again,
David
][/img]

[joefrazer]

AG stands for Accessory Group. For the Travelers, that included 7.10x15 tires, single manifold engine, heavy duty springs and shocks, 4.09:1 rear axle ratio (4.55 w/OD), folding rear seat, dry type air cleaner, booster fuel pump, spare tire and tube with vinyl cover, cigar lighter, replaceable element style oil filter and two front and two rear bumper guards.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Originally, Kaiser Travelers were not supposed to have an Accessory Group.  Confidential Bulletin #30, dated 1/31/49 shows the air cleaner (a dry type, not oil bath), vacuum booster fuel pump, oil filter and other items as standard equipment on the cars.  On March 15, K-F issued Confidential Bulletin #33, which notes it replaced #30 and that the old item should be destroyed.  This bulletin added a listing of 7.10 x 15 tires to the Standard Equipment list as well as the items in #33 (list price of $1,944 with 109.48 in Federal Tax and $20.00 retail delivery prep charge remained from the earlier document).

When price rollbacks were announced on most Kaiser and Frazer models at the end of March (Confidential Bulletin #35, 3/29/49) Kaiser-Frazer unofficially announced the existance of AG 10 for the Travelers on page 2 of the document.  Here, a chart shows items that were part of other Accessory Groups for the various Kaiser and Frazer cars, with a listing for the Traveler and a notation that "these accessories were previously included in the price of the Traveler".  The items were the air cleaner, vacuum booster fuel pump, bumper guards, spare tire & tube mounted on spare wheel, instrument panel cigarette lighter and oil filter...the same items in the AG for the Special 4-door sedan.   The Confidential Bulletin also indicates there were no price rollbacks on the Traveler as it was rolled out at the "adjusted price" level.

Overdrive transmission first became available on Travelers in late April 1949, as were factory installed radios on Special models (including Travelers).  Overdrive, considered a limited availability item at the April bulletin announcement date became available on all orders at extra cost as of June 24, 1949. 

This is as far as my bulletins on the car go at present other than to identify available paint and trim colors for the Traveler.  .  None of the bulletins I have listing paint/trim combinations shows the combination on the blue car's body tag.  The combination on the red car (paint 110, trim 1502A) first shows up in my stuff as of May 20, 1949 when the range of color and interior combinations was expanded.  The Confidential Bulletin here (#38, 5/20/49) indicated that Cardinal Red was a new color to the availability list.

[travisd]

That is interesting. Both do have a radio, a cigarette lighter, and overdrive. My presumption is that the Cardinal car was built fairly late in the year. The serial number is 43023. It was sold new in Orlando Florida to a Mr. C. F. See, on November 17, 1949, who traded it in to Tropical Motors (also in Orlando) in 1969. I really appreciate the information provided.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Based on your last posting here, things get even more interesting....


During the first week in November 1949, all new, untitled, undriven 1949 Kaiser and Frazer cars in factory, distributor or dealer stocks received 1950 model year serial number tags.  1949's started out with K491 in the case of specials; 1950 model year tags start K501 for the special series.  Firewall tags were not changed and still carried the 1949 model designations.  The only cars in the system that were not retagged were demonstrator models or vehicles used by distributors for parts-related purposes (there are photos showing various distributors using Travelers or Vagabonds for parts delivery purposes, driven by the field sales reps) or dealers to demonstrate the car to prospects.  Assuming the November 17th sale date to be correct, if the car still has a K491 door post serial number tag, it would have been a dealer demonstrator.

How about that?

[travisd]

You're really good. However, after just seeing your post I went to see if there was any mileage recorded (since perhaps the car was a demonstrator) and discovered an error in my previous post. The date that the original Florida title was issued was November 17, 1949. However, the loan contract Mr. See had with Commercial Credit Corp. ($1109) was dated Ooctober 15, 1949. So, I guess Florida was kind of slow issuing titles in 1949. I found another document indicating that he bought it on that same date.  BTW he paid the car off two years later.
Thanks, David

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

1949 and 1950 model year tags used the same cheap piece of aluminum material for the tag...the difference is the prefix.  If the car was actually sold in October 1949, it would have been a 1949 model year vehicle.   In 1951 they went to something more substantial and painted over the tag to further protect it from the elements.  Maybe the move reflected feedback from the field on legibility issues?