Kaiser Frazer Owners Club Forum
General Category => Frazer Forum => Topic started by: Logan on April 12, 2010, 04:50:32 PM
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We know that all 51 Frazers were leftover 49/50's with new front clip and rear fender treatment. Also, there were no automatic transmissions offered for 49/50, but I have seen several 51 Frazers with automatics, so does this mean that the factory went to the trouble of ripping out the old trannies and putting new hydramatics in? They would have also had to put new steering columns in, wouldn't they? Does anyone know the stats on what percentage of 51 Frazers were hydramatics?
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Looking in the KF Registry ... all the 4 Door Sedans reported are TR 4 except for one TR 2
http://www.circlekf.com/kfcars/f5151.htm (http://www.circlekf.com/kfcars/f5151.htm)
But the 4 Dr Hard Tops are TR 6 except one TR 4
http://www.circlekf.com/kfcars/f5161.htm (http://www.circlekf.com/kfcars/f5161.htm)
From the KF Handbook....
The header TR identifies the TRANSMISSION that was to be installed in the car:
2 all models/years, 3-speed standard
4 1949 – 1954 Overdrive
6 1951 – 1952 Hydra-Matic
Seems there is a pattern ... most Hardtops had Hydra-Matics and Most Sedans had Manual with Overdrive.
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Interesting--thanks for the info. So they definitely would have had to retrofit the automatic 51's, because they all were originally standards (with or without overdrive), right?
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Using the KF Directory again -
1949-50 Frazer 4dr Sedan - http://circlekf.com/kfcars/f4951.htm (http://circlekf.com/kfcars/f4951.htm) All 1 + 4s reported
1949-50 Frazer Manhattan 4dr Sedan - http://circlekf.com/kfcars/f4961.htm (http://circlekf.com/kfcars/f4961.htm) All 1 + 4s reported
1949-50 Frazer Manhattan 4dr Convertible - http://circlekf.com/kfcars/f4962.htm (http://circlekf.com/kfcars/f4962.htm) All 4s reported
No 6s in the mix reported which were the codes for Hydramatics
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We know that the first six '51 Frazer convertibles were all standard with overdrive but I am not sure about the early hardtops.
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I don't think the 51s were made by starting with assembled 49s but with the leftover bodies...
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Good point, Ben-Tex! I hadn't thought about that. The 54 early specials were made from assembled cars though, right? I seem to remember reading somewhere that they needed to be repainted because the taillight assembly for the 54's didn't reach as far back as the chrome strip on the 53's.
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Kaiser-Frazer began to get Hydra-Matics from General Motors in June 1950. By that point, the 4-door sedan production was ending, Vagabond production was wrapping up, and the daily dribble of Manhattan Hardtop and Convertible models began at the Jackson hand-craft line. While overdrive was an option on the standard models (4-door sedan and Vagabond) according to K-F factory production data, they were equipped with o/d except by special dealer order (manditory option). Once the automatics started to come in, they were installed on the Manhattans for the rest of the run. Convertible production finished prior to October 31, 1950 and the last Manhattan hardtops were built in November 1950.
The production run reflected built up bodies or major assemblies and stocks of body panels that had more value on a finished vehicle than as scrap. As far as information goes, no built up 1949-50 cars were turned into 1951 Frazers, other than perhaps a few for prototyping as they would make excellent references for the sheet metal tooling. Kinda like the 1955 Hudson program using a couple prototype 1955 Nash cars to verify mating parts.