Kaiser Frazer Owners Club Forum
General Category => Darrin Forum => Topic started by: custom on January 28, 2021, 06:48:08 PM
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I copied a number of Darrin experimental (engineering) progress reports and prototype pictures that were listed on eBay several years ago. I have forwarded copies to Phil Jelinek and Jim Betts. I found this one interesting discussing power doors and a hardtop. Not real clear but still legible. Prototype pictures attached also.
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After reviewing these documents I am struck by the dates. Production on these cars started in Jan 1954 through to June 1954. Many of these experimental progress reports are in March, April and May, like the one listed. Some of them list production numbers that seem to became regular production models. I would like to see the Darrin they used trying the experimental power doors!!
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Duane Hayes told me about an ex Kaiser employee (company photographer?), fairly well up in years, that used to bring his Darrin to car shows there in Colorado (many years ago). Apparently his Darrin was fitted with some company prototype parts, one being a dual carb head. According to Duane, he was never able to get the car "to run quite right". Made me wonder if some of the groundwork for the Brazil dual carb head had roots here.
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On the Experimental Project - Progress Reports ... When I was posting them I noticed the STATUS Book on them. Most of them state 100%. I am thinking someone in the loop was doing a final progress report and closing the project with this Reports. That explains the 1954 dates.
https://circlekf.com/share_sources.php?dp=publicity&yr=all&pub=KF&typ=EX&mg=Experimental%20Project&action=list_sources (https://circlekf.com/share_sources.php?dp=publicity&yr=all&pub=KF&typ=EX&mg=Experimental%20Project&action=list_sources)
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The photographer mentioned was Russ Spalding and yes, he had a Darrin with quite a few modifications done to it. The frame on his car had an additional "X" member added to test rigidity, to name one I could think of right away. I was a guest of his many years ago at his home in Colorado Springs and we spent an afternoon going thru his personal papers from KF. He gave me several photographs he took while employed at KF, as well as a few bits and pieces I needed for the first Darrin I owned at the time.
Russ was not the only company photographer, but he was part of the team when the 1951 cars were introduced. He told me of being in charge of getting the models to the shoot sites and one time, while taking one to a site north of the factory, the young lady was changing outfits in the back seat. He said he almost ran off the road staring into the rear view mirror rather than paying attention to the road.
He also said that quite a few of the people in the pictures were employees or family of employees. One shot of a family gathered around a Traveler was comprised of an employee and her family. Many of the pictures were taken near the factory in an area that had a park-like setting. Today, it's a subdivision full of tract homes.
Russ passed away several years ago.
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There is a Kaiser-Willys Trade Letter (the K-W version of the Confidential Bulletin) from December 1953 that announces Darrin production started that month. However, li ke any from-scratch automobile project, there are various running changes that went into play almost from the start. The "big Board" on running changes shows that changes were made through June and July 1954. Another group of engineers worked on new product ideas such as electrically operated doors and a 1-piece fiberglas hardtop. However, management finally decided to throw in the towel and almost everything for product development was stopped in July when production ended. Check the new updated KFOCI HANDBOOK which will be accessible to coub members getting publications when the new websiet is up and running.
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The photographer mentioned was Russ Spalding and yes, he had a Darrin with quite a few modifications done to it. The frame on his car had an additional "X" member added to test rigidity, to name one I could think of right away. I was a guest of his many years ago at his home in Colorado Springs and we spent an afternoon going thru his personal papers from KF. He gave me several photographs he took while employed at KF, as well as a few bits and pieces I needed for the first Darrin I owned at the time.
Russ was not the only company photographer, but he was part of the team when the 1951 cars were introduced. He told me of being in charge of getting the models to the shoot sites and one time, while taking one to a site north of the factory, the young lady was changing outfits in the back seat. He said he almost ran off the road staring into the rear view mirror rather than paying attention to the road.
He also said that quite a few of the people in the pictures were employees or family of employees. One shot of a family gathered around a Traveler was comprised of an employee and her family. Many of the pictures were taken near the factory in an area that had a park-like setting. Today, it's a subdivision full of tract homes.
Russ passed away several years ago.
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I had several conversations with Russ. That "young lady" in the back seat was a very young ELLEN BURSTYN. That photo shoot with the Darrin was on the U of M campus in Ann Arbor. Ellen had to get back to the Detroit bus station in a hurry. Russ said that that "high speed" ride in a Henry J was quite terrifying to Ellen since it was long before the I94 ex-way.
I spent several years with Ellen's "people" trying to get her to autograph one of those iconic Darrin photos for Russ, but to no avail.
Ironically, while at a local $$$$ eatery in Rochester, MI several years ago, the waiter said that Ellen sat "right over there" last night, not knowing anything about my failed endeavor. That was during the years when Hollywood came to MI to shoot movies.