Kaiser Frazer Owners Club Forum

General Category => Kaiser Forum => Topic started by: 84RabbitGTI on March 16, 2015, 12:27:43 AM

Title: Help with the decoding of a Foreign Order Data plate.
Post by: 84RabbitGTI on March 16, 2015, 12:27:43 AM
A guy in Brazil contacted me with this one.  Here is his data plate.  He thinks it may be a Virginian, but it appears to be a 51 Deluxe Four Door Sedan with a Hydramatic.  That's what his car appears to be from the limited photos he sent.  What the heck is the KI field?  and what about that stray 1?

(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee71/Kaiser51/Rafael%20Finardi%20s%2051%20Kaiser%20Data%20plate.jpg) (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/Kaiser51/media/Rafael%20Finardi%20s%2051%20Kaiser%20Data%20plate.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Help with the decoding of a Foreign Order Data plate.
Post by: joefrazer on March 16, 2015, 04:42:04 AM
The same fellow wrote me, although I've not yet seen any pictures. Looking at the trim tag shot he sent you, it is a foreign order build but it would take pic of the car's exterior as well as serial number tag to know if it is a Virginian.
Title: Re: Help with the decoding of a Foreign Order Data plate.
Post by: pnw_oldmags on March 16, 2015, 03:16:59 PM
Here is the Plate from the Door Post
The Trim Code and the Accessory Group are undocumented as well I do believe
And by the way does anyone know what color PAINT CODE 370 is??
Title: Re: Help with the decoding of a Foreign Order Data plate.
Post by: pnw_oldmags on March 16, 2015, 03:27:33 PM
I also find the Hood Ornament and One Piece Windshield interesting
Title: Re: Help with the decoding of a Foreign Order Data plate.
Post by: pnw_oldmags on March 16, 2015, 03:33:44 PM
This AMSTERDAM stamp is on the windshield
Title: Re: Help with the decoding of a Foreign Order Data plate.
Post by: Gordie on March 16, 2015, 04:14:01 PM
Here is the Plate from the Door Post
The Trim Code and the Accessory Group are undocumented as well I do believe
And by the way does anyone know what color PAINT CODE 370 is??

Paint code 370 is Mariner Grey
Title: Re: Help with the decoding of a Foreign Order Data plate.
Post by: 84RabbitGTI on March 17, 2015, 08:57:50 PM
It's likely that the hood and windshield are from a 1953 Kaiser.
Title: Re: Help with the decoding of a Foreign Order Data plate.
Post by: R-Sargent on March 17, 2015, 11:37:56 PM
Looking at the picture, is that drivers door molding rusty?   I have never seen one rust
Title: Re: Help with the decoding of a Foreign Order Data plate.
Post by: carbuff1941 on March 18, 2015, 03:03:04 PM
I believe that is the door sheet metal with the molding removed.
Title: Re: Help with the decoding of a Foreign Order Data plate.
Post by: kaiserfrazerlibrary on March 18, 2015, 08:51:47 PM
Based on the company name on the tag, it was built up at Willow Run rather than Rotterdam.  Rotterdam-built cars had a different tag with the Rotterdam operation company name instead.  However, the pair of 2's indicate (DR 2) that the car was built up at Willow Run for shipment out of the country and the other (KI) 2 indicates that the car was factory equipped with Kilometer/metric speedometer cluster.  The FO number on the lower line indicates that it's the 2,733rd 1951 Kaiser built for out of the USA sales.  The Accessory Group and the Trim number are off the radar at present as there is no information I know of that gives the export upholstery and related info (this could be vinyl trim). 

The high body number for a 4-door sedan suggests this could have been a 1952 Virginian but the door post would tell the tale.  I can't get a good look at the door post to tell for sure.
Title: Re: Help with the decoding of a Foreign Order Data plate.
Post by: 84RabbitGTI on March 18, 2015, 10:22:25 PM
This is the door post from what I am able to determine.  The serial number and body number are wildly different.  Is this normal?

(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee71/Kaiser51/Rafael%20Finardi%20s%2051%20Kaiser%20Data%20plate%2004.jpg) (http://s229.photobucket.com/user/Kaiser51/media/Rafael%20Finardi%20s%2051%20Kaiser%20Data%20plate%2004.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Help with the decoding of a Foreign Order Data plate.
Post by: 84RabbitGTI on March 18, 2015, 10:28:37 PM
I think this car is a late-production '51, not a Virginian, unless they didn't re-serial all of them.   Maybe being an export car, some of the usual rules don't apply to all aspects of this car?
Title: Re: Help with the decoding of a Foreign Order Data plate.
Post by: kaiserfrazerlibrary on March 19, 2015, 04:24:39 AM
This is a very late production 1951 Kaiser.  Perhaps the 1953 hood and the different windshield is throwing the owner.

By the end of the 1951 model year production (November 4, 1951 according to a document issued by the Detroit Region Kaiser-Frazer Sales Corporation office), you could easily have a big spread between the body number on the firewall (total number of 1951 Kaiser Deluxe 4-door sedan ONLY bodies built to that point) and the door post (includes 2-door sedan, club coupe and the 2 or 4 door Travelers).  Check the KFOCI HANDBOOK on CD for production counts on the other Deluxe versions.
Title: Re: Help with the decoding of a Foreign Order Data plate.
Post by: 84RabbitGTI on March 19, 2015, 09:45:24 PM
Thanks, I'll have to get out my CD.  I should have done that to begin with but I'm messing with other stuff at the same time.  I love my hobbies.  :)