1947 Frazer (pics added)

[jreeder41]

We getting ready to resurrect a 47 Frazer that has been sitting in a garage for the last 40 + years. It is an absolutely beautiful og car. We are going to do brakes, fuel system, and electrical repairs. I'm hoping the engine is fine. Anything I should know about this car? I will post pics when we get it down to the shop. 

As found. The car had been in this same spot since 1969!



At the shop.



Interior shot.

[Doc]

The engine (if original) will be a Continental Motors 226.  After that length of time the engine may not turn over.  Have you tired to tuen the engine by hand just to see if it will turn. I recently (last year) tried to resurrect a '51 Frazer engine from sitting many years and even though the engine turned, we never could get it started and the engine will need rebuild. We even soaked the pistions in marvel mystery oil for weaks and put 12 volts to it and it just sputtered a couple times.

[Fid]

I've started a lot of cars that had not run in many years. If the engine turns over, all you need is compression, proper timing, ignition and fuel.  New points are usually needed as they tarnish when sitting and don't make contact after many years. One thing that is easily overlooked is the gasoline - if there is gas in the tank and it's been in the tank more than a couple of years, it's no good any more. It will need to be drained, or disconnect the fuel line and used a gas can or something to supply the fuel. If it turns over and has compression, it will start when it has proper ignition and fuel.

[Doc]

We had very little  compression in at least one cylinder and not much more in a couple others we checked. Had a good spark from the coil.  We of course had fresh gas and checked timing; even had new plugs.

[jreeder41]

Thanks guys, I will post some pics and results when we get it in the shop.

[jreeder41]

Pics added. A short update. The engine is loose, but the mice destroyed the thermostat housing and lower rad tube.

[Weaz]

WOW! Nice find!

[Fid]

Interesting car. It should be a fun one. The old "slab-side" KF cars are among the best riding cars ever made in my opinion. Yours is a late 1947 as it has a one piece F_R_A_Z_E_R script on the front and the individual letters on the back.  Weas and I found a Kaiser counter-part to it last fall. I'd never seen one like that before and this makes two in 6 mos. The KF club Handbook says the late 47s had the one piece script but it makes no mention of having one of each. That's cool.
Check out the Kaiser
The one Weas and I encountered -
front side and
rear.  The serial number is K100 - 052973

[Logan]

Hey, nice looking car!  Have fun with that project.

[84RabbitGTI]

You probably should have the carb rebuilt also after that long.  Great looking Frazer!

[KYFrazer]

Very cool!  You are starting way ahead of where my Dad had to start.  You will invest a lot more than the car would bring on the market but it will be worth every penny.  I do have a question regarding the call out letters (script).  The car my Dad started with, a '47 Graham Page Frazer, had never had any body work, it came with one piece FRAZER on the hood and the deck lid.  Presently, his script is badly pitted.  In looking for a few last items, including better script,  I have encountered more than one person who has told me that it is incorrect, the lettering from and back were individual.  Is there any defintive resource for this info?  Thanks and good luck with your restoration!

[Fid]

The Graham-Paige Frazers had scripts where both are individual letters, The one-piece style was not introduced till very late in the 1947 model year. All '48s had the one piece script. According to the KFOC Handbook, GP Frazers had a round shift knob, Weas and I found a '47 K last fall that has the round knob that only the earliest cars had but we could not get it off easily (perhaps we'll try again when the weather is nice), they also have a squeeze type trunk handle instead of one that turns. Also according to the KFOC Handbook, the last Graham-Paige Frazer was serial number F47-007476.

[KYFrazer]

Interesting.  Sounds like that maybe consistency in parts was not a strong suit for K-F,  .  Dad's VIN is F47-010053.  The deck lid handle is turn type in lieu of the squeeze type.

[Gordie]

Only the earliest of Frazer's had the squeeze type trunk handle and grills with un-noticible vertical grill bars and round gear shift lever knob and turn signal knob, only two front bumper guards, and there were several other features unique to the Early cars too.  K-F was really quite consistent with features but like other manufacturer's they made some running changes to the cars and after you study the cars more you will find out about when these changes took place.  No Early cars had 1948 type script on the hood and trunk and it is likely that your car had the hood and deck lid changed from a later car and that was common in the early years.  It would have had new holes and slots made for the hood and trunk to make the later scripts work and you would have lots of holes left over if that was done.  You can look at the inside of the hood and check.  I have had two Graham Paige Frazer's and have studied others and they are pretty consistent in their changes.

[ben-tex]

That number is very low in production--the first car would have been xxxx...1001! There is only one car in the Registry with a lower number and it is xxxx...1023. What are the other numbers on the car?