kaiser cars

[xkssfrank]

I have just bought a 1953 Kaiser Golden Dragon and I friend of mine has been restoring a 1951 Kaiser. Is there any interest in keeping track of the VIN #s of these cars for the Club.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

The club maintains a registry that can be accessed through the club website.  The information attached to the registry should be used for new submissions or changes to existing ones.  You can view what is already in the site to see if the two cars are listed.

Unfortunately, when the registry was set up in the 1970's nobody thought about a separate column to identify status (Restored, Under Restoration, Daily Driver, Parts Car, Junkyard Find, Scrapped, etc.

[xkssfrank]

I also have a mirror that clips on to the inside visor with the dealers name on it, I bought it 25 yrs ago because i knew I would eventually have a Kaiser, now i have one. Im 80 yrs old and fufiling my dreams before it gets too late.

[Logan]

What is a '53 Golden Dragon?  Is your car a '51?  If it is a '53 and also a Dragon, what is the color and upholstery scheme?  Firewall numbers may be helpful in determining original options.

[xkssfrank]

Interior is Laguna cloth and bambu, top is black vinyl

[Logan]

Is the paint Stardust Ivory?  This is what my '53 Dragon is: Stardust Ivory paint, Black vinyl top, black vinyl interior with white Laguna cloth with black stripes.  Also, the reason I asked is because the designation "Golden Dragon" was only used for the '51 models with vinyl tops painted Arena Yellow.  The '53s are simply called "Dragon," which is a model designation.  The '51 "Dragons" are a trim designation only.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

As stated in KFOCI HANDBOOK Version 4.0, there is NO such thing as a 1953 Golden, Jade, or other type Dragon...all 1953 Dragons are just that...a Kaiser Dragon.   Color types (Golden Dragon, Jade Dragon, etc) are 1951-52 Virginian (yes there were some leftover 1951's that got the treatment) Kaisers only.

Mis-information only causes questions and confusion.

[xkssfrank]

 
:)tyvm to all those that have advised me about my Dragon, (not Golden) I being over 80 yrs old now sometimes my brain, (and other things) do not work as well as I would like. This is the ex Steve Roake car which I recenly purchased, ty for all the good comments about the car. Mr. Roake had purchased some Bambu material at Hershey to perhaps recover the top with it which has black material now, but I see that 53s did not have Bambu, would it be OK to put on the Bambu on the top even though it was not supplied from the factory that yr. I was very impressed several yrs ago when I saw a Dragon with Bambu covered top at Scottsdale, AZ in the big car show held at McDonalds every Saturday.  The owner didnt want to sell at that time, it have hydramatic trans, and was a beautiful car. Dont know what yr car it was.

[Logan]

Actually Bambu top material IS correct for 53 Dragons.  The best thing to do if you do not already have it is to obtain the KFOCI Handbook kaiserfrazerlibrary refers to, as all color and trim options for specific models are spelled out.  Best of luck!

[custom]

Dragon info:

http://circlekf.com/kfhandbook/kfoci%20handbook-pdf%20files/KFOCI%20HANDBOOK%20VERSION%204.0/Kaiser%20Cars/1951%20Items%20Include%2052%20Virginian%20Versions/1951%20K5121D%20Kaiser%20Deluxe%20with%20Dragon%20trim.pdf

http://circlekf.com/kfhandbook/kfoci%20handbook-pdf%20files/KFOCI%20HANDBOOK%20VERSION%204.0/Kaiser%20Cars/1953/1953%20k5301%201953%20Kaiser%20Dragon.pdf

[xkssfrank]

Mr. Custom: ty for the pages from the handbook, I dont have everything relating to my Dragon yet but that made it plain a Bambu top is OK, I knew Wally Rank when he was the biggest car dealer in MIlwaukee. He had a large car collection and put on a large car show every summer, The reference to Ionia Body  Works in Michigan is known to me as the tag also appears on my 1949 Buick Estate Wagon, it must have been sent to Ionia from Buick for finishing.  I was also friends with Brooks Stevens when he had his studio in Mecon, Wis and he was building and racing the Excalibers.  I enjoy joining the Clubs that I have a car with or looking to buy such a car, the Club usually has all the answers, no sense in reinventing the wheel,

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Funny that Wally Rank came up on this topic.  Back in 1953, Brooks requisitioned (or bought, not sure which) one of the 1953 show dragons for his wife, Alice.  I have a photo of her taking delivery of the car in the showroom at DeBoer Motors who was the main dealer for the Milwaukee WI sales territory (the building site was on 6th, east side of the street, between Wells and Wisconsin).  Seems that Brooks and Alice were friends of Mr & Mrs Rank and when Wally's wife saw Alice's car, she told Wally (who at the time was Chrysler-Plymouth in a building several blocks south of the Buick store) she wanted one and made a point of it.  Wally said he bought her a "regular" Dragon and she seemed happy with that.

[Aeroman]

xkssfrank: Buick had Ionia Bodyworks build their woodie station wagons  and then continued to build the steel bodied wagons for Buick later into the 1950's. I do know that the 1956 wagons were Ionia. I do not know how long they continued building wagons for Buick after that.

[xkssfrank]

last Buick true woody wagon was 1953, after that many car companys did Dinoc and tin woodys,the woodwork was too expensive, Mitchell Co in Michigan did a lot of true woodys also.

[G.B. (All Vinyl Dragon)]

As stated in KFOCI HANDBOOK Version 4.0, there is NO such thing as a 1953 Golden, Jade, or other type Dragon...all 1953 Dragons are just that...a Kaiser Dragon.   Color types (Golden Dragon, Jade Dragon, etc) are 1951-52 Virginian (yes there were some leftover 1951's that got the treatment) Kaisers only.

Mis-information only causes questions and confusion.

Wish this was in the Dragon Forums. Glad I found this here in General Discussion.
 I hope xkssfrank  did not get very far on removing the Bambu Vinyl on His 53 Dragon ?

The Last Onslaught on Detroit by Richard Langworth starting on Page 173-183 has the 53 Dragons info covered. Jim Betts has some of Our K.F. Newsletters when Richard did the Newsletter for the club. I will try to copy & past so everyone can read the Dragon story starting with the 51 Dragons. Plus the start of the Dragon List's 51 & 53.
I have a lot of info on this in My story of research on Dragons on how the list helped in the Dragon Forums.

I have been told even though the Kaiser Golden Dragon We know was a Name for a 1951 Color combination, in1953 the Name continued with the Gold Ornament's that was chrome on the other Kaisers. But was never as far as I know official name from Kaiser.

Like 2002 , 1952 was a short Year for Production. If You have been around a Dealership & You find out Your last One or Two orders of New Vehicles has been canceled something is wrong.

Note: Early 64 1/2 Ford Mustang is not the same. Other Production was normal it was to be a surprise.

Please go to Page 2.