Allstate in Branson

[Quadromaniac]

This car is for sale in Branson for $6000.00 I don't know how to put a link for this. It's the blue one in front of the café on the main drag.

[joefrazer]

The craigslist ad says this is a 6 cylinder car. If so, it should have stainless trim around the windshield and rear glass in addition to full wheel covers. With overdrive, this was known in Sears nomenclature as the Model 216 and in 1953 retailed for $1751.00 without additional options. Things like a radio and heater (both Allstate branded of course) and bumper guards would have been extra.

When manufactured, Allstate branded parts were used where possible. I've attached a list of those items that differed from the KF version.

Unless the bright blue paint is hiding alot of body issues, I think this car is a good buy at $6000.

[Corsairdeluxe]

Keep in mind it has been sitting outside a buisness for many years.It has a lot of rot!

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Wrong instrumentation (the underdash gages and wrong upholstery.

Don't get me wrong, 1953 Allstates are extremely hard to find and if the car checks out otherwise well mechanically the price may not be that bad.  It will need a through pre-purchase going over by someone who knows HJ's (to get an idea of structural rot, etc that would be common to both makes).

[Fid]

The concern I would have, and I've voiced it before, is the gearing. Lack of chrome on windsheilds, lack of horn ring, padding on dash and bumper guards all indicate this car was likely originally a four cylinder that had the engine changed. If so, without overdrive, it will not perform well unless the rear end was also changed. The '53 four cylinder cars without OD had a 47/11 rear end where the six without OD had a 41/10. If the rear end is not correct, the engine will scream at 45 mph.

[Corsairdeluxe]

The preceding photos ,while small are high definition. You can blow them up way large. Do so and look at the rocker panel edge among other things . And the add on panel at the left lower dash.

[jake]

You could always make it into a gaser...

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

If the starting vehicle is a badly rotted out hulk or in similar condition, may not be a bad idea.  But a fairly solid complete (and dare we hope) running car does not deserved to be trashed out that way, in my humble opinion.  Remember, your version of a dream dragster or street rod is nothing to a lot of other people if you have to sell; it's easier to sell original than hot rod, or so it seems to me.

[joefrazer]

And that fact is born out at many an auction. Customized cars rarely bring back the builders investment. Custom cars are done to the owners taste and more often than not, that taste is not shared by others. But, it still happens and quite a few interesting builds are seen at car shows and auctions.

[51FrazerManhattan]

I live in Branson, and that car has been sitting outside in the exact same spot for at least 4 years, probably more.  The owner has used it as a marketing gimmick.  I talked to him about it about four years ago, and he was asking somewhere around $20,000 for the car.  He knew the car war rare and assumed the rarity made it valuable.  I told him it was a ridiculous price, and he said he didn't care because it was a good marketing gimmick for him.  Later--maybe two years ago--he called me and wanted to sell it to me for around $10,000, but I told him I didn't have the money and still thought the price was too high.  I'm not interested in Henry J.'s or Allstates now.  I like the bigger KF cars. 

When I asked the owner about the car, he knew very little about it.  A friend of his bought it for him at an auction, and he's used it and a Henry J. as a gimmick for his 50's style restaurant ever since.  The last time I looked at the car up close (at least a year ago), it had a broken tail light and flat tires.  I was by that restaurant today, and I noticed that the car is facing a different direction and is in a different spot not, so I guess they've either started it up and moved it or moved it some other way.

It's interesting that after all this time, the car has made it to Craigslist and now to this forum.