Kaiser Frazer Owners Club Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: 51Deluxe on June 18, 2014, 09:22:25 AM

Title: The $100,000 Kaiser
Post by: 51Deluxe on June 18, 2014, 09:22:25 AM
For those of you with hot rod non original leanings and the deepest of pockets....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Other-Makes-Other-1953-kaiser-street-rod-the-big-k-zz-4-crate-engine-dual-side-exhaust-turn-key-/261508991406?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3ce32689ae&item=261508991406&pt=US_Cars_Trucks


It's a very tastefully done '53 two door street rod. The owner says he spent $100K on the rebuild, asking price is $49,000. Reminds me of this car test driven here by Jay Leno:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEvMSkRWOK0

The Drag'n is a radical chopped and channeled two door that interestingly was built by one guy in his garage to a very high standard, from a car that no restorer would have wanted to tackle.  Wonder if the K cars are starting to catch on with the rodder crowd? Could result in a lot more cars seen at shows, and more escaping the scrap yard.
Title: Re: The $100,000 Kaiser
Post by: pnw_oldmags on June 18, 2014, 10:03:49 AM
 ;)  Probably the fastest Carolina on the planet!!  But Why?
Title: Re: The $100,000 Kaiser
Post by: Fid on June 18, 2014, 05:19:25 PM
Yes, it was a Carolina 2 door, one of about 400 made. Seems there's a lot of Carolina 2 door survivors. This makes 6 that I know of and two  them have original Hydramatic transmissions and based on the TR=6 on this one, it was originally a Hydramatic too.
Title: Re: The $100,000 Kaiser
Post by: pnw_oldmags on June 18, 2014, 07:10:42 PM
Under 10 survivors does not seem like a lot  :(  to me.
Title: Re: The $100,000 Kaiser
Post by: Classic on July 04, 2014, 07:34:14 PM
Looks like a nice car, but $100k budget?!? I totally get it if it was a full on custom rod, but where exactly was all the money spent?

Either wait always nice to see something different done up.
Title: Re: The $100,000 Kaiser
Post by: Fid on July 04, 2014, 09:31:39 PM
Actually, I looked at those pictures in the original post again. They're two different cars! One (from the front) is a Carolina that was on ebay, the rear shot is a '51 that's been redone and souped up. There's a Youtube video of the '51 at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEvMSkRWOK0

Title: Re: The $100,000 Kaiser
Post by: Roadmaster49 on July 05, 2014, 09:04:55 AM
I see nothing wrong with it because there is a large surplus of KF cars and the KF's Darrin inspired body lends itself well to hot roding. Plus, when most manufacturers were trying to shoe horn a V8 into their engine bays, KF had the flat 6, so room is not an issue, as this rod represents.

Rodders don't do four door sedans, as a rule.  Of course there are exceptions but this means 90% of KF products are safe from the "basic" garage rodder.  A more experienced guy can always weld in rear doors or do even more fabrication.

I figured there would be more KF's rodded as rodders are into the 'next big thing'.  After seeing so many of any one car, they tend to look for a project not seen or attampted. 

It's a shame he picked a Carolina but weren't Carolina stripper cars and that's part of the reason they didn't sell much?   If I am a KF collector, or any make for that matter, I want the car I might not have afforded new, or one with a recognition for it's cool factor, like a Dragon, like a Virginian, etc, a 54 with a supercharger, not necessarily a stripper 2 door car. 
Title: Re: The $100,000 Kaiser
Post by: 51Deluxe on July 05, 2014, 04:48:59 PM
"Actually, I looked at those pictures in the original post again. They're two different cars! One (from the front) is a Carolina that was on ebay, the rear shot is a '51 that's been redone and souped up. There's a Youtube video of the '51 at
"



Correct, the first photo I posted is the Ebay car, the second is the Kaiser Drag'n, a radical custom seen on Jay Leno's Garage.