Rebuilding our 53 Manhatten

[cplne]

Hi All

We have just found my wife's 1953 Kaiser Manhattan that she had when in college.  It has been sitting in Austin Texas since she graduated in 1972!  The darn thing looks pretty good for having been abandoned.  It is time for her to be resurrected.  I am a airplane guy and have never attempted a restoration on a car.  Where in the heck do I start, it is a bit overwhelming.  I will take her back to original so any help on where I can locate the original paint codes and that sort of thing will be a big help.  The engine actually runs but looks pretty rough therefore I probably will start there.  Any advise will be greatly appreciated.  Is there such a thing as maintenance and parts manuals?

Thanks

Mark

[Fid]

Yes there is a shop manual and a parts manual, often available on ebay. Also the book "The Last Onslaught On Detroit" lists all information to decode the body tags etc.  The new book "Built to Better The Best" also has a lot of that information. There is a copy of each book currently for sale on ebay.  Engine parts are available from Kanter Auto in NJ -  www.kanter.com and, there are a lot of vendors who sell parts and are very helpful with information.
Terry Zeug in CA is a good source - zeugskfparts@roadrunner.com  or Rudy's KF Parts in Ramona, CA at  1-760-789-3608

This board is also very helpful. 
For me, when restoring a car, first thing I do is go through the engine, then the brakes so the car is mobile, then just start tackling the rest in order that best fits time and funds.
Good luck!

[ben-tex]

I have the service and parts books from factory on CD. You can find them at my website: www.kfnut.com

I am in Texas and have been in the club for many years.

[carsngolf]

A lot depends on your available time and facilities.  If both are ample, taking the body off the frame is the best way to go.  Then all the mechanicals are easily accessible.  It would save a whole lot of time in the long run and allow you to reach areas that simply can't be gotten into any other way.  Removing the body is not a huge job.  It is simply bolted to the chassis.  Most likely the upholstery needs to be redone so you could get the seats, door panels, etc. to an upholstery shop while you're doing the rest of the car.  Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

Jerry Weiland