new owner of 54 kaiser Special

[TJ54]

Hello,
    I'm a new owner of a 54 Kaiser Special. This car belong to Elwood Dapp Sr. who passed in June of this year. My wife is the grand daughter of Elwood. This is a very special car to the family and will keep it so.
    I do have questions about the car and making sure that it runs smooth. I found a wire coming from the steering shaft into the engine compartment that was disconnected. It is only one wire. I don't know what the is or what is does. Anyone with information would be a great help !!

[j762538]

Horn?

[blackcat429cj]

I'm curious?

Is it an early series Special?  1 piece rear window or a late series with the larger 3 piece rear window?

[joefrazer]

That is a horn wire and should pass thru the center of the steering box, at the bottom. That wire travels up to the horn relay, located just above the battery. On the 54-5 cars it plugs onto a socket in the relay, as opposed to using an eye/screw combination like the other connections on the relay.

If the 54 you have is the red/white car, you have a very nice automobile! Elwood was very proud of that car and aside from one mishap where someone ran into it at a Kaiser meet years ago, it has needed very little attention. He took very good care of the car and I sure hope you do too!

Welcome to the exclusive club of 54 Kaiser owners. They made precious few of them...and even fewer survive.

[TJ54]

Thank you for all the information....! It has a single glass heart shaped back window. The car is red and white and is in great shape ! It will be taken care of as one of the family. We are very proud that grandpa Dapp left it to my wife and I to care for.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

You have an EARLY 1954 Kaiser Special.  The car is a 1953 platform with 1954 front cowl and rear quarters.  Kaiser Motors (name was changed in the spring of 1953 from Kaiser-Frazer) did this to use of finished 1953 Kaiser bodies and components that were leftover after the strike in the summer of 1953.