Manufactering Fund. What do you need the most?

[Orphanauto]

Just thought I would ask the members, IF you could have 1 or 2 items made ( reproduced ) what would you need the most? Perhaps this will give us an idea what is really needed the most for YOU the club members. I personally have a 53 Manhattan, and don't need anything, although. IF I could get anything, a blank KEY with the "K" would be cool. I would love to have a few in the original aluminuim with a sharp crisp "K"

[Doc]

as has been for awhile, '51 Frazer tallight lenses and the '51 Frazer front grille emblem.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

A better way to respond here may be to indicate how many of a something (sets of tail lights, pairs of script, etc) that you would be willing to pay for up front on a pre-order basis.

Keep in mind also that the big expense in reproducing parts is making the tooling (dies, molds, fixtures, etc) needed to produce the part.  This was the stumbling block in the past.  By the normal cost economics of manufacture (taking into account those tooling expenses) at least 100-200 of an item (depending on what the item is) would be required.  Normally, this gets covered in large measure by prepaid orders up front before the item is worked up and produced. 

Typically, even on short runs you are looking in excess of $20,000 for tooling of something like VAGABOND script for a 1951 Frazer. 

[Jim B PEI]

"K" and "F" key blanks would be a hot seller. I'd buy a bunch even for ONE car.

[jerussel]

2 pair '51 Frazer tail light lenses
1 '51 Frazer steering wheel (I know - not happening)

[kaiserkid]

I have a couple of ideas for the manufacturing fund to investigate. Upper and lower tail light lens for a 54 Manhattan, $300 for a NOS Lower lens is out of the question and the repro upper lens bleach out in the sun after a few years is not good. Wheel cylinders for the front and rear, and paint for different year engines. I'm new to this Kaiser rebuilding process and it is difficult to find these parts at a reasonable price.

[FrazerWill]

I'd get a bunch of the "F" keys blanks too.

[Doc]

Well, not going to get into automobile production numbers and such here, but lenses for the 1958 Edsel (unique fpr that year only) reproduction are available for $150 for all four back pieces and they do have some "design" to them rather than a round hunk of plastic. '54'55 years only Packard Clipper $320 for a pair and these are bigger than a Frazer's. If folks cannot find the lenses available, why would they even try to attempt a restoration, which may be why at least two '51 Frazers on ebay within the last few weeks have not sold.....parts are available. I could throw another item into the pool for remanufacturing although it would never be done, but I throw it into the hat because no one in two years of searching has been able to accommodate my need for a left front vent window assembly or the chrome door moldings for the '51 Frazers.  I agree also, '54 Kaiser lenses are also on the wish list and can sure concur with those cheapy fading repro safety glows. 

[Doc]

I thought "something" was moving forward on the '51 lenses at the end of last year or first of this year? 

[jerussel]

I had heard the same thing about the '51 lenses.
waiting patiently (kind of)

[joefrazer]

About the 51F tail light lenses, we need a minimum of 100 to make the project possible...so far we have commitments for about 1/4 that. So, the project has been shelved for now.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

As I previously noted, the production cost of making the tooling means that much of a run needs to be pre-sold, or the person (if not the Manufacturing Fund) cannot hope to recover the cost of running these in the first place.

Forget about Edsel, Packard, etc....there are a lot more 1958 Edsels around today than any given year K-F product, and it is very possible that the molds for the lenses may have been scarfed up cheap at the Doehler-Jarvis bankruptcy auction some years ago.  When people looked in the old storage areas at D-J, they found all kinds of Packard, Hudson, FoMoCo, etc stuff (including the tooling for the 72 inch wide Packard center grille c.1954).  As for Packard, many of the owners will pay the premium to get proper quality reproduction items. 

Lastly, if you look at the prices asked and the conditions presented, there is no wonder that the 1951 Frazers did not sell, regardless of the tail light condition, especially in today's economy.

[stroker70]

Ive been told the club repoped the 53 style steering wheel some years ago and I would like to find one if they are the same as original.

[jsgmpeek]

I would be interested in Kaiser keys and the three piece rear window weather seal for the 1954 Manhattan

[HJ-ETEX]

stroker70: The repro steering wheel was white plastic and was not like the pearlite plastic used on Manhattans. As such it was more like the steering wheel used on 52-53 DeLuxe models (those were white painted hard rubber). I have heard a claim that such plain steering wheels can be painted to more closely resemble pearlite by using the right color of white with mica flakes added.