1947 Frazer

[Carguy77]

I'm looking for a little input please. A neighbor has a '47 for sale and I'm interested. The car is 95% there with minor rot in the rockers, pizza box sized hole in drivers floor, some minor quarter panel rot, and the bottoms of the doors seem to stick out about 1/4 of an inch. The frame appears solid, with surface rust over most of it. The interior is destroyed as well. I believe the last time it was run was about 5 years ago. Are these cars easily "restored"? Availability of parts?I'm not looking for a frame up restoration, just a fun project with initial intentions of getting it back on the road. Further restoration is a possibilty later on. I've always liked the look of the car. Any input would be appreciated.

[joefrazer]

Parts for the early series cars (1947-50) are readily available and won't break the bank. Sheet metal and some chrome items are starting to get harder to find but can be located without too much trouble. The early cars are much simpler built than the later units and that makes them fairly easy to work on.

Right now, there's a vendor on ebay selling rocker panels and floor pans to fit a 47.

That said, I would look the car over very carefully. Make sure the frame is solid and that the floors aren't so rotted as to require complete replacement. Although they're not difficult to work on, if there is extensive rot it wouldn't be hard to run up quite a repair bill rebuilding things like door posts and body mounts.

If the car can be made to run then it's probably worth at least getting it roadworthy. A blanket over the remains of the upholstery, some leftover carpet cut for a floor mat and door panels cut from masonite would make the car a fun rat rod until the day when funds permit a proper restoration!

[JoeKeys2010]

I'm putting together a 49 that was all there but in need of repair.  This is my first Kaiser and I have never worked on one before this one.  I wanted my original as I could get it and can share with you what I have spent so far.  I spent about $3,500 on re-plating the chrome (mine was dull and some minor pitting and I wanted it bright and shinny), and it took some time but I found the material to do the seats and door panels, cost about $500 for material and wife did the handy work.  Wide WW tires cost about $800 (black walls would have been correct and cheaper but I wanted the WW ones) and it is being painted now.  Everything else was my own labor.  If you are mechanically inclined the cars are easy to work on and this site is an invaluable resource.  Guys on this site have been through every issue imaginable and most are willing to help with advice an photos. 

If you like it I'd get it.  This is my first car and I'm already dreaming about the next one.