1954 Kaiser Darrin

[darrin502]

The hard tops are available I have 1 haven't used it yet need a rear window and hold down hardware.

[51Deluxe]

Over a 20 year period, it's likely to increase. Classic cars have a long track record of price increases. However, and this is a big one- just like the stock market and real estate market, there will be booms, busts and periodic corrections. I believe we are on the verge of a major correction due to investors driving up prices. But that's just short term.

Being a unique and rare fiberglas car, I think the Darrin is  more likely to increase in value than the average Kaiser. It's better than money in the bank, if you bought it right.

[Gordie]

Is Dutch Darrin's son still around?  Wasn't he helping Dutch run the dealership toward the end?  Did you guys read all of those articles that the gentleman from Florida made available to us earlier on this website?  He is a specialist on fiberglass cars and has done much research on lots of them.

[DTort96646]

Jake, Did he ask you how many miles you wanted on it?

[darrin502]

Jake if u don't want it have him call me.
Lee

[joefrazer]

In the investment car market (read - a place to make money) for KF, there's the Darrin and then there's everything else. Darrins caught on as investment grade and prices skyrocketed and owners suddenly found themselves sitting on a comfortable nest egg. But, that's only for the best cars. The cost to restore one has increased significantly so a gap is forming. Well done cars will command a premium and the others will see prices flatten. So, a good driver should be in the $40k range before too long in my opinion.

[darrin502]

Restorations come in all forms, some good some not so good.
Good restorations will bring much more then not so good ones.
Many people want Darrins just to have one not for the quality of the car. I have taken my Darrins to over 300 car shows all over the country and have only seen one other Darrin except at the KF convention. These cars seem to be in colections or in garages but not at car shows. Because there are so few of them they will comand big $$ for nice cars.
If you see some of these decent Darrins for low prices I am always interested.
leeabrahams@cox.net

[darrin502]

This car has been up 3 or 4 times now never reaches its reserve.
I think it got to $92,000 once and didn't sell.
I think a well restored Darrin will still bring a good price. Cars always look better in pictures.
I tell people go see the car you want to buy.
Lee

[pjkaiser]

Whatever someone will pay for it at that time!!

[Terry T]

EXCELLENT

[Gordie]

Darrin did put a Cadillac engine in at least one Darrin.  Old ads of his appeared in Motor Trend and similar magazines and a year later he was still trying to sell it.  Buying fifty leftover Darrin's from K-W has never been substantiated and is just a misguided rumor like the Muntz pick-ups.  We have discussed this earlier in this forum.

[darrin502]

Gordie
Did you ever see a picture of the the engine installed?
If you have one please send it to me.
I can tell you from my experience they run so good with a Cadillac engine and a 2.69 gear in the rear.
I drive mine as often as I can.
Lee

[Gordie]

Darrin was usually low key about his projects and I have heard stories about how he would not let anyone hang out in his Hollywood Blvd dealership and work area where the Darrin and other projects were worked on.  I seem to recall his asking $5,000 for his Cadillac powered Darrin at a time when stock Darrin's were selling for around $3,000.  Selling his for $5,000 must have been a hard sell and he was probably losing money on it because of the cost of the engine and transmission and all of the conversion work he must have done to get the job completed.  Perhaps that early Palm Springs race car was his.  Because of the high rate of Darrin survival it is possible that the car is among us somewhere unless it was wrecked or met a different fate.  I've never seen photos of its construction or of the construction of any of his other projects.  That photo of Darrin's dealership with the Darrin in the showroom could have been the V-8 conversion as he tried to sell it for over a year and it is unlikely that he was going to convert any more of them.

[darrin502]

thanks Gordie

[Terry T]

the family has confirmed to me that Dutch did only one Caddy conversion and the "50" that he bought is a myth