BF Auction: 1951 Kaiser Special Collection
- Seller: Joseph D
- Location: Fairview, North Carolina
- Mileage: 100,000 Shown
- Chassis #: K511038785
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: Flathead 6-Cylinder
- Transmission: 3-Speed Manual
I hope we never have to worry about the term “post-war auto production” again, but it was a real thing in the mid-40s and Kaiser was ready. While most manufacturers were introducing 1942 models as “new” 1946 models, Kaiser came out with all-new 1947 models, beating some big names to the punch, such as Mercury, Studebaker, Nash, Hudson, and even Chrysler. This seller has four 1951 Kaiser Specials, plus a shed full of parts, listed here as a Barn Finds Auction!
This car is a two-door sedan, but the first photo shows a four-door sedan. The seller has two of each included in this sale, two with two doors and two with four doors. Some are more restoration-ready than others, but for a person with enough space, it’s always nice to have extra parts cars while working on a restoration. They also have several totes of new old stock parts and a shed full of used parts.
There’s a hint of the famous “Darrin Dip” on the rear window, but the windshield shows the talent of what Kaiser hoped would be their savior: Howard “Dutch” Darrin. With a warehouse full of money from a fresh government loan and Dutch Darrin at the drawing board, the 1951 Kaisers were fantastic and somewhat modern compared to a lot of what other companies were bringing out that year, at least styling-wise.
You have four interiors to work with here to mix and match to restore one or more cars as you see fit. There were only around 14,000 two-door sedans built for the 1951 model year, and they’re rare to see today. You can see that, as almost always, parts of these cars look rock-solid and appear as if bringing them back to life would be relatively simple. But almost everything needs to have work inside and out, so any restoration or restomod wouldn’t be for the faint of heart.
Kaisers didn’t come with V8 engines as most other manufacturers offered in this era, and this one doesn’t have what the company considered the next best thing: a McCulloch supercharger. This is a Continental 226-cu.in. L-head inline-six, which would have had 115 horsepower and 190 lb-ft of torque. It sends power through a manual with column shift and the seller says that one of the two-door cars runs and he’s driven it, and it has new brakes and brake lines. For any fans of Kaiser’s famous Darrin-designed cars, here’s your opportunity to get four of them!
Bid On This Auction
Butch bid $500.00 2024-09-28 19:03:59
ABrink bid $250.00 2024-09-26 15:22:13
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Comments
Kaiser’s engineering team did develop a V8 for 1951, but management decided to invest in the Henry J instead. No further comment on that decision is necessary.
The Kaiser V8 didn’t die, however. The discarded design was the basis for AMC’s first V8, as the project’s lead engineer, Dave Potter, was now part of AMC’s engineering team.
Kaiser also considered an outsourced V8 from Oldsmobile in 1954, but by that time the Kaiser was on its deathbed. Also, in this collection there’s at least one 1951 DeLuxe model, which featured extra trim and a padded dash. The others are plain “Special” models. Lastly, some 1951 Specials were made in Portland Ore.
Looks interesting. I have a tractor with a 226 Continental, smooth and powerful. I need an exhaust manifold and they appear to be as rare as a unicorn!
I have access to lots of Kaiser 226 parts: Engines, exhaust & intake manifolds, doors, trunk lids. About 100 miles from here, so I don’t get down there every week, but they are for sale.
Who on Gods green earth, is going to want a ’51 Kaiser project today? Very few and less with each passing funeral. Kaisers were wonderful cars, like my grandfather and his Packard, people had a lot of trust in Henry, without him we may have lost the war. Today that is moot, and it’s just an old dilapidated car, and the folks “handy person apt. tool kit” won’t cut it. Now, if this car was properly refurbished, with a modern drivetrain, and not an LS, even though, this would be a far better candidate than a Jeep for one, it has to be more user friendly for the future, it certainly is unique enough looking, but as is, I just don’t know.
Your funeral remark is apt. Except for the very limited production Darrin, they didn’t have a exciting halo car. IIRC the Special was the lowest trim level, also. Kaiser never produced a sporty body style, although their proto hatchbacks were intriguing. Maybe Harvey can paw around the barn and see if he can find what he’s looking for.
I’m sorry, but not much to see here. They’re all rust buckets. At least 2 of them show that they have an overdrive (the 2 chrome handles to the left of the steering wheel…one is a vent and the other is OD). I never liked the 2 door versions myself. If one of the 4 doors was a Traveler (hatch rear trunk and window with fold-down rear seat), I might have had a modicum of interest. Up in the mountains of NC, they’re just old parts cars (with not that many good parts).
Ugh so much gray primer and surface rust. The price of admission is anyone’s guess, right now at $100. Doubt it will rise rapidly from there. Still I can’t come up with enough excuses to bring these four hulks to my home for a proper sorting and refurb. The green one is interesting as I had one locally in this color — a 2-door that sat in a bail bondsman’s sale lot for years — next to a 71 Ford Galaxie convertible with factory bucket seats and console. I opted to buy the ragtop.
How many milliseconds did it take to make that choice?
Right now it sits at $500.00 with the reserve not met. My issue is with Barn Finds ridiculous and insane buyers premium of $500.00. I would consider buying this lot of cars but knowing that whatever price they sell for you are going to add $500.00 to is beyond sanity.
My high school car…1951 Kaiser Special 2 door in lime green! With the 6 and GM Hydramatic it was a slug but you take what you get. I got a lot of guff from friends with Model A’s, ’40 Fords, ’50 Olds, ’57 Chevs etc. but it got me around. Wrecked it a few weeks before graduation.
These were actually pretty nice cars. My Dad worked for Kaiser his whole career so we have several of them. Just one more underfunded independent with some good ideas but which couldn’t compete with the Big 3.
Would like to find a nice running example. You never see them at Coffee and Cars.
Old Kaisers – if they are less than perfect restorations, the guy never has just one. Multiples, always multiples. And usually said guy is wearing overalls and will go on and on about how much better these were, ahead of their time and it was an industry and government conspiracy that put them out if business. But no one really listens to him anymore . . .
First by Far with a Post War Car…..Studebakers !!!!!
Sounds like Dana Carvey’s grumpy old man routine from SNL’s Weekend Update. “I’m an old man and I think things were better back in the day….” In the old days we didn’t have safety belts. If we hit the brakes too hard we knew where we were going –through the windshield — and we liked it. We loved it!” Funny stuff.
Any Kaiser two door is desirable and super rare, For that late models 4 door production was 4-5 times higher than the two doors. Check out any Kaiser event, it’s rare to see a two door.
I’ve got a 1949 Kaiser 4 door in my yard. Very solid Montana body. Down to $200. but can’t find a buyer. Just waiting to have time to take it to the crusher.