Wild 454 V8 Project! 1964 Kellison J5
There’s a great background story to this Kellison J5 project! According to the seller, this car was being driven by them prior to 1981, when some rings broke in the Chevrolet 283 V8 and it was parked. He ended up trading it to his best man at his wedding, but the project eventually stalled. You can now find it for sale here on rcnmag.com where the asking price is $15,500. The project is located in Monroe, Washington. Thanks to frequent finder Chuck F. for this cool find!
If you arent’ familiar with the sleek shape of a Kellison, a brief history is that Jim Kellison started offering his sleekly designed coupes in 1957. The J4 was one of the first offerings, followed by the J5, J3, J2 & J1 (the numbers designated sizes, with the J5 being based on Corvette mechanicals and suspension and the J1 being Crosley or Sprite-based). The J6 & Astra were the final developments of the J-Series Kellison, featuring a body that bolted directly to a Corvette chassis. This J5 should have a proprietary frame and Corvette suspension, but as you know, a kit car can be completed in a myriad of different ways.
There’s some damage to the fiberglass in places that will have to be repaired. One good thing about this car is that it was roadworthy at some point, which means most if not all of the problems that were left to the kit builder to solve have been solved previously.
This picture shows how far to the rear Kellison mounted the drivetrain for weight distribution purposes. I have never sat in one, but I imagine the footwells might be cramped — do any readers have personal experience with a Kellison? I’ve watched recently where 24 Hours of LeMons “Chief Perp” Jay Lamm has just finished a J4X for the road, and while it took a lot of effort to get there, the end result is a beautiful automobile! The seller tells us that engine is a core 454 cubic-inch truck motor that was presumably installed by the best man. I think I’d go back to a modern LS small block for even better weight distribution, although that engine compartment looks wide enough for a Coyote, and I really like those…hmm…
In case this isn’t clear, the above is a collage of two pictures highlighting the “new” Currie rear axle currently installed in the Kellison. It also highlights the plywood floor above the rear end, which tells me I’d want a substantial amount of sound deadening material installed prior to driving this close-quarters coupe. What do you think about this project (besides the optimistic price)?
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Comments
States no title and 3 year process to retrieve one in its home state. Don’t know if that’s a problem, but can’t see how it helps. Built a motorcycle once and needed receipts for everything but the air in the tires. It is a kit car and usually there is paperwork required for a title.
I think in WA you can register it for the road, but you got to wait 3 years for a title in your name. I’m trying to convert a vintage scooter to electric. I bought it just for parts, but someone told me to ditch the blown motor and go electric. I thought that was a great idea. So I had to find the seller, get a bill of sale and then find a sympathetic licensing agent that was willing to walk me through the process. A helpful licensing agent is the key because nobody wants to bother with anything other than license tabs and simple title transfers.
New Hampshire does not issue titles for vehicles that have a model year of 1999 or older. Bill of sale is all you need.
In Washington state set appointment with state police. They have a service. Bring on trailer. Cars must have hood and engine installed. I didn’t have them and needed title for engine also. They give/mail temp. Title and you can register it. Get clean title in 3 years if no one claims it.
Having the engine that far behind the centerline of the front wheels would certainly aid in the handling department.
The overall design looks to me like a stretched Cheetah concept.
It could certainly be brutally fast, if set up and finished with proper engineering.
And you won’t see another one at a local Cars-N-Coffee or track day….
A Chevy LS of any size will lower the front end weight and help cornering!
Jamie…. Haven’t driven one of these but climbed into a 4 cylinder Triumph based car at an auto show. Climbed right back out before claustrophobia set in. My problem with it was there was no room to put any safety devices like a roll bar into it, much like the Lotus Europa except the Europa at least has room for a roll bar right behind the seats. Lose the rear end under power of the big block and you might need all the safety stuff you can get.
Thanks for the input, Bob! My mind keeps on wishing that I could buy a Triumph-based Jamaican that I’m sure would be similar. Someday I still hope to do that, if it’s still available. Adding a roll bar makes a lot of sense as long as I have a helmet on :-)
The car reminds me of the Bat mobile in one of the Batman movies.
Yes, that was my 1st impression, that batmobile with that round turbine in front center. Where the movie guys probably got the idea from, this thing.
5k maybe, but 15k? You can buy a built one for that
I looked back and have seen several ads for them, several of them sold for less than 15k, 3.5k to 10k projects, some very nice roadworthy cars for 20-23k, some wacked out 60k+ cars. Damn that’s expensive for a kit car.
Needs a lot of work, and not the best looking kit car.
Howie,
That was my first reaction when I was shown a photo of one, it looked to “Cartoonish” in my mind. That all changed when I saw and drove one about 40 years ago. In person, these are really one of the best “kit cars” from the 1950s.
I would love to own one, but at my advanced age I’m damn sure it would be impossible for me to even get inside, much less to drive it!
Kellisons have always held a spot half-way between a low-production car and a true kit car where you were expected to provide everything but the body shell, with directions for basic assembly sometimes available.
I was allowed to shoe-horn myself into a J5R [the light-weight version] many years ago, and drive it on some suburban and rural roads in Maryland. It was WICKED quick, and I feel it handled better than a ‘Vette. I was told the center of gravity on the car I drove [with a 327 Corvette drive train] was only about 20 inches off the ground, and I was never able to break the rear end free, it seemed glued to the roadway. I had been tasked by the owner with attempting to figure out who made a lot of the parts used on the car, as it was apparently bought new as a complete car.
I could understand the asking price for the car, IF it had a clear title, and was running/driving, but if one was to look for a while, I suspect a better running and driving version could be found at a similar price. I do hope that whoever ends up with the car can restore it correctly, with a period small block Corvette engine and 4-speed. That 454 is simply too much engine, and I’m pretty sure Jim Kellison would agree.
A very good history of these cars can be found here:
https://drive-my.com/1959-kellison-j5/
I had a 327 in mine . White with sidepipes of course. Old corvette frame , not real fast until I dropped in a 70 LT1 crate CE motor with a holley 3 barrel 950 .
Awsome fast and a hard car to ride in , suspension, and steering were all a pain . Wish I still had it . Im car heavy now , 12 streerods and no more room . Maybe hell trade for a Av8 truck ? Or ….
Sell the big block truck motor,put in vintage small block with modern retro look injection, have fun.
I own one! Been a project build for about 3 years. I’m 6’2 and I fit (barely) just fine with plenty of leg room.
That low roof and no view windshield and side glass are perfect
You wont know what hit you when you lose control of this jalopy
I bought a kit car project. It came with a stack of invoices. When I tried to register it the DMV told me the receipts had to be in my name. They also required a certificate of origin for the kit. I didn’t have that. Finally found the Florida DMV manual online which said a COO or an invoice which I was able to get from the kit company. Don’t ask me about insurance…
So many kit car creators went way overboard in the styling department and this car is no exception. If he had just raised the roof a bit and cut back on the front overhang, he would have had a winner.
counts customs did one of these for a sema show turned out pretty nice
When I was a sophomore in high school mr kellison moved into a house 2 doors from my parents home in Folsom cal were he first opened his shop. I had many talks with him about cars I been in his shop before moving his business to Lincoln cal to a much bigger shop.he used to drive a beautiful red one home every night you could that car from 6 blocks away . I would stand in my front yard just to watch him drive by the sound of that engine was music to my ears I think it was the one that he raced. It had a white circle. On the door with the number 907 painted in it that was the address of his business located on sutter st in folsom ca I always liked the looks of that car wish I had one now but I have. Back problems I could not get in one. Also I worked with his daughter at the cal highway patrol in sac to cal just a little info about mr kellison and his car
Great memories, thanks for sharing !