Kaiser Frazer Used Parts

Description

Peoria Kaiser Frazer enthusiast can't say no to relics of the 50's By Bob Golfen of the Arizona Republic The 1954-55 Kaiser Manhattan is probably the most beautiful American car that nobody's ever heard of. Well almost nobody, because the fleeting existence of Kaiser Motor Corp. is certainly celebrated by a loyal cadre of hobbyists, even if it hardly raises a blip of recognition in the outside world. Larry Barker of Peoria is one of those dedicated souls, a lifelong Kaiser Frazer fanatic who traces his enthusiasm to his grandfather and father, who was one of the 14 founders of the Kaiser Frazer Owners Club in 1959. "Between my dad and I, we've probably owned about 300 Kaisers, Frazers and Kaiser-Darrins," said Barker, 49. "I just keep buying them and selling them and buying them back again." He pointed out a partially disassembled two-door 1953 Kaiser Dragon sitting in his garage. "That's the car I drove to Thunderbird High School," he said. "I've owned it four times." Starting out just after World War II the Kaiser-Frazer Corp, then just Kaiser Motors after 1953, the Michigan company produced automobiles until 1955. The longest-enduring product: the Willys Jeep. But it's Kaiser automobiles, the luxurious Manhattans, Dragons and compact Henry J's (named for company founder Henry J. Kaiser), that Barker finds so appealing. Plus, the exotic Kaiser-Darrin sports car, which just beat Corvette in 1953 as the first American car with a fiberglass body. Actually, you might say <b>...</b>

Keywords

Kaiser, Frazer, Darrin, Manhattan, Henry, J's, Carolina, Dragon, Used, Parts, junkyard

Related videos ^Experimental