1953 Kaiser Manhattan

[@charlesacker8552]

One of, if not the only reason, for the generous headroom in this and other cars up until the '60s was that almost all men wore hats. You needed the clearance for that fedora.

[@What.its.like.]

Yeah I don’t remember who or what company it was it was either Chrysler or Chevy but the president of the company during the late 40s early 50s wanted to be able to wear a hat while driving I forgot to mention on the Kaiser there was so much grass that the greenhouse affect the car gave you almost felt like being in an open car.. and the heart shaped windshield.. It’s not a full heart shape but once you see it you can’t unsee it

[@hot88s23]

@@What.its.like. It was the Chrysler guy.

[@stevenhoman2253]

The ladies all wore hats as well.

[@61rampy65]

@@hot88s23 K.T.Keller is the guy who kept Chrysler cars stodgy until Virgil Exner took over the Styling department.

[@61rampy65]

Something that I see on lots of these late 40s-mid50s cars with a Hydra-Matic is the shift quadrant not only usually has reverse at the far right end, but that there is no 'Park' position. I have a 49 Lincoln handbook that tells you to put it in Reverse (with foot on the brake) and shut off the engine. I think that when you shift to reverse and shut the engine off, reverse remains engaged, and a forward gear also engages. When you want to start the engine, you have to put the shifter in Neutral, then start the engine. The hydraulic pressure releases any gears that were engaged, thus allowing the car to roll, but not be propelled by the engine. My description may not be fully accurate, but it is pretty close. The reason Reverse and Low are right next to each other is so you can easily rock the car to get unstuck in snow/mud. By 1965, all cars were required to have the P-R-N-D-L we are familiar with today.

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you so much for sharing that information. I always wondered when they streamline that or made that a rule that reverse was no longer the last position and that makes total sense by rocking the car out of a ditch new cars have traction control and a lot of times you can’t rock it out of a ditch which I get really Mad about I hate traction control. I think it’s stupid… you’re over it the wheels just spin.. I really want to do more Kaiser this year. It was an absolute shame. I didn’t get to do any last year. I did to the very first year and then haven’t seen any since.

[@winstonelston5743]

A few models, notably the Studebakers and some Eurasian imports continued using the Borg-Warner PNDLR into 1966.

[@Vickyvee97]

First of all thank you for your efforts, there's not many channels that get in depth like you do. Personally I think the knobs, switches and guages makes the car even more special and it's rare that anyone talk about them which is a real crime. Keep up the good work!

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you =)

[@markw208]

Yes, His enthusiastic research is 1 of the best features of his videos. “What’s it like” really is an appropriate name for his channel.

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you so much I’m hoping one day that this will be one of if not the go to Classic Car channel to find out what the car is like if one is looking to purchase Case in point I was looking for a vintage truck to use for my business I ended up buying a 52 Chevy one time but that wasn’t the first truck that I thought about buying I really wanted a 1940 and 1949 international KB5 or KB6 no one has reviewed those trucks for what they are I plan on hitting them this year it’s just finding them getting harder and harder to find.. I would really like to do a comparison video of a KB5 versus a KB six they are both 1 1/2 ton trucks different body styles There are lots and lots of cars to cover haven’t even touched the surface yet nor have I done a COE yet. =)

[@glennso47]

If it weren’t for the knobs, switches and gauges how would they control the vehicle?

[@asteverino8569]

Thanks for another "off the beaten path" car. Loved this combo of styling and design. Tootaloo!

[@What.its.like.]

More to come thank you so much for watching =)

[@winstonelston5743]

2:25 Kaiser never built an eight. About forty years ago I worked with an engineer who had, in his youth, worked on development of a 288 cubic inch V8 at Continental, said engine intended for use in Frazer and Kaiser models, but Henry J was more interested in building innovative body configurations than in the mechanical upgrades that might have improved the cars' desirability, models like the Vagabond and the Traveler, the Henry J compact, the Virginian and Manhattan hardtops and convertibles that had limited market appeal but which cost fortunes to develop.

[@christopherkraft1327]

Great video!!! The Kaiser Manhattan was a very cool car & quite impressive back in the day!!! Thanks for sharing this fun video!!! 👍

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you so much for enjoying this episode =) more cool cars coming

[@mammothscott1455]

Ditto…. I’ve never seen one other than an illustration or photo. Particularly like the bamboo effect interior. Thanks

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you for watching if your like me and like the cool unique cars this is the channel all the cars that never got reviewed are getting reviewed on this channel

[@chrisjeffries2322]

I have always liked the shape of the windshelled.

[@gene978]

Great History on the owners! You mention you could fit 6 in this car. We were a family of 7 and on our 2 hour Long Beach trips we would all get in our ‘59 Pontiac Star Chief Sedan plus a friend so 8 all together. 3 up front and 5 in the back seat!

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome story 6 full sized adults could fit comfortably car is super roomy =)

[@georgemckenna462]

The lush tropical jungle green interior with subtle fine rattan bamboo trim. Your end of the day getaway vehicle to the Tiki zone.

[@What.its.like.]

It was an interesting interior material that’s for sure. It looked unique

[@winstonelston5743]

I love the headlight trim rings. For the money, though, I would probably go for the Studebaker Commander Land Cruiser, a clean design on a slightly longer wheelbase and with a highly reliable V8. Also worth consideration, but smaller and marginally lower price, the Aero Willys is not quite as spacious, but a lot more manageable in traffic. The Kaiser Supersonic 226 engine was available in that model, too.

[@arthurallen189]

Thank you so much for these videos I enjoy them..

[@What.its.like.]

No problem I was waiting years for somebody to make a channel like this and then I finally decided that hey I’m gonna do it.. I want this to be a go to channel for Classic Car enthusiast that wanna know more about the car that knew absolutely nothing about the car for the younger generations to get into this hobby.. I’m 33 I wish I started this idk 10 years ago.. but glad you dig the channel we’re just getting started I want to hit every single 50s car ever made 40s 30s and feature all of the body styles as well so we’re definitely gonna come back to Kaiser we’re not done with them and Fraser we haven’t done a Frasier yet and if you know the channel we love the orphan cars =)

[@josephrogers5337]

I remember our family's 1949 Kaiser. I always did love the 53 on models as I thought they were beautiful. My dad was friends with the local dealer in Oxford Ohio. At that time they used a Continetal Red Seal engine. In industrial use they were very good with constant rotation speed but had problems in a variable speed use such as an automobile. My dad bet the dealer that the car on the showroom floor already had a crack block. The dealer took him up and had the engine dis-assemble and sure enough it did have a crack block.

[@What.its.like.]

Crazy story thank you so much for sharing those memories what did your dad win for being right

[@josephrogers5337]

@@What.its.like. Just a continued friendship. My dad also drove the heck out of that car. We lived in Indiana about a mile from the Ohio Border. He worked on pipelines in Texas and Oklahoma and would come home once a month driving straight thru will my older brother helping with the driving. Quite hard ware on a car of 1949 Vintage.

[@markw208]

Most people aren’t aware of the many car companies that existed over the years in the U.S. Some succeeded (obviously) some merged and some failed. Even some of the failures brought about changes in the American auto industry. The Kaiser-Frazier story is really interesting. This video shows some of the features that made the car unique. If you notice he mentioned the wide door frame. That’s a deep channel stamping that made the door and door opening sturdier and safer. In the mid 60’s one of my dad’s friends bought a Kaiser-Frasier hoping it would become a collector’s item. I remember it was 2 tone blue. It actually looked very nice.

[@What.its.like.]

The crazier thing is kaiser Frazier made more body design in a 10 year time period that they were building cars then Chevy or Ford did during the same time period It seems so backwards that Ford and Chevy were super successful and only offered one car but trimed it out numerous ways

[@markw208]

@@What.its.like. , Dealerships. You’ve got to have a network of dealerships, parts and service. The same situation is why we don’t have Fiat cars (and others) in the U.S. That said, in the 40’s and 50’s there was opportunities for new car companies. So why did Graham-Paige, Dusenberg, Kaiser, Crosley and others fail? There’s a LOT to each one of those stories. It’s easy to look back and think the problems are obvious. But it wasn’t so obvious at the time. Of course the Titanic sank, there was a big hole in it. But what led up to that? It’s the same with the car companies. I worked at Compaq/Hewlett-Packard for decades and saw many management mistakes. Compaq had a phone before Apple. It had good market share and got good reviews. So what happened? Some idiot executives decided they wanted the full price of the phone right up front, rather than 24 monthly payments. So many companies have made tragic decisions. From the present failures of the past seem obvious because we rationalize and put the puzzle pieces together in a certain way because we know the end result. Some of those car companies should have succeeded

[@denislandry7577]

Well done ! Keep up the good work !

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you we love the orphaned cars on this channel =)

[@erin19030]

I remember these cars. Kaiser was an employer in my home town. They built airplanes like the airicobra, mustang and Fleetwings.

[@ChristopherCerta]

Great video! Thanks for posting.

[@What.its.like.]

=)

[@davidjohnson4550]

I worked with a guy whose father had a1954 model it road nice. It was all original! This was in 1999

[@What.its.like.]

1954 they got a supercharger one the motor to help get over those hills

[@andrewhowarth4578]

"Bambu" upholstery, not bamboo! Loving your earliest videos, Jay. Andy

[@robertguttman1487]

My Father had a 1952 Kaiser Manhattan, which I still remember riding in as a kid. It was the same as the 1953 except for a few minor trim changes. The car may look old-fashioned today, but compare it with comparable "Big 3" cars of the time and you will notice that it is a far more modern-looking car, with a lower stance and more streamlined appearance. The commentator also neglected to mention the many safety features which were designed into the Kaiser; such as the extraordinary amount of window area to provide better driver visibility in comparison with other cars of that period, a padded dashboard (which he merely noted was "odd-looking") and the pop-out windshield designed to prevent injuries in the event of a crash. Of course, the seat belts, which are noticeable in the video, were clearly after-market add-ons, since no cars manufactured during the 1950s came with seat belts. The presenter also barely mentioned the innovative Kaiser "travel sedan" which was, in point of fact, the world's first HATCH-BACK. In addition, Kaiser also introduced the "Henry J", which was the first "compact car" built by a U.S. automaker, ten years before the introduction of either the Ford Falcon, Chevrolet Corsair or Plymouth Valiant/Dodge Lancer. The "Henry-J" also pre-dated the Nash Rambler. My father, who was an ex-Seabee, was building a house at the time, and he sometimes loaded his Kaiser down with building materials. However, it was a ruggedlyl-built car and took all the abuse he dish out. It should be noted that Kaiser did not stop making cars because their cars were not good. It was just that, like a lot of other "Independent" car companies, by the mid 1950s they simply were no longer able to compete economically against the "Big 3". However, Kaiser did not stop making vehicles in 1955. After taking over Willys-Overland, Kaiser continued to build motor vehicles, but only the famous "Jeep", which Kaiser continue to produce until 1970, when it finally sold "Jeep" to American Motors.

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome information thank you so much for sharing it here =)

[@friendofdorothy9376]

Ford offered seat belts in the 50’s, as part of their 1956 “lifeguard design”.

[@robertguttman1487]

@@friendofdorothy9376 I don't remember that but it may well be true. However, if so, it was definitely not something that was commonly seen on cars. Seatbelts were definitely NOT a "thing" in the 1950s. In fact, the first seat belts I ever saw on a car were in the mid 1960s and were definitely aftermarket items which the owner bought and either installed himself or had installed. In fact, the "Big 3" discouraged any discussions about possible improvements to car safety because any such discussion would imply that their products were not, in fact, already safe. It was not until the highly-publicized death of Ernie Kovacs in a Corvair in 1962 (you won't have heard of him but, trust me, he was very popular at the time and his death was considered a major loss) and Ralph Nader's subsequent book, "Unsafe at Any Speed", that the subject of automobile safety really began to be taken seriously.

[@jameshuseby6290]

Ford was stressing safety and promoting it in their advertisements in the 1950s and 1960s safety glass etc.

[@jameshuseby6290]

Forgot to mention I do remember Ernie Kovacs

[@blackholeentry3489]

My first car was a Kaiser, and drove them for many years. In '62' I stumbled across the super rare '54' two-door sedan....only 50 made. I bought it for $10, installed a '58 Pontiac 370 in it and drove it all over the western USA for many years. It was a total 'sleeper' and I had more fun with that car than any other car I have ever owned....the only thing that gave it away as it was NOT stock was the exhaust, which was routed to exit in front of the rear tires.

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome thank you so much for sharing those memories what a great story And you bought it for $10 that’s crazy I can remember my friend selling his first car for $100 and I bought a couple vehicles for less than $500 but those days unfortunately seem like they’re gone

[@blackholeentry3489]

@@What.its.like. You're welcome. I didn't include: I live in CA and it wasn't until after I towed it home I noticed it had Utah plates. Long story short.....I was able to trace it to a soldier who had been stationed at the nearby Fort Ord army base, had been shipped overseas and had basically abandoned the vehicle. Also, he had tried to install a Studebaker V8, had given up....and the hood was missing. With some sleuthing, I located the hood, located his former Base Officer and he, in leiu of the soldier having been shipped out, did me a huge favor by signing the pink. When I finally appeared before the CA DMV, I had a total of 19 different forms and papers, but eventually received a clear title issued in my name. I had been a car mechanic for a long time, and while it was somewhat of a challenge to install a '55 Chevy V8, it was a 60 degree block and fit fairly well. However, after driving it about 60K miles, I got the urge for more power (being young and foolish) so installed a 90 degree 58 370 cu in Pontiac. After I got the kinks ironed out, the car settled down into a real sleeper and was a real kick to drive. I once took a really long trip, first to check out the Space Needle in Seattle, then headed east all through Montana and on to visit some friends in ND, then headed for my 1st wife's folks in Kansas Cit, MO. True story.....whenever I entered a 'new' state, I would hold my speed in check until I know what the local state constabulary looked like before picking up the pace a bit. Once, while in Montana, I came up behind about ten cars all going about five mph under the speed limit, so, being young and foolish, I followed them for a few miles, saw a clear spot, nailed it and passed all ten or so. It was only as I pulled abreast of the lead car, I realized it was a Montana Highway Patrol car. I slowed down to about five mph below the speed limit (without hitting my brakes), the officer followed me for about ten miles, but never pulled me over. He probably thought I'd learned my lesson, and....boy had I!

[@jerrycallender9352]

My step-granddad had a blue Manhattan...lovely cars. Pity the hood was shaved. Kaiser's ship building was an assembly line turning out 'merchantmen' daily... not unlike Ford's assembly line.

[@SPADE945]

I have a 1953 that I love but am actually putting on the market. Thanks for this history on it!

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome happy you dig this episode When you get it listed you can share the link if you wish =) And I'll share it on the Facebook group

[@SPADE945]

@@What.its.like. thank you so much!

[@Vegaswill714]

My dad had a 1947 or 48 Kaiser-Frazer as his first car after he returned from the second world war. I never saw it, he sold it before I was born. He described it as a beautiful automobile that was hopelessly underpowered. He replaced it with a 1952 Chevy Deluxe powered by a stovebolt 6. He said the Chevy was a much more pleasant car to drive, which tells me how slow the Kaiser must have been.

[@Marc816]

"hopelessly underpowered" - My father bought a 1949, It was so slow that a kid on a bicycle could have smoked it off in a street race!!!!!

[@scottschmittmusic]

Thanks for that.. I was torn between one of these and a 52 Chevy styleline I believe it has the original 216 engine

[@blackholeentry3489]

@@scottschmittmusic My first car, a 51 Kaiser, was so slow that kids on bicycles beat me across the street when the light turned green! As the 'Beach Boys' used to wail...."Even got shut down by the ice cream truck."

[@33maple]

We had a 53 for 9 years,interior material was called ..Bambu vinyl ..front and back bumpers were the same to save money,engine did not like hills,only a few of these In our town,yes a great styled car but no match for the big 3 in price points, still love the car to this day for being unique.

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome information I didn’t know or realize that the bumpers were the same on the front and the back =)

[@richardwarren7492]

Kaiser - was not the only company that built Hoover/Boulder dam. It was built by a conglomeration of 7 companies. For more in depth information, read: "Colossus: Hoover Dam and the Making of the American Century" It's a page turner if interested in such things. Nice review.

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome information thank you so much for the correction and sharing =)

[@stevenhoman2253]

I heard that the Travel Sedan was a highly complicated design and building challenge, Very few exist today, due to early rust in the rear section.

[@What.its.like.]

The travel sedan is the only one that I’ve ever seen outside of this one so I thought they were all like that

[@josephrogers5337]

I also heard they were prone to water leakage and would have loud rattleing.

[@aaronwilliams6989]

Unique. Pretty.

[@What.its.like.]

Bamboo seats

[@jerrycallender9352]

The transmission quadrant was the same as Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac 'til mid-year 1964, when the 3-speed replaced the 4-speed, and Buick dropped Dynaflow, so all GMs, other than Chevrolet, had the same transmission. Lincoln also used the GM 4-speed 'til using Ford's 2-speed in beginning with the 1953 model year.

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome information but the two speed ford came out later The original Fordomatic was a three speed, but it’s confusing because you can only access first gear in low range when you start out and drive you start out in second gear, but it’s technically a three speed

[@jerrycallender9352]

So true. Similar to Buick and Packard.@@What.its.like.

[@winstonelston5743]

@@jerrycallender9352 Buick built the two-speed Super Turbine 300 with a variable pitch torque converter in the mid to late sixties, also offered in some Oldsmobile models (badged as some sort of Hydramatic), and without the variable pitch torque converter in the A-body Pontiacs through 1970. There is some confusion between the PowerGlide and the Buick Super Turbine 300, in part because the low gear in both was 1.57:1, but they were entirely different transmissions.

[@stevenhoman2253]

I'm sure you have seen some of the crash testing they have been doing for years now. I saw one vehicle hit a wall at a moderate suburban speed, and the car just kept on going, it didn't penetrate, the whole thing just began to disintegrate till it was just dust and nothing remained.

[@MichaelOKeefe2009]

Kaiser Manhattan The sedan for NEW YORKAS!

[@greggweber9967]

I think we had one when I was a kid. It was solid green which went great with its shape. It also had a vapor lock problem which happened to my mom while driving us kids on I-90 just east and up the hill from the Columbia River. We had to stop for road construction.

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you for bringing that up I totally forgot to mention that in the negative that engine has that problem especially in summer time

[@DavidHall-ge6nn]

Vapor lock was the bane of my grandfather's driving experience. Picture it. We're in his beloved '60 Olds 98 in the mountains with Grandma at the wheel. "Gosh darn the gosh darn luck, Helen! Now by the way, you're gonna vapor lock this gosh darn car!" "Well I swan, Calyton! No need to be snappish. We'll just pull over at the wayside and enjoy the view for a spell. Stretch our legs." That memory always brings a smile to my face.

[@What.its.like.]

I have the vapor lock issue with my truck, crazy thing is it didn’t vapor lock with the edelbrock carb. It does it really bad in summer at the top of third gear if I run third gear the whole way out

[@chrisjeffries2322]

@@DavidHall-ge6nn, It is good to have those memories from childhood.

[@calbob750]

These cars may have been better than what rolled off the assembly line of the “big three”. The downside was a limited dealership network that couldn’t compete in the marketing and sales necessary to survive.

[@What.its.like.]

I was going to add something to that effect in the episode that a lot of independence offered many other options as far as cars go where is the big three especially Ford and Chevy in the mid50s only offered one car and dressed it up three or four different ways..

[@winstonelston5743]

Henry J Kaiser had the funds and the talent to make a go of auto production, but the money that could have gone into engineering innovation such as a V8 or a true station wagon went to building more cars than they could sell in model years 1949-'50, tooling for the Traveler-Vagabond hatchbacks and the Virginian and Manhattan hardtops with the stationary glass B-pillars and convertible sedans with non-retractable door window frames and the Henry J subcompact. Joe Frazer, the expert veteran of the auto industry recommended scaling back production in that period, then releasing the breathtaking new Dutch Darrin designs with a competitive V8 for 1951. Kaiser's reply to Frazer's recommendation was "KAISERS NEVER RETRENCH!"

[@stevenhoman2253]

Oh boy, A Kaiser, the smartest and richest businessman in America, at one time. Maybe of all time?

[@rickloera9468]

It is bamboo. Kaiser was a leader in interior design. They had to do something because they were losing the horsepower race that started in 1948 with the Cadillac 331 overhead valve V-8. Kaiser did not have the resources for a V-8 and they couldn't compete on price so the only way was exterior color choices and designer like interiors. Funny that it has a clock but no radio. Also funny how the cigarette lighter is located first before the wiper knob. Kaiser discontinued the car in 1955. The 1955 models were reserialized left over 1954 models. The dies for the bodies were moved to Argentina and the continued til 1962 as the Caravelle.

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome information thank you so much for sharing =) I read that engine was used at kaiser Jeep... until 1962 just as you mentioned crazy to think as underpowered as the engine was they’d continued to use it for another 10 years, next generation Manhattan used it with a supercharger added but that lead to head gasket problems.

[@mr.lincoln5154]

Dude!.. did you crack that rear vent window?

[@What.its.like.]

No It was cracked

[@leightonfarms4962]

excellent

[@ernielaw]

Just tuned into this video to compare it to the recently shown video on the 1947 kaiser Special. I guess this one doesn't have the bamboo seats.

[@What.its.like.]

This one has the bamboo seats. I just was unaware of it when I was there. If you look carefully, I tried watching this one. It was kind of painful to watch. My delivery was bad but I think this was the time when I listen to somebody that said that I really needed to slow down doesn’t sound right

[@craigjorgensen4637]

Good Job!

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you =)

[@stevenhoman2253]

With the new bamboo interior.

[@michaeljohnson4204]

Padded dash too?

[@hakki2588]

Istanbulda,1973 yılında 14 yaşında idim.jeep yedek parça satan dükkanda çalıştığım da patrondan 1953 model kaiser 6cly çirkin dev bir araç idi,bildiğim bilgi israel montajı amerikan arabasıyla 1951-1954 yılları arasında üretildi,motoru üstten bujili jeep motoru idi.direksiyoydan vitesli olduğu,westinghause yoktu,direk fren ana merkezli ön arka kampanalı pabuç balatali araçtı.şimdi yaş 65 yine amerikan araçların oto yedek parça satışı yapmaya devam.videoyu görünce 50 yıl geriye gittim.

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome story thank you so much for sharing those memories with us I’m happy to let you relive the past just by looking at some of these cars =)

[@oneradicalgayngsta2659]

Hydra Matic was purchased from General Motors, the Power steering from Chrysler the engine by Continental Engine (no relationship with Lincoln) Too Da Loo 2u2

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome information do you know when continental started producing that engine.. because it’s in the 47 kaiser custom as well.. I think they made that engine until 1962 they were still putting a Kaiser Wagoneer and using it in Kaiser Jeep which is crazy to think that engine was around for 20+ years and it was just eh. I had no idea that the power steering system was Chrysler’s power steering awesome add =)

[@oneradicalgayngsta2659]

Kaiser did not make Jeeps. Jeeps were designed and made by Willy's (however, most WW2 Jeeps were made by Ford under contract as Willy's factory was way too small to meet WW2 needs) It was Willy's engine that survived into American Motors.

[@What.its.like.]

Kaiser merged with them Kaiser owned Jeep before Amc bought kaiser for Jeep Chrysler bought amc which owned Jeep en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiser_Jeep

[@johnfleming7879]

My grandmother owned an expensive one.

[@glennso47]

If the hood opened from the inside of the car, it has my vote! 👍😁

[@stevewheatley243]

Till you have to replace the broken cable.

[@glennso47]

@@stevewheatley243 I had a 1970 Chevy with the hood latch on the outside and I had to replace a stolen battery and the mechanic said that if the thieves had the right tools they could have stolen the carburetor too. I think I’d rather have a broken cable than to have half the engine stolen. Wouldn’t you? 🤔just saying

[@stevewheatley243]

@@glennso47 Sure,but all the thief needs to do is break your window,pry open the door,etc. But a small deterrent is better than none.

[@glennso47]

@@stevewheatley243 That will make the thieves have to really work for what they want! On another subject, I was tee boned once in a car wreck and the fireman had to do all that stuff to get me free from my car. 😵‍💫

[@stevewheatley243]

@@glennso47 These crackheads are desperate. Glad you're alright.

[@davidjohnson4550]

Here I will give you a little help, that was bamboo! The only year it was used.

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome =)

[@Mcfreddo]

Weren't employment conditions for the men and rights appalling for them on that hoover dam, where many men were expendable and died on that project?

[@What.its.like.]

The conditions in general or just terrible if you think about it child labor and all that

[@glennso47]

For a few years Kaiser owned the Jeep business before they sold it to AMC.

[@What.its.like.]

Kaiser Jeep, kaiser merged with Jeep in 55 or 56 to get the Jeep brand and kept the Jeep brand until 1970 I left that part out because I covered it in a jeep episode plus didn’t wanna get too far out of the area in which we were in.. i’m sure when we do a Kaiser Wagoneer will fill in that part of the story but thank you so much for bringing it up =)

[@glennso47]

@@What.its.like. I recently saw a commercial for the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer. It’s really just the Grand Cherokee with a new name. From what I understand Jeep had to get rid of the name “Cherokee “ to avoid offending native Americans. 🫤

[@What.its.like.]

I reviewed one.. they ride really nice almost has that boat like feel muck like a 1988 Lincoln town car but the price is insane and it doesn’t look special. The other issue is evidently they have a huge quality control problem lots of people complained about how it just becomes a $100,000 paperweight because vehicles will just shut down sometimes while driving.

[@glennso47]

@@What.its.like. I think it’s built in Belvidere, IL at the Chrysler center there. This past spring we drove by the plant and there were lots of them in the parking lot. I presume that they were waiting on the computer chips that they needed to complete the building of the vehicles. Im sorry. I was mistaken. The Grand Cherokee is built in Detroit. Belvidere builds the Cherokee which is a different model.

[@vernwallen4246]

@@glennso47 In this political climate that we live in we have too weigh our words very carefully for fear of starting a riot.😂😂😂

[@glennso47]

On the left side of the instrument panel there was a toggle switch that you didn’t mention.

[@What.its.like.]

Not sure what that goes to not sure if it’s factor or added after wards

[@What.its.like.]

Thank you for that information =)

[@glennso47]

@@What.its.like. Thanks for the information.

[@tedecker3792]

I was born in 1947, so I was a little kid when my grandfather bought a new Kaiser every year. I remember him using an oil filter conversion that used a roll of toilet paper as the filter. Anyone remember those?

[@What.its.like.]

I never saw a toilet paper filter before.. I had a karman Ghia it used a weird mesh type almost looked like a strainer

[@tedecker3792]

@@What.its.like. I googled it, Frantz is still selling them!

[@josephrogers5337]

I had a 64 Saab with one installed as aftermarket.

[@aaronwilliams6989]

I would take the 1952 Ford.

[@What.its.like.]

I love the 52 Ford that would probably be my guess too but I would probably take the in-line six.. tho

[@scottschmittmusic]

Wish you could a drove it

[@What.its.like.]

Me too there might be some opportunity for that this year. I got to work at the Classic Car dealership last year which was really great but the cool and weird thing is you can have two cars that are identical and they won’t drive the same.. everything wears out differently plus some things have been replaced and somethings haven’t been replaced

[@scottschmittmusic]

@@What.its.like. ya.. I have the opportunity after I sell my 53 ford wagon to buy one for like $5k That's like half of what they go for Thanks dig the videos

[@stevenhoman2253]

They will always stand out for me, because of their eyebrow front glass. But America was always about power, following the war, and that is exactly where the successful car companies focussed, and we can see the result.

[@What.its.like.]

The crazy thing was kaiser was number one until the big three caught up if only they had a little more power who knows maybe they would still be around

[@ngauruhoezodiac3143]

Kaiser might have succeeded if he had invested in an OHV V8. By 1953 sidevalve engines were obsolete,

[@What.its.like.]

Many companies offered them into the 60s =)

[@ngauruhoezodiac3143]

@@What.its.like. the only real advantage that a side valve engine had was simplicity which gave reliability and low production costs. The casting of an OHV cylinder head is way more expensive than a flathead, but compare the power of the 1948 Oldsmobile Rocket to a Ford of the same year. The Hudson Hornet had a side valve engine but it was a big one and its success on the racetracks had more to do with its lower centre of gravity giving it better cornering than the opposition. But by 1952 the writing was on the wall. The OHV engine was the way of the future.

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

@@What.its.like.- The last U.S. flathead engine was the flathead 6 that was the base engine for the Rambler, offered through 1964. Mopar got rid of their flathead 6 when they introduced their Slant Six in 1959. Chevy had overhead valves in their sixes since 1929!

[@captaccordion]

You might have mentioned that the engine was not made by Kaiser/Frazer, but was bought in from an outside engine maker - Continental if memory serves correctly. One of the reasons they didn't succeed was because of how outdated this engine was. Now for a bit of constructive criticism, on this video particularly, you really sound like you're reading all the facts from a piece of paper, without much idea of what you're actually saying. I'd urge a bit more homework in the interests of sounding more authoritative.

[@What.its.like.]

Point taken I need a microphone to improve sound quality =) The crazy thing about the engine it was outdated then but used it until the 60s if I read that right.

[@captaccordion]

I don't know for sure, but if that engine was still in production in the 60's, it's likely destination would have been forklifts, or generators on ships or things of that ilk. On my criticism, I wasn't thinking of sound quality - it was more that you were getting into your sentences without knowing where they were going, and thus the pauses and emphases were cocked up, making it pretty obvious you were just reading it off.

[@What.its.like.]

Awesome I’ll work on that =) Found this article shop.willysamerica.com/L6-226-Super-Hurricane-Rebuilding-Tips-s/1967.htm

[@geoben1810]

@@captaccordion I think you're right about the engine being used in forklifts.

[@josephrogers5337]

Continental Red Seal engine, good for fix rpm and not so good for variable rpm

[@tirebiter1680]

This car was a cheap imitation of the Kaiser-Frazer Golden Dragon

[@What.its.like.]

Same company lesser model this model is like the 210 in Chevy’s model lineup versus the Belair which is at the top

[@johnmaki3046]

My Dad and I looked at a '54 Kaiser Manhatten in 1969 ($49!) AND IT WAS TRULY UGLY!

[@What.its.like.]

The 53 has a great green house in it doesn’t feel like your in a car with as much glass and light idk if that make sense

[@michaeljohnson4204]

You pull the light switch halfway for the parking lights and fully for the headlights not twice you dolt.

[@What.its.like.]

Two clicks I felt when I did it off camera is what I meant to say =)

[@friendofdorothy9376]

Michael, zip it with your “dolt” comment.