This can be a Kellison J6 Panther, it’s an American sports activities automotive developed by Jim Kellison again within the late-Nineteen Fifties that’s been lauded for its superior physique design and its race profitable historical past.
Due to their light-weight fiberglass our bodies, good aerodynamics, and highly effective V8 engines the Kellison J-series automobiles have been among the many quickest automobiles you can construct in your storage again within the late Nineteen Fifties and Nineteen Sixties.
Quick Details – The Kellison J6 Panther
- Jim Kellison was born in Seattle earlier than transferring to California the place he joined the burgeoning scorching rod scene. He joined the USAF in his late teenagers and after discharge he began his personal physique and fender store on the age of twenty-two.
- Kellison would spend the remainder of his life as an entrepreneur within the automotive world, first repairing automobiles earlier than branching out into automotive design himself, and promoting fiberglass physique kits in addition to full automobiles.
- Essentially the most well-known automobiles constructed by Jim have been the Kellison J sequence automobiles, they ran from J1 via to J6 – their styling was remarkably superior for the period and effectively forward of their time.
- The J sequence automobiles would stay in manufacturing from the late Nineteen Fifties effectively into the Nineteen Sixties. Kellison would diversify his product line to incorporate Formulation V automobiles, boats, dune buggies, scorching tubs, and extra.
Jim Kellison – The Unlikely Automotive Designer
Born James Frank Kellison in Seattle, Jim Kellison would transfer to California as a younger man and develop into a part of the quickly rising scorching rod scene as a youngster. It might be on the planet of scorching rods that he minimize his tooth studying about automotive engineering, bodywork, and engine tuning.
That is Jim Kellison with considered one of his creations. Many Kellison J sequence automobiles went racing and achieved wonderful ends in the early Nineteen Sixties.
In his late teenagers Jim joined the USA Air Drive, he lengthy be enamored with plane and plane design, having been a eager builder of mannequin planes when he was youthful. This fascination with plane would later have a big affect on his vehicle designs.
After leaving the USAF Jim opened his personal physique and fender restore store, on the age of simply 22. He would spend the following few years working within the area, each in his personal retailers and dealing for different individuals, constructing a broad base of expertise within the course of.
It was round this time within the early Nineteen Fifties that fiberglass was changing into a preferred materials for setting up automotive our bodies. It was light-weight, comparatively cheap, and straightforward to type into advanced shapes with using moulds – vastly simpler to show into automotive our bodies than aluminum or metal.
The Kellison Automotive Firm
Jim started work on his first J automotive design in 1957, he created a metal tube and wire body, then used plaster of Paris to create a easy floor to create the fiberglass mould. Inside two years Kellison automobiles started showing in American automotive magazines together with MotorTrend.
Most Kellison our bodies have been offered by way of ads like this at the back of automotive magazines within the late Nineteen Fifties and Nineteen Sixties.
The C1 Corvette was being constructed on the time with a fiberglass physique, and so Jim constructed the Kellison J4 physique to suit neatly onto the Corvette chassis instead of the unique physique. It appeared incredible however there have been some complaints about dealing with.
Because of these complaints, Jim employed Chuck Manning – a gifted Indy automotive chassis builder – to developed a brand new chassis particularly for his physique designs, and remedy the dealing with points as soon as and for all.
The preliminary design had a metal field tube body with tube axles back and front. This didn’t present the specified dealing with, and so a brand new model was designed – a metal X-frame fitted with easy-to-source Corvette suspension entrance and rear.
This new chassis mixed with the great aerodynamics of the Kellison physique was a match made in heaven, and there have been quite a few studies of Kellisons taking dominant class victories in motorsport competitors within the early Nineteen Sixties.
The Kellison J6 challenge automotive listed right here appears to have many of the main components, with the physique, chassis, suspension, brakes, and drivetrain all accounted for.
It wouldn’t be lengthy earlier than Jim branched out and used his fiberglass manufacturing capability to construct a wide range of different automobiles together with Meyers Manx dune buggy clones, Formulation V automobiles, and even velocity boats and jacuzzis.
The Kellison J6 Challenge Automotive Proven Right here
The automotive you see right here is an unique Kellison J6, it at the moment requires a full restoration. The automotive comes fitted to a 1958 Studebaker Hawk chassis, it’s powered by a 350 cubic inch V8, and energy is distributed to the Ford 9″ rear finish by way of a Muncie 4-speed guide transmission.
Beneath you’ll discover coilover suspension, entrance disc brakes with rear drums, 15″ Centerline wheels, Currie Enterprises rear axles, and a 3.55:1 Positraction differential. Underneath the hood the V8 is topped with a Holley four-barrel carburetor, it additionally has curler rockers and polished valve covers.
It’s clear that this Kellison will want a whole lot of work to get it again on the street however many of the main components are already accounted for. Should you’d prefer to learn extra about it or register to bid you may go to the itemizing right here.
Photos courtesy of Carry A Trailer
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