MOOSE JAW - When Jerry Kaiser discovered a 1966 yellow-and-black Comet Cyclone muscle car at a used vehicle dealer in Moose Jaw in July, he turned 18 again and knew he had to have it.
His love for older vehicles began in 1966 when his father, Erlin, bought a 1965 black-and-yellow Mercury Marauder two-door hardtop with a 410 C1 interceptor engine.
鈥淚 was 18 in Grade 12 and was in love with this car,鈥� Kaiser said.
In 1974, he came across a 1965 Mustang convertible in the compound of McCam Motors, as the company was holding the vehicle for $2,200 as part of a mechanic鈥檚 lien. However, when he returned the next time, he discovered that someone had jumped on the car and caved in the roof, trunk and hood.
A second yellow-and-black muscle car Kaiser discovered was around 2005 when he came across a 50th-anniversary edition of a black and yellow Ford Thunderbird. However, the asking price was $65,000, so he passed.
He eventually discovered the Comet Cyclone eight weeks ago and realized it was time to own a piece of his teenagehood.
鈥淚 have had old cars, including a 1966 Mustang for 37 years, but this one was an impulse, nostalgic buy 鈥� ,鈥� he said recently. 鈥淚 said, 鈥業 gotta have it,鈥� so I bought it. But I learned that it鈥檚 a dinosaur.鈥�
The convertible sounded good, made plenty of noise and burned a ton of rubber, but in Kaiser鈥檚 mind, it couldn鈥檛 compare to his current vehicle, a 2021 electric Mustang.
鈥淎nd there鈥檚 just nothing better. It鈥檚 quiet, clean and (has) unlimited, immediate power 鈥� nothing like the Cyclone,鈥� he said.
Having 鈥済rown up鈥� during the past two months, Kaiser decided to give the muscle car 鈥� a 鈥渄ead鈥� category of vehicles, he believes 鈥� to the Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village and Museum for a fundraiser.
鈥淭he museum deserves help, as it is an internationally known foundation,鈥� Kaiser added. 鈥淚 also want to recognize Moon and Hazel Mullin, who contributed much to the museum.鈥�
Garry Davis, a board member with Sukanen, said the organization was shocked by Kaiser鈥檚 鈥渧ery generous donation鈥� of a beautifully restored convertible.
Kaiser wanted the museum to raffle off the vehicle, so the board will and expects to start selling tickets in 2025, while it will call the lucky number during next September鈥檚 Threshing Bee, Davis continued.
Sukanen sometimes receives donations of collector cars from people who restore them and leave them with families after they die, the board member noted. Families don鈥檛 want to throw away these vintage vehicles, so they ask the museum to take them 鈥� which is how it has built up an impressive collection.
Kaiser鈥檚 鈥渟pectacular鈥� vehicle 鈥渋s a little new鈥� for the collection, even though it's nearly 60 years old, which is why the museum is raffling it, Davis said. In comparison, most vehicles at the museum are from the 1940s and 鈥�50s.
If the museum had 鈥渉ad its ducks in a row鈥� and been organized, it could have sold hundreds of tickets for the Comet Cyclone during this year鈥檚 Threshing Bee because of people鈥檚 interest, he remarked. Not only was the automobile parked in a visible location, but board members also drove it during the car parades on both days.
Kaiser rode in the vehicle during the second day鈥檚 parade, which the board had no problem with because he鈥檚 a neighbour and has been a big supporter over the years, Davis added. So, his donation is another 鈥渆xtreme example of support.鈥�
Interested in the car? Visit during the next year and watch for more information.
