A Chrysler Corp. representative from the mainland was on Oahu today to make sure that cars that had been taken to South Seas near Honolulu Airport and Oahu Chrysler Jeep in Waipahu before they shut down Friday were being taken care of for the customers.

Any new customers coming for service are diverted to other Chrysler service operations, said Scott Hogle, Los Angeles based manager of Chrysler's western operations.

Chrysler said it was told the company was having financial problems.

Alan Robin, chief executive officer of Pacific International, said the company was in negotiations trying to get reestablished.

"We have not decided to close," he said. However, the retail operations at South Seas, Oahu Chrysler and the company's used-car operation that opened earlier this year, Car World, were all still closed today.

"We're really trying to get things back," Robin said. However, he declined further comment.

Pacific International had been attempting to get back on its feet after losing money for some time and sold its Dollar Rent A Car franchise late last year, keeping just the two new-car dealerships.

The company reported a second-quarter loss of $790,000 after on sales of $13 million, after a loss of $151,000 in the first quarter. About half of this year's losses were related to the rental car franchise sale, but the company's ongoing operations were also losing money.

In its second-quarter report, filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, Pacific International said it was behind on loan payments to Chrysler Financial Corp.

Chrysler's Hogle said that Alan Robin and his nephew Stephen were the ones whose names appeared on the dealership agreement between Chrysler and Pacific International, but they had stepped down at the request of the Pacific International Board and Chrysler currently has no executive to deal with in the Hawaii dealership.

"The only reason we're open is Chrysler Corp. is down here and guaranteeing the payroll of the parts and service employees," Hogle said.

That will last until the cars still in the shop are cleaned up and returned to their owners, he said.