Guest stude8 Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Many years ago, about 1973? A friend got a tip on the job coming up for sale and we were scrambling to put together the minimum price to buy when someone else considerably better off financially stepped up and grabbed it. Truly the big one that got away. Stude8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFranklin Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Duh! anyone can see that is a boattail, Sorry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stude8 Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Here is the car today, a 1927 Duesenberg Model X boattail roadster. A lot rarer than a model J. The car had been modernized in the late 1930's and the owner at the time we tried to buy it had had the fenders reconfigured to the original style. They had the most excellent "Hammer Welding" workmanship I ever saw, you could see just how much splicing was done underneath but the top surfaces were seamless. There were original photos of one of the Duesenberg brothers driving it when new. The owner in 1973 had gathered up about 10 original wire wheels and other accessories at early fleamarkets when the stuff was cheap. He knew just how rare this car was and had researched it very thoroughly. The present owner chose dark Blue as the finish but there were several gallons of dark Canberry Red and Burgundy lacquer paint supposedly mixed to the factory finish specs for the original colors that came with it.Stude8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stude8 Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 View of front end, 1927 Deusenberg Model X roadster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Wolk Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 The car is stunning but I think they got the rear fenders wrong. They seem incongrous with the fluidity of the rest of the car. It looks as though some stock fender was spliced onto it. It also looks unfinished where the rear pan meets the fenders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 I'm not sure I see what you're talking about as far as the shape of the fender goes. It looks exactly like the rear fender on the Model X sitting right next to it to me. I do agree that it looks like a panel should possibly have gone between the horizontal deck and the fender, but that doesn't mean it was there originally.By the way, that's the April feature car on the 2006 AACA Calendar. Peter Heydon, Ann Arbor, Mich. owns it. A gentleman in every respect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyDale Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Dear John,What a great car,thanks for sharing.diz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Silverghost Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 John: How much of the car ( % ) was there when you first saw it??? ie: Chassis, Engine, drivtrain etc??? It Might have been a Super Project if you did not have to scrounge up too many rare parts!!! Jay Leno picked-up a model X not too long ago!!! It is very complete !!!We have ALL had the "Ones that got away!!!"Reminds me of Father Divine's Model "J"Duesenberg touring car that I could have bought in Phila in the 60s... I was a High School Kid at the time!!! I had NO MONEY!!!then there was the 300SL Gullwing in 1971 for $15K The Origional 427 Cobra in 1972 for $20 K The Jaguar SS 100 in 1773 for $ 8K The 1960 FI Corvette for $400....Buy the way...I bought, and still have this Vette !!! The only one at the time I could afford!!! There must be at least 20 others that I could not afford!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 John, Thanks for posting the photos and story, that is one beautiful automobile! Do you want to know what makes that car so attactive?....Blackwall tires! Nothing upsets the look of a Classic like six inch whitewalls, on second thought dual white wall sidemounts really wreck the lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stude8 Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 It is a shame I can't locate the other photos from that time. The seller was one of the most organized car guys I ever met. He had disassembled the chassis to the frame rails and had them in his basement to restore the parts to perfection. The engine was setting on metal shelves with every piece, bearing, valve, whatever in the order it was to go back together. The car was all there with body parts stored at his fathers garage in Chicago. When the lucky buyer came for it we helped load it in his trailer just for the hands on experience. The owner had amassed a large collection of factory photos about the car and it was hard to see someone else take it all away. He had painted one of the doors in the proposed Cranberry / Black Cherry scheme to show what it would look like. Looked like a million dollars to a young kid.Stude8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Morbius Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 The double lines on the door suggest to me a 1930 Packard speedster. Anyone else? ................. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Morbius Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Oh , and that Duesenberg model X ..... yea , I could see myself driving that !!!! ..........Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> The double lines on the door suggest to me a 1930 Packard speedster. Anyone else? ................. Steve </div></div>Like this...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest De Soto Frank Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 YUM ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwells Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 West, that's one of those kit cars, isn't it? Must have an MG drivetrain, as I don't see the tell-tale VW exhausts . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Yes, it's MG powered. But even though the engine's in front, half of the engine bay is storage space, as the trunk is hardly big enough for more than two "overhead bin" suitcases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwells Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 (Just in case anyone is wondering, I was just teasing my friend West a wee bit. The Packard 734 picture he posted is the "real deal" and is definitely NOT a kit car.)West, I recall very clearly how little luggage space that car has. Your dad once thought he could carry a couple of boxes of magazines on the running board during the trip we shared. It almost worked, too. Hs he ever told you that little story? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Morbius Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 Just riding in that - to me - would be a thrill of a lifetime !!!! West ...do you know if that has a cutout [exhaust system] - excuse me , I gotta go get a roll of paper towels to wipe up the drool on my keyboard. NOW THAT'S A PACKARD!!!!! ..............................Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just riding in that - to me - would be a thrill of a lifetime !!!! West ...do you know if that has a cutout [exhaust system] - excuse me , I gotta go get a roll of paper towels to wipe up the drool on my keyboard. NOW THAT'S A PACKARD!!!!! ..............................Steve </div></div>It originally had an exhaust cut-out, but it does not currently have it. Some people have said that exhaust cut-outs "leak", but with an open car, I'm not sure how serious a problem that would be. It would be fun to get it working, though. Driving this car set the bar for all other automotive driving experiences I've ever had. Driving a Z06 Corvette at full speed around West Palm Beach race track, riding in an all-original 1906 Cadillac, and piloting a Model J Duesenberg have all been close, but nothing has topped the beauty of driving a 734 Packard. I've driven several Model 734s, and they all seem to have the same feel, which is hard to explain, but it seems to be a perfect balance between its incredible power, comfortable seating position (with elbow position on the top of the door at just the right height), ease of moving from 10mph to 70mph without shifting out of 4th, and gazing down that LONG hood with those huge headlights positioned perfectly in front.The car will be shown at the Glenmoor Gathering of Significant Cars in Canton, Ohio in September. Packards are featured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stude8 Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 Well it took some serious searching but I found the other 1970's photos of the X Duesy, here is the RH door painted in what was purported to be the original color scheme to show what it would look like when refinished. Stude8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stude8 Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 This is the set of reproduced 1927 fenders in primer. Note the stack of knock off wire wheels at the porch, he had about 10 or 11 of them as I recall, they sold for about $18 or $20 ea at the time (1960's) at the flea markets around Chicago. Stude8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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