Guest D. Stoltz Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 We are restoring the first Duesenberg ever sold. It's a 1921 with a Bender body. The car was missing a few parts when we got it and we've been able to get most of them. There are still looking for the tail lights and the exterior door handles. In these two photos it shows that it had two tail lights on the left side. We think the one over the license plate is the tail light and the one on top is the brake. As far as the door handles go they are "T" shaped and have a small oval shape in the center. Any help identifying them and/or locating some to either buy or copy would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Thanks for posting the photos, good luck with the project. Nice to see the Tommy Milton LSR car in the showroom in the first photo. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Saxton Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 There were a lot of details in the early A Duesenbergs that differed from later production. This car from long-time ownership by the Castle family in Hawaii is acknowledged as the first car sold, and probably everyone one interested in the early Duesenbergs would be very grateful to you if you might be kind enough to enhance our knowledge by comprehensive photos which show these. It always has puzzled me how the factory acheived the change of wire wheel type when this was desired by Mr Castle. This would nt be easy to do or inexpensive, because the rear Rudge Whithworth 80mm hubs are integral with the hollow drive axles. Perhaps the hubs may have been taper fit with a key on solid axles, because I have one such hub, which was among some A parts which Joe Kauffmann sold to me in 1984, after I bought at Ray Wolff's urging car #630 from his friend Mr Manuel Davalos in Mexico City. These parts most likely did not all come from a single car, because there are clutch parts that can only possibly match one with a transaxle, such as the 300 cuic inch straight eight racing cars, or the 4 cylinder walking beam engine jobs. Then there is also an odd set of spiral bevel top timing gears. The vertical pinion gear is steel, but the camshaft gear is fabric-reinforced bakelite. It must have been an act of great faith and hope to use that, if it was ever used in a car. My car has gear change gate pattern transposed, as used by Buick when they started building passenger cars, though by 1923 the change pattern had been revised to that which is more familiar, with second and top gears on the right. When they started, Fred's personal car was a 6 cylinder Buick, so likely they copied what was familiar.Fred Roe warned me that it is vital to clean the circumferencial oil chanels on the circular crankshaft webs, by removing and re-fitting the soldered copper sleeves. What temperature have you found it necessary to heat the copper to, to expand them enough to slip off? My car was imported into Mexico in June 1922, which indicates that production was not smooth and rapid in the beginning. I understand it originally had a 5 passenger Bender sedan body, but that was demolished in an accident and replaced by one from a Buick. When Mr Davalos and his brother aquired the car about 1938, they discarded that, and built a body suitable for the racing they did with some success. At some time the chassis was shortened by about 3 feet. He told me that it it was timed in this lightened form in 1940 at 106mph over a flying kilometer, which I guess is pretty quick for sedan gearing.What you are able to share with us during this restoration, we will appreciate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 There is a full right side view photo of this car on eBay Car Photo Duesenberg Model A Victoria Coupe 433245 | eBay not mine, just ran across it. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdsbob Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 More photos of the car can be seen here:AUBURN CORD DUESENBERG CLUB :: View topic - 1919 Duesenberg Model A ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Thank you for that link mdsbob! Personally I like the original luggage rack, hope it gets replaced if the car is getting a restoration. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest D. Stoltz Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 The car is being restored to it's original state which includes the luggage rack and the Rudge wheels. We have found only four photos of the car in it's original state, the two I included in my first message, one of the interior and the one Bob spoke of. If there are any others out there I'd love to see them. When I get a chance I'll post some pictures of the car being restored. I still need info on the tail lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest D. Stoltz Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Here are some photos of the Duesenberg at it's current stage of restoration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff_a Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 D. Stoltz,Thank you for sharing the photos of this historic automobile with us. Model "A" Duesenbergs don't get enough press, considering how many were made!----Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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