Cooper Duesenberg at auction

[Bob Roller]

Semi accurate information means that I'm not 100% sure but have NO problems with

someone correcting me if they have a better input on anything I might say.

[K8096]

The air cleaner on single down draft carburetor equipped Duesenbergs is the same as used on DV-32 Stutz cars.  I need one actually, so if any of you guys has one laying around, let me know.      

[edinmass]

Interesting week at Pebble.............We took J-218 and did a total restoration and put it out in public for the first time in fifty years. There were a ridiculous amount of fantastic Duesenbergs on the field......too many to list........but we managed to do OK for a bunch of relative newcomers to the show circuit. (Disclosure- our restorer is one of the best!). First in class.........not too shabby, then we made it to the final three......yup, the 218 made it to the top three cars as PB. We came in seconed to the 2.9 Alfa, but I believe it’s the first time an American closed car made it to the final in about forty years. It’s as a good feeling and satisfying result after a LOT of work. I’m about to go to bed after an 19 hour day with a big smile on my face. Will post photos in a day or two. Ed

Edited August 27, 2018 by edinmass (see edit history)

[1935Packard]

5 hours ago, edinmass said:

Interesting week at Pebble.............We took J-218 and did a total restoration and put it out in public for the first time in fifty years. There were a ridiculous amount of fantastic Duesenbergs on the field......too many to list........but we managed to do OK for a bunch of back woods rubes. First in class.........not too shabby, then we made it to the final three......yup, the 218 made it to the top three cars as PB. We came in seconed to the 2.9Alpha, but I believe it’s the first time an American closed car made it to the final in about forty years. It as a good feeling and satisfying r salt after a LOT of work. I’m about to go to bed after an 19 hour day with a big smile on my face. Will post photos in a day or two. Ed

 

Congrats, Ed!  That's amazing.

[Dave Henderson]

14 hours ago, Bob Roller said:

 

 

Dave,

I don't THINK there are any valve cores on the "J"engine. .

Bob,  Chalk one up for you!  I missed the "engine" part....duh

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Ed, pls post some pics after your well earned sleep! ?

[Bob Roller]

15 hours ago, Bob Roller said:

Semi accurate information means that I'm not 100% sure but have NO problems with

someone correcting me if they have a better input on anything I might say.

K8906.

I think there is one for a Packard that is the same as the downdrafts used on the ""J".

I will try to fine the number and post it.

[60FlatTop]

I tried to search for pictures using "J-218 Pebble Beach". All that comes up is this Cooper car. Internet searches! Ugh.

 

When I first got online and made a website you could type in "Bernie Daily" and find me and my cars real easy. THEN Bernie Madoff got in the DAILY NEWS and Made off with my online identity. Then along come old Bernie Sanders and he hits the daily news, obscuring me, the original, even more.

 

I would sure like to find some detailed pictures of your car, but others have overshadowed it.

 

I have been transitioning to the name Owen Cornelius Dalton. Maybe it will help. I would like to find J-218.

Bernie

Edited August 27, 2018 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[edinmass]

 I’m at the airport and I can’t post photos. J218 is a one off Franklin Hershey designed closed car. Yup, we almost went ALL the way with a four door car. I’ll post photos and a history tomorrow when I get back home. Thanks to everyone who sent their best wishes.........there were literally a hundred of them. My best to all. Ed 

[Bob Roller]

Bernie Madoff made off with a lot of other peoples money and he is right where

he should be. In the Hotel Fed's Presidential suite. Bernie Sanders wants to bring

the failed ideas of old Europe to all of us.

I am glad these great cars are in the hands (mostly) of those who can keep them looking

and running like new. I have no grudge or animosity toward anyone who is wealthy and

never worry or care one way or the other.My wife and I have all we need and are content

with our lives.No regrets.

[maxkalba]

Very exciting to be in the crowd to see my grandpa's old SSJ sold at auction on Friday night.  Thanks to the Rev/Gooding people to let me sit in the car with my dad.  A truly great memory.  I'm happy to hear it's going back to the Bay Area where my grandpa enjoyed it.  Hope to see it again in the future! 

[Grimy]

Here's Ed maneuvering this outstanding Duesenberg into the transport after the show.  He was very tired but very HAPPY!

[alsancle]

Chris Charlton and his team ( which includes his wife and daughters)restored the car and is in my estimation one of the 3 best prewar restorers in existence.  Jonathan Sierakowski did the research that enabled the car to be accurately put back to dead nuts original.  Ed was instrumental in getting the last minute details finished and the Lehrman Collection sponsored the whole enterprise.  Tremendous effort by lots of people to get in to the winners circle.

 

This car checked every box.

 

1. Great Chassis - model J

2. One off coachbuilt body by Murphy.

3. Unseen or shown for over 40 years.

4. 100% know pedigree and history from day 1.

5. Celebrity original owner.

6. Respected current owner,

7. Perfect accurate restoration to original by the best restoration house.

 

congrats.

Edited August 28, 2018 by alsancle (see edit history)

[Xander Wildeisen]

Are the tail lights a clear/white light?

[edinmass]

Chris and his crew at Classic Car Services did ALL the work, I never laid a finger on it, I only helped out with some logistics at the end. Their entire crew of craftsmen and ladies did a fantastic job. This was their third car from the same original owner, and one of probably fifteen or twenty Model J’s they have done. One of their Duesenbergs won the Pebble Beach best of show awards. A testament to their talent, they took a four door sedan all the way to the final three. The cars that were on the field this year can only be described as fantastic,  so it says quite a bit about how the car came out. On a personal note........it’s twenty four hours later and I’m still smiling. The experience of taking a car to PB and getting that far is indescribable. 

[West Peterson]

That's Chris driving the car onto the transporter, by the way.

Question for Ed, or Bob, or Al (whoever knows the answer): I'm curious about the radiator. All other 1929s I've seen the radiator has been black. I haven't seen a close-enough photo of the radiator of this car to see what's been done, but it's certainly different than any other 1929s I've seen. Can I see a close-up shot? And, what's the difference between this radiator and the others?

Thanks.

[trimacar]

Congrats to you, Ed, and the restoration team, and Sam for funding the beyond excellent restoration.

 

I think you bring up a good point that is easy to miss, that a four door sedan got to the top echelon at Pebble!

 

I'm just sorry for you that you have to live such a life, but not everyone can be lucky, you know.....

[ericmac]

The problem I have with Duesenberg drives is they always have to end. Ed, was J 218 one of the Whittel cars? The hood doors have that look. I certainly see why this was in the top three. It is a fabulous looking car in every way. Congratulations.  No wonder you are still smiling!

[edinmass]

West......That charming and good looking gentelman driving the car is yours truly, to be honest, the only way I could tell is from the logo on my shirt, otherwise the photos of the driver are lacking detail to determine who it is. The radiator on the car is correct, no louvers, no stone guard, and painted silver as the factory did on all the early V radiators. Confirmed and approved by the experts, and by Duesenberg records. Historical accuracy continues to evolve, and less liberties are being taken during the restorations. The car is one of the seven one off cars ordered by George Whittell Jr, the famous "owner" of Lake Tahoe fame. The car is a Franklin Hershey design, with all the Whittell trademark extras & deletes. We had origional photos from Murphy to assist us to restore it as delivered. George continued to alter and customize the car with lots more extras and "BLING", but we decided to take it back as Hershey designed it. The origional renderings still exist. Jonathan Sierakowski is a expert on automobile research, so we had mutiple references to restore the car. Now......for the rest of the story..........

 

While parked out front of the Gooding & Co tent on Thursday morning for the tour, as gentleman walked up to me with a big smile and almost shouted "My old car!" ,  I politely informed him only one past owner was still alive, so he must be mistaken. His instant reply..."No, that's a Whittell Duesenberg, my brother in law owned that car for almost three decades, and I drove it to college back in the 50's." It was true, he had just moved to the Carmel area a few weeks before, and while making friends with his new neighbors, decided to have early morning coffee and come down and see the cars of display for free to the public. He had never been to the PB car show before, it was just pure chance. He has a treasure trove of old photos of him and the family with the car.....which he promised to copy for us. We were all smiling at such a strange and wonderful coincidence. 

 

Three days later on the showfield, a gentleman in his late eighties walked up and said, back in 1937 my father was a metal worker and craftsman making the fixtures for the Whittell Thunderbird Lodge and estate in Woodside Ca, and I snuck into the garage and saw George Whittell"s Duesenberg collection back when they were new. He had photos of his fathers work on his cell phone of both homes......... he had quite a smile on his face seeing the car eighty years later. He clearly remembered the car, and was able to identify it from some distance away just from the colors. It was fantastic to meet the gentleman who new the car when it was still in the original owners hands. I'll post a few photos later today. Ed

Edited September 1, 2018 by edinmass (see edit history)

[West Peterson]

You look a lot like Chris, apparently. Sorry for the mistake. It's not a bad thing, really.

Regarding the radiator. Thanks for the new information. Of course, I'm aware of the lack of louvers on the 1929 Duesenbergs. We owned J-350, and I loved that look. Just didn't know about the silver color.

(not sure why the new owner decided to cover it up with a stone guard, except that maybe he drove it enough to worry about stones)

[Bob Roller]

15 hours ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

Are the tail lights a clear/white light?

When you shift to reverse it's like having two rear facing headlights and when the brakes

are applied it says S-T-O-P in red letters.Not all J's had two back up lights but they do a

good job of balancing the rear of the car's appearance.

 

 

That radiator core may have a big screen formed to fit the "V" of the radiator.

I saw one at Auburn on a "J"that had a V shaped bar with the protective screen

in a frame matcing the contour of the radiator shell and it was good looking.

[alsancle]

1 hour ago, West Peterson said:

You look a lot like Chris, apparently. Sorry for the mistake. It's not a bad thing, really.

Regarding the radiator. Thanks for the new information. Of course, I'm aware of the lack of louvers on the 1929 Duesenbergs. We owned J-350, and I loved that look. Just didn't know about the silver color.

(not sure why the new owner decided to cover it up with a stone guard, except that maybe he drove it enough to worry about stones)

 

 

I'm sure Chris will be thrilled to learn that.   Probably 90% of the 29 cars have the louvers these days.  Shame. The exposed radiator is such a cool look.

[1937hd45]

The car looked GREAT! Sorry I didn't know it was the car you guys were with, I would have forced my way through the crowd to say hello. Bob 

[1937hd45]

I'd post more but the site will not allow me to, sorry. The door design was fantastic, did they seal well in the rain? Bob 

Edited August 29, 2018 by 1937hd45 (see edit history)

[alsancle]

I took 250 pictures over the weekend which I would be happy to share.  But it seems my new iPad defaulted to pushing them to the iCloud and deleting the local copy.  There is no way that I can see to bulk download from iCloud.  Don't ever think Apple isn't evil.  I'll post them as I get them off (one at a time).

[alsancle]

More.

[alsancle]

More

[alsancle]

More.

[alsancle]

[alsancle]

[1937hd45]

I'm 99.9% sure this is the old Don Carlson REGAL Underslung, that I saw in Kensington, CT 52 years ago, so glad to see it again, it is now living in the Netherlands. Bob 

[alsancle]

Bob,  I think it sold at auction last year for around 80k.   It won class.  About the cheapest class winner in the history of PB.

[1937hd45]

Quote

5 minutes ago, alsancle said:

Bob,  I think it sold at auction last year for around 80k.   It won class.  About the cheapest class winner in the history of PB.

 

Well bought, as they say. My Grandfather behind of the wheel of the one he chauffeured. I have to send copies of this and three others to the Netherlands. Bob 

[Xander Wildeisen]

Thanks for posting the pictures, you do not see cars like that in Idaho.

[Bob Roller]

1 hour ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

Thanks for posting the pictures, you do not see cars like that in Idaho.

 

You don't see cars like that ANYwhere very often. I have ridden in SJ397,the Rudy Bauer car at

Auburn when Bill Petit owned it.It was showing 11,000 miles on speedometer then.

The Rollston with the scooped fenders may have been the one we had in the  shop for a minor

tune up. If it's the one from Morehead,Ky.it IS the one.It had some weird wheels then as I recall,

Many thanks for all these great pictures.They represent a time long passed away and that will

hopefully never be repeated,the "Great"Depression and World War 2 and the Third Reich.

[58L-Y8]

Thanks for posting these photos, congratulations to all for championing a closed four door sedan of sterling design to the winner's circle.  Although it matters little, I find the high-contrast of the light-colored upper structure detracts from the design, that a subtle difference in hue would present better.  Obviously, Mr. Whittel would disagree.  

[edinmass]

1 hour ago, 58L-Y8 said:

Thanks for posting these photos, congratulations to all for championing a closed four door sedan of sterling design to the winner's circle.  Although it matters little, I find the high-contrast of the light-colored upper structure detracts from the design, that a subtle difference in hue would present better.  Obviously, Mr. Whittel would disagree.  

 

We matched the paint exactly, flying 2500 miles one way to get a sample from the unrestored car with 1700 miles on it. Frank Hershey and Whittell went back and fourth on all the details many, many times, and we even photoshopped the car the way Hershey wanted it. As they say about picking car colors and accessories........follow the golden rule.........the man with the gold makes the rules! There were hundreds of hours of research done on the car to get everything just right........ten thousand or more miles traveled by several people, all for an attempt at perfection. One can never achieve perfection in a motor car, but we try to do so. Our collection motto is "the relentless pursuit of perfection." Some day we will publish an article on the car, its owner, and all the details of the restoration. But first.........it's time to DRIVE IT, thats why it has wheels! Happy Motoring, Ed.

 

 

Edited August 29, 2018 by edinmass (see edit history)

[edinmass]

more....

[ericmac]

Absolutely fabulous.  I think I may be enjoying this part of the thread more than the Cooper car discussion.  It is so refreshing to see one of these cars done so well. If you need a break from driving responsibilities, I would be happy to help! Any chance the car will be at ACD this weekend?

[1937hd45]

The show car photos are great, this is the SSJ on stage. Bob