video: 1931 Duesenberg Model J1 Hidden for 55 Years!

[West Peterson]

1 hour ago, edinmass said:

 

Then it was Bob Lee's private collection. It's the only other big collection in Reno.

 

He said he saw it when he was a kid.

1. The Bob Lee collection is not that old, relatively,

2. I doubt Bob Lee had a single room full of Duesenbergs, though I never was there. I never heard that he had many Duesenbergs.

3. HARDLY ANYONE was able to get in to see the Bob Lee collection.

 

My guess is that it probably WAS part of the Harrah collection. It was held in many buildiings.

[George K]

On 2/22/2023 at 7:33 AM, edinmass said:

Hardly "unrestored" or original , while it's been modified to an extent. While it appears to be a nice starting point, you're 800-1.1 to have it ready for Pebble or any other show.......and three or more years from now with todays restorations. It's a disappearing top car..........so the actual value decent. Putting the fenders back correct, and undoing all the 60's hack work will be very expensive. Also......if it's numbers matching or not will affect the value 20/30 percent.That said, I wouldn't be embarrassed to own it.  The car has obviously been known to J collectors for a long time. Often these type of sleeping cars have well known restorers/dealers/club members brokering and chasing the car for years. Video's like these are often made to hype a car before it's offered publicly for sale.........and that's fine because if I found it I would do the same thing. Only thing for certain, Randy knows the car.......and we will hear more of this car soon. 

Where is Randy Emma’s  long awaited book. He and Joe Freeman where going to publish the last word on these cars. Suppose it’s not self serving enough to publish. He must come down from the mountain with his tablets for just the chosen few.

[60FlatTop]

In 1968 when the car was claimed to have been parked the market of the time would have made it about a $10,000 car. That's a pretty good investment to leave idle in the garage.

 

Beginning in the early 1970's the popularity of the ACD cars brought some popular repop kits out. I know I was studying the ads for the $9,995 Auburn Speedster that was a standard ad in Hemmings every month. And Elite Motorcars in Indianapolis had the premier version. Vintage reproductions of that era are still bringing good prices.

 

I know of a few cars that have been sitting benevolently neglected (heated garage- I got a chuckle out of the old steam radiator on the wall). They are quite similar and have a veiled history of semi-secrecy. They are known to a small core group and when the "great barn find shows up" the comment it "Oh, you bought THAT car".

 

There are always stories. Forty years ago a friend of mine inherited a Rolls-Royce from a shirttail relative. In a couple of weeks it needed a starter. At $1500 in 1980 money he quickly reverted to his native language, hand gestures, and flicking his fingers across his chin. Don't rule out a similar story with this Duesenberg.

 

I have always enjoyed the undocumented history of the hobby, much more entertaining that one would expect. Some people thing those old car guys ain't right.

 

Spring will be here soon. There will be piles of clutter at the roadside for pick up. Every time I see a set of golf clubs in those piles I am glad I am into cars. Just image if some golf widow had that Duesenberg.

Edited February 23, 2023 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[edinmass]

3 hours ago, West Peterson said:

He said he saw it when he was a kid.

1. The Bob Lee collection is not that old, relatively,

2. I doubt Bob Lee had a single room full of Duesenbergs, though I never was there. I never heard that he had many Duesenbergs.

3. HARDLY ANYONE was able to get in to see the Bob Lee collection.

 

My guess is that it probably WAS part of the Harrah collection. It was held in many buildiings.

 

This was the line up at Bill's place in Reno.

 

Edited February 23, 2023 by edinmass (see edit history)

[West Peterson]

2 minutes ago, edinmass said:

 

This was the line up at Bill's place in Reno.

Talk about sensory overload. By the time you get to the sixth Duesenberg, you're thinking "don't they have anything else?" In other words, this many Duesenbergs in one place makes them look commonplace and not scarce. That is why there is soooo much concern over every stick, bracket and screw that's been replaced, making the difference of seeing one sold for $1 million vs $5 million, on two cars that look like they're exactly the same.

As you mention, the car in the OP could very well end up being one of those $5 million cars, depending on which bits and pieces have to be replaced.

[trimacar]

2 hours ago, West Peterson said:

Talk about sensory overload.

That was a problem at Harrahs.  So many cars, so close together, you'd see one four or five cars down the row and go look at it, passing by gems of cars.  It was just too much to take in.

 

There was a Model T along the wall in the main building, where one could sit and have picture taken.  I stood in the back seat and took seven pictures, making sure to overlap them, had no panoramic camera then.  The wall to the left is the same wall as to the right.  Note the D's to the right. Picture taken in 1984.  On this visit I was able to get in the back parts room and purchase a large pile of Franklin Model G parts.

 

I recently had the picture digitally merged and cleaned, this is a poor quality copy of it but all I wish to put on internet.

Edited February 23, 2023 by trimacar (see edit history)

[Charles Hipp]

The Long wheel base Murphy Convt. Coupes differed from the Short wheel base cars with the addition of an accessory door (golf bag) on the right side. A nice feature to have.

Mr. Pray did say that the fender skirts were spot welded on, and leaded over. This is not as bad as it looks, the bead maybe still there. I uploaded a LWB and SWB right side photos, the pray car had no accessory door.

[Charles Hipp]

By the mid-thirties, skirted fenders were all the rage to hide the lower mechanicals, here is a Bowman and Schwartz modified Murphy Convt. Coupe, heavily modified and skirted, nice car.

[edinmass]

If most of the fenders are still there, thats a huge plus. Certainly worth spending five times the money on original tin than installing newly manufactured fenders. It's all in the details today, the more the car is as it was from the factory, the more money at the end. Certainly is a great project for the right owner. Now we get to the factory color & wheel treatment comments...........only thing certain........we will see it sooner than later.

 

[edinmass]

Here is SJN-564. A Rollston body, and an entirely new sheet design done for the last ten cars. They carry their coachwork much better than the modified B&S cars, in my humble opinion. Hiding the battery and tool box really makes a huge difference. 

 

 

[Charles Hipp]

Sorry, the name should be Bohman and Schwartz?

[1937hd45]

22 minutes ago, Charles Hipp said:

Sorry, the name should be Bohman and Schwartz?

Charlie, Welcome to the AACA Forum, hope you are well and all your cars are running, missed seeing you at Hershey. Bob