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J-426/2452: Trying to complete the history of my Grandfather's Duesenberg
- J426
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I would love to ride in a Model J Duesenberg one day...just to feel what it was like. I am in Lake Elsinore, California and would love to hear back from anyone if that is even a remote possibility. I know Jay Leno has a bunch about 60 miles away...LOL. I was fortunate to meet him at Pebble Beach in 2015 when I was there for the historic kustom Mercury gathering, put on by Ken Gross. I caught Jay Leno in the unloading lot while he was looking at a few Duesenbergs and showed him pictures of my grandfather's car on my phone and told him what I knew about it. He asked if it was still around and that was about it...got a cool picture with him and had him sign my map to the parking area, upside-down. I didn't see him at the Concours afterwards, but as I was driving home, here comes Jay, flying onto the freeway in his Bentley, just north of LA.
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- J426
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History of Rumplik's Garage, where our Duesenberg was bought:
www.eastislip.org/Pages/Memory%20Lane/Rumplik/rumplik.htm
ENJOY!
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- Joe Holderman
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Future Cord owner.
Messenger Link: m.me/hotrodjoe
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- J426
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I started with a stock '50 Ford Tudor Sedan and chopped it six and a half inches in the front and about eight in the rear. Tail lights are '53 Pontiac set inside '52 Ford bezels that were blended into the stock windsplits- a nod to the Barris-built Chuck DeWitt '50 Ford. Grill is narrowed '54 Ford with '51 end bullets set inside of a modified and molded '50 Merc grill shell. Side trim is NOS '54 Dodge that I modified to fit the Ford body.
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- J426
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Since my last post, I have spoken with Bill Dreist on the phone and had a number of back and forth letters that shared some exciting information and pictures. My friend Megan has also put me in touch with pictures of Bill's Duesenberg at the ACD meets. I hope to attend next year for the celebration of the Model J.
Randy Ema was very graceful to give my parents and me a wonderful tour of his shop in Orange and he had some fascinating letters my grandfather wrote about the Duesenberg as well as old repair invoices from work by Jim Hoe. My dad said he remembers going to Jim Hoe's shop as a kid and visiting for family dinners during the holidays. He recalled doing over 100 mph in a Duesenberg touring car (not sure exactly which one) and having a blowout...which ended safely, apparently.
When I have some more time, I will share more detailed information.
drive.google.com/open?id=1cuDg3i5mZU_SF7q9yciSODIjB2Op89bU
drive.google.com/open?id=1RowPSgznO2Oy1iS-2YQrcjcNZUI-l6mW
drive.google.com/open?id=1ZAU54oa0od95mGDS2k6WQ_hPakvfE2pn
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- J426
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I was wondering if I should join the club- I am extremely proud to be able to say my grandfather owned a Duesenberg. Our grandfathers definitely had great taste in cars!
Rob Radcliffe
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- mikespeed35
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CORDiallyMike
Mike Huffman
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- J426
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Please correct me on any information regarding this car or J-426/2452
The red and silver car is J-237/2257 owned by Bill Dreist. This car has the rear section of my grandfather's J-426/2452.
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- J426
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The dark picture below shows the car as it looked when my grandfather bought it- the lighter (tan) top was the new top. The picture with the dark top shows the seam where the open chauffeur's compartment would come off.
My grandfather also found a Duesenberg trunk and added it to the car, thinking the original was missing. It is my belief that the Derham body did not originally have a trunk as part of its design...
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- J426
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Hello everyone!
I am new to this forum, but not new to growing up seeing and hearing about the mighty Duesenberg. Although I never met my grandfather nor saw his Duesenberg in person, my dad has shared many fond memories about the car.
1929 Duesenberg Model J Derham Town Car J-426/2452 LWB
On May 23, 1947, my grandfather, Robert A. Radcliffe of Hempstead, New York bought a Duesenberg from Rumplik's Garage in East Islip, New York for the sum of $800 cash. This car was J-426/2452. I have NY registration receipts and the "car invoice" from Rumplik's Garage to this day. The NY registrations end in 1951, and that is when my dad believes my grandfather sold it. Not long after, it was hit by a logging truck in the Pocono Mountains in NY (or so the story goes...).
About six years ago, I reached out to Chris Summers and he had some very interesting information. Apparently, a portion of the body, the engine, and the chassis were all salvaged. The chassis (2452) was repaired and sold to a buyer in Texas. The engine was in MD in the 1970s. The rear half of the body was restored by Bill Dreist of MI and used on J-237/2257. Summers told me it had been incorporated with the front half of that car's original Willoughby Berline body. I have now seen pictures of this car as it exists today, thanks to Summers. I found Bill Dreist's contact info online but have not been able to reach him by phone yet.
We have always known the original owner was Antonio Chopitea of Lima, Peru. I have now learned that Antonio and his brothers had a slew of Duesenbergs, both new and used, as well as custom Packards. They had cars stashed all over their properties in South America and the eastern United States. I have found pictures of Antonio and his Packards and learned of the other Duesenbergs that have been confirmed of his ownership.
What we would like to know is if J-426 was a 1929 or 1932 (which is what the NY registration and Rumplik's receipt state). We think it was a 1929 that went to Lima, Peru until it was brought to NYC in 1932. My dad said his father always said the car spent time in South America when it was brand-new.
I recently learned that Derham built a "sister car" (if you will) to J-426, which is J-183/2201. I would like to know if it was built at the same time as J-426, as the bodies are very similar, if not identical. I have compared it to pictures of my grandfather's car. The J-183 car has quite a history as it became Jim Hoe's racer after its 1933 wreck...then went on to receive a beautiful restoration with a replicated Murphy touring body.
I would like to share the pictures of when my grandfather owned J-426/2452 from 1947-'51.
Any possible information that we do not know is greatly appreciated! I would also like to get in touch with Bill Dreist and Randy Ema to see what they can share about the car.
Thank you,
Robert A. Radcliffe III
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