MrModelT
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Posts posted by MrModelT
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Clayton, the car I ran into was a 1929 Model J (no blower) with an all-aluminum Murphy body. As near as I can tell, that was the original body. Except for the fenders, which are painted silver, all the other shiny areas on the maroon body are polished aluminum.
The edges of the vents on the hood are aluminum. Up close, they look like chrome. Absolutely stunning.
Mr. Fafard, the man that owned the car said it drives a bit like a medium-duty truck. Boy, what a truck to drive!
If I hit that $600 million jackpot tonight, I think I'm getting one just because.
Charlie Larkin
Ah-ha! That is J-150/2176...Short wheel base, non-supercharged. Originally it was bodied as a Convertible Sedan with coachwork by Murphy, but was re-bodied as this attractive roadster by Murphy sometime in the Mid to late 1940's or in the early 1950's.
J-150's original appearance Circa 1941...
...and as it appeared in the mid to late 1980's or early 1990's...
I believe it received another full restoration within the last 10 years or so.
I agree....with that jackpot.....after a new house for the family and some things paid off.....a Duesenberg was on my list as well
Do you have any photos of the Duesy from those days? A lot of the big old classic cars saw use as work trucks once they were older and on the back row on used car lots. After all, they were huge and built on truck like frames. As someone said above, 'drove like a dump truck'. These cars became tow trucks too.
I don't....but I may be able to dig some up from the owners.
It was very common for the big older cars...mostly the pre-1920 stuff to become service vehicles....mostly on account of how they were built and the massive amount of torque they produced. A 1912 Locomobile "48" for example, may only be 48 hp......but it produced tons of stump-pulling torque, perfect for re-use as a tow truck.
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We did get some work done on the frame and will be color testing for body color soon... so that we can get the chassis in color
He will have an update for you guys in the next few days.
Clayton
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It's nice to see someone your age building. I taught junior and senior high school. I'd run into a kid here and there that might try a car or airplane, and I think there was one or two that was really into it.
And the choice....spectacular. That's a very nice kit. It really surprised me how many kids your age find the capital C "classics" so cool and wonderful. It made me happy.
This is my up close and personal with a Deusenburg, that taken ill with vapor lock on a country road near me.
Charlie Larkin
Thanks Charlie! He is a good kid and will probably be the only 12 year old Duesenberg aficionado out there by the time we're done. He says he is a BIG Duesy fan
I am also pleased that he has taken to this as much as I did at his age and enjoys it so much.That is rare...running across a Duesy like that. Do you have any more pictures of this car? I think this might just be 1930 J-366/ Chassis 2381. Originally it left the factory as a LeBaron bodied convertable sedan...but ended up with this roadster body (by an unknown coachbuilder) some time in the mid to late 1930's.
This is the car after the roadster conversion:
and sometime in the late 1950's:
Curious if it is infact the same car
You are off to a great start!
I have driven and worked on a number of Duesenbergs. They are one of the few Capital "C" Classics that really run and drive as well as they look like they should. I will watch this build with great interest!
Eric
They are impressive, but a few of the people I know that have driven, owned and worked on them all seem to say "They drive like an old Dump truck"
Having never worked on or driven one myself (something I would love to do at least once)...I can only assume that for a luxury car of that price...it should have a nice ride and handling.
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Thank you kindly guys! Have been away from the bench long enough wasn't sure if something better had come along. I haven't done allot of cutting and altering, but this kit bash will require a fare amount of it.
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Please post questions in the question and answer section.
Sorry...still getting used to where everything goes.
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Hi All!
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I have been out of the hobby for about 10 years...so I am a bit behind on the times.
While my 12 year old (Duesy Kid) is building his '34 Duesenberg, I am going to be building a custom '35 Duesenberg Coupe along side him. To do this, I am going to kit bash two kits together: Jo-Han's '35 Mercedes "Roadster Limousine" and Monogram's '34 Duesenberg SJ Town Car.
There will be quite a bit of "body surgery" on this build...so what is the best body filler on the market today for filling seams, splits and alterations?
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Andrew, I have seen your other builds and you seem to have some real talent. So I have a few pointers based on your pics here.
Assemble the engine halves before painting. That way you can clean up any seams.
Are you in a well ventilated area? You seem to be air brushing with the part right under your nose. Paint and thinner fumes are dangerous. You should be using a air-purifying mask at the very least. Safety first.
That is partially my fault as his teacher
...it was late when we started and after a full day.....that went right out the of my mind until he started painting. We do have some touch up work to do yet, so we will join the block halfs and clean everything up before our touch up work.Yes, our garage is well ventilated, but you make a good point....Safety first is best. I am in the process of building a small, sealed paint booth for us to use that will be ventilated correctly.
When I was a kid....there was a big window above my Dad's workbench.....so I didn't worry about it much
great start, nice pics!
i actually had the privilige of working on, and then riding in a duesy dual cowl phaeton back in the 90`s. it was a beautiful car, but the front fender got a tiny ding in it, and i was working for a buddy of mine who had a small bodyshop, and just our luck one of his neighbors rents storage space for classic cras, plus he owns a few. the duesy was one he didnt own, i think back then it was worth a million bucks, but we fixed the tiny ding in the fender, and the guy took us for a ride.....it was very cool.
ive been thinking about building something classic like this, i dont have anything like it in my collection....
keep up the good work
cheers
bryan
They are impressive....and it is a rare opportunity to study or work on one these days, so this was a great thing for Andrew and I. The Duesy we visited was owned by a shipyard worker in the 1940's and 1950's and used as his work vehicle. He built large racks on top to carry steel stock, carried tools in the back seat and had a large trailer for tools and his welders....
It looks allot better now.
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Andrew, those sure look a lot better than the ones I did when I was 12! Then again, you have an excellent guide there with your stepdad.
Clayton, I was going to ask if you were the same MrModelT from the Hamb, but reading here I am pretty sure that you indeed are. I rarely post over there, but I've followed your T saga since about a week or so after you started posting. It's my favorite car on the hamb. I absolutely love it, and have thoroughly enjoyed watching it evolve over the years.
So, a huge welcome to both of ya!
Thank you kindly for the welcome
I am indeed one and the same
It has been a fun ride and will continue to be so for quite some time....I have plenty more planned for it I am actually building a 1/25th scale replica of my T. I will put a build thread for it later.Andrew is a bright kid and has taken to this hobby extremely well and has made large strides in skill learing in a VERY short amount of time.
Hopefully tonight we will start his build thread for the '34 Duesenberg
Here a few pics of my T...
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What Pat said... I have had one friend back home who has sent many parts to them to do and they have turned out great. I would say you would be better off to take some of the parts off the tree and clean up before sending out.
Thanks guys! Checked them out...looks like they do great work and they are well priced!
As for cleaning them up...the entire tree needs to be replated, so I would think keeping them all on the tree would be the most efficent, right? I will certainly do clean up on them before sending them out and I have a few other loose parts that need plating that were not originally that should have been.
What do I need to do for prep? Do I need to strip them?
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Hi All!
New-er here to the Forum and have a question about plated parts.
My 12 year old stepson and I are building the Monogram 1934 Duesenberg Weymann Torpedo Pheaton that he wanting to build to win Best of Show at the next Portland Roadster Show S.A.B.A contast. The kit I found for him is an original 1963 issue and the plating on plated parts tree is awful. It it is very dull and fogged....not usable at all for a clean build.
Does anybody know of a good place to send them for re-palting?
Clayton - "Mr. Model T"
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Outstanding builds!
Congratulations to Andrew ... and to step-dad! Thanks for bringing Andrew into a hobby that is far more productive than playing video games!
That was certainly one of the reasons
My Dad got me going on Models whyen I was 6...and I have been building ever sense. Now I get to do the same and pass it to him. -
Best. WIP. Ever.
I'm with Casey........Good Lord
.....I am TRULY......SPEECHLESS. A true master work! -
Impressive....most impressive! Give me hope of re-bodying my 1/16th scale Phantom II Continental and build my Jo-Han/Monogram Duesenberg Coupe!
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Here are a few of the engine and interior on the '51. He wants to do little more detail work yet, but we may save it for the Duesenberg
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I would just contact Andy Martin (who owns Aardvark) and ask him about the wheels. As for lacing the wheels I don't know anyone who makes them. KennB has a tread on this forum about how to do it. He makes it look easy but...I know better. I totally agree about the JoHan Cadillacs and Mercedes. Too bad they never did other Classics! Let me know if I can do more to help.
Eric
I will do just that!
I will also look into the wire wheels.J-526/2554 was originally built with the disc wheel covers, but (as most Duesenbergs have) it lost it's covers and got the chrome wires some time in the late '50s or early '60s. The disc wheels would make the most accurate look.
I am really sorry Jo-Han didn't make more in their "Gold Cup Classic Series"....a Duesenberg or two, Chrysler Imperial, Model L or K Lincoln, V-12 Pierce-Arrow or an early '30s Packard perhaps? I feel the Jo-Han "Gold Cup Classics" were the most superior 1/25th scale Classic kits available with detail and accuracy that rival many large scale 1/16 and 1/12th scale kits....for a 1/25th scale kit at least. Their detail even rivals some of the more recent Tamiya kits I have seen....and they are almost 40 years old!
The early flat box versions from the 1960's are the most superior....each one is packed a specific way, color instructions, tire and white wall holders, small trophy. I have two V-16 Sport Pheatons in my collection and are both unbuilt (one is still factory sealed, the other was opened but completely intact) and I will keep them that way....just because of time and pride they took in making them and as an example of their top shelf production.
Anyway...Didn't mean to ramble. I don't want to hi-jack Andrew's thread
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I have seen a 1:1 Duesenberg Torpedo Phaeton in that color scheme and you are right, it was slick. I have built the kit in question several times and it is very nice. I couple words of advice though. Make sure the wheels are pointed in the same direction and that they are strait up and down. That can be a bit of a challenge with this kit. Also, I think the model begs for seperate window cranks and door handles to dress up the interior and maybe a better set of gauge faces. One thing that is a real detraction is the set of wire wheels. First of all I think a Duesenberg Torpedo Phaeton should have a set of solid disc wheels (not all of them do but they sure look good that way). You can get a set of discs from Aardvark Models and they are very nice. Alternately, if you prefer the look of wire wheels you might think about either shaving down the spokes of the kit wheels and redoing them with Alclad or really shooting for the moon with a set of hand laced wires. In any case, I welcome you to the hobby and to the small group of us who build Duesenbergs. It is really nice to have a young builder who likes the classics! Have fun.
Eric
I agree. I have built the Rollston bodied roadster and the Town Car in the past and it was always a trick getting the wheels to line up right. I agree that the wire wheels have some issues that need sorting out. I looked up Ardvark Models, but couldn't find any referrence to disc wheel kits for the Duesenbergs...am I looking in the wrong place? As for wire wheels, do you have a lead on a good manufacturer?
I love the Duesy kits, but the Jo-Han V-16 Cadillacs are my favorite. I have always felt Jo-Han's "Classic" kits were superior to anything on the market in detail, accuracy and quality....just the entire "Frame-Pak" packaging is above and beyond....but I digress
Thank you for the pointers and I know Andrew will appreciate any info, leads or pointers!
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Welcome to both Andrew and Clayton! It's a great hobby and even more fun when you can do it together. This is a nice board to participate on.
Thank you kindly! I have so many happy memories building with my Dad, I get the same enjoyment and happy memories helping Andrew.
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Welcome, young man!
Nice to see a guy like you who is interested in the "classics". I've always considered Duesenbergs as America's first Muscle car.
Looking forward to seeing more of your work!
I like the fact the he appreciates the great "Classics" as well. The Duesenberg was acctually his choice. As we were leaving the awards ceremony, he turns to me and says "Ya know.....all the other kids built muscle cars...the same old stuff. If I'm gonna win Best of Show...I need to build something impressive and unique."
"Like what?" I ask..
"How about a Duesenberg?"
We picked up the Monogram '34 Town Car, but it wasn't enough of a statement.....so I hunted this original Monogram 1963 issues kit of the 1934 Weymann-LaGrande bodied Torpedo Pheaton J-526 (chassis # 2554). Weymann-America had built 2 "Brunn" Torpedo Pheatons before closing down in 1932 and when Duesenberg wanted 2 more...they contacted Bert Walker of the A.H. Walker Co. Walker leased Weymann's old factory and many former employees to build J-526/ Chassis #2554 and J-548/ Chassis #2583.
It will get a color update as the tan coachwork and black top don't leave much to the imagination. I believe Andrew picked a nice deep Navy blue color with red leather interior/tan top. I think his color choice is slick.
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Again, I did not mean my comment as a criticism, that 51 is awesome! Any engine and chassis pics?
No offense taken!
We both realized it had been missed as we were unpacking it for judging, lol!I believe we can take a few chassis/engine shots and post them for you guys.
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Wow! My builds at 12 were full of glue blobs and fingerprints. Awesome job on these.
Same here
First kit I built by myself was the AMT '33 Willys Gasser....it was a disaster: No paint, no decals and glue EVERYWHERE. I didn't know what to expect from Andrew with his first paint job....but was thoroughly impressed with his work on both the Kurtis and the Chevy.We had some mistakes and a run, but with some more practice and coaching (and some repair work help from me) he made a nice looking car out of that Chevy.
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Beautiful 51! One suggestion, foil the front emblem.
That is the one thing we forgot.....he noticed on the way to the contest. Might be why he got 3rd
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Andrew has a real knack for this and is only getting better.
I'm the Stepdad in question and the one responsible for getting him sucked into this hobby
He is a very bright kid with LOTS of talent...and plenty to learn as well. The Kurtis was (as he mentioned) his first attempt. I had talked about getting him a starter kit, and a friend of mine bought him that one as a birthday gift. When it came time for paint, I gave him the pointers, let him practice then turned him loose on the Kurtis...assuming what we would probably end up with exactly what one would expect for a kid's first model. When he actually put paint to plastic I was blown away by the perfect Yellow coat that he applied...as if he had been painting for years. He then turned to me and asked "Is this good?" A few weeks ago, we practiced using the air-brush and he did great!...gave hima box of old kit bodies and turned him loose after we practiced mixing paint and practiced brush control. He nailed that too.
My dad got me into model building when I was little and know I can pass it on to him.
He and I are excited to get rolling on the big Duesenberg
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Andrew has a real knack for this and is only getting better.
I'm the Stepdad in question and the one responsible for getting him sucked into this hobby
He is a very bright kid with LOTS of talent...and plenty to learn as well. The Kurtis was (as he mentioned) his first attempt. I had talked about getting him a starter kit, and a friend of mine bought him that one as a birthday gift. When it came time for paint, I gave him the pointer, let him practice then turned him loose on the Kurtis...assuming what we would probably end up with exactly what one would expect for a kid's first model. When he actually put paint to plastic I was blown away by the perfect Yellow coat that he applied...as if he had been painting for years. He then turned to me and asked "Is this good?" A few weeks ago, we practiced using the air-brush and he did great!...gave hima box of old kit bodies and turned him loose after we practiced mixing paint and practiced brush control. He nailed that too.
My dad got me into model building when I was little and know I can pass it on to him.
He and I are excited to get rolling on the big Duesenberg
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Great work Andrew!
I really enjoy our time on the hobby bench together and teaching you the tricks and skills to build and nicely built kit. You have learned a bunch and continue to improve greatly.
The Duesenberg will certainly be a fun project and you will hit it out of the park for sure! Can't wait to get started!
Clayton
...it was late when we started and after a full day.....that went right out the of my mind until he started painting. We do have some touch up work to do yet, so we will join the block halfs and clean everything up before our touch up work.
.....I am TRULY......SPEECHLESS. A true master work! 
DuesyKid builds his '34 Duesenberg
in WIP: Model Cars
Posted
I think you are right. I did some more digging after I posted this and have to agree. These bodies do have a more a Derham look and feel then Murphy. I guess the referrences I have are a bit incorrect.
I really want Fred Roe's book and need to find it for this project.....just got to hunt a copy down i guess
I will certainly have pictures of the chassis very soon for all of his loyal followers
We didn't get in paint as planned this weekend, but do have most of the chassis assembled and ready for paint...just waiting for Andrew to finalize his color choice 