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Duesenberg powered '34 Ford

  • Bob Roller
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11 Nov 2013 13:23 #26272 by Bob Roller
Replied by Bob Roller on topic Sterkin hot rod
I remember reading the article in the 50's about this car.I may still have the Motorsport Magazine here.
Reviving old memories of days long past and will never return.Nostalgia at its best.

Bob Roller

Bob Roller

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  • Jonathan Richards
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10 Nov 2013 16:35 #26266 by Jonathan Richards
Replied by Jonathan Richards on topic INATTENTIVE
Sorry , didn't realize I was viewing a post on a thread of two pages. Chris
Summers provided the information I was interested in having. Old age is
catching up with me I am afraid. Thanks for the informative discussion of
one of the lesser known areas of Duesenberg lore. Richards in Iowa

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  • Steve Derus
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10 Nov 2013 04:27 #26264 by Steve Derus
Replied by Steve Derus on topic Duesenberg powered '34 Ford
Jonathan,

Refer back to the beginning of this thread and you'll find a post by Chris Summers that details the numbers of the hot rod Duesenbergs. The car in the article above is not the Geronimo car.

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  • Jonathan Richards
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10 Nov 2013 03:25 #26262 by Jonathan Richards
Replied by Jonathan Richards on topic Duesenberg J engine powered 34 Ford
Is this the machine now referred to as "Geronimo" ?? which has I believe put in an appearance at the ACD Club Reunion a time or two. Duesenberg
cognoscente please enlighten us. Also, what is the J number of the engine on this vehicle, and of Geronimo if they are different vehicles. Thanks , Richards in Iowa
P.S.- The body of the vehicle shown in the Motorsport article appears to be
a Model A Ford body rather than a 1934 Ford. What is the true story on this
rig? jr

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  • Steve Derus
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09 Nov 2013 00:38 #26255 by Steve Derus
Replied by Steve Derus on topic Duesenberg powered '34 Ford
Interesting reading. You gotta hand it to the guy for having the guts to be different.

I remember that car from my youth. I saw it on several occasions in the early 1950's. It had multiple carbs as described in the article, but in the magazine photo its only got a single carb. My dad had a casual friendship with Sterkin and tried unsuccessfully to buy the car just to get the engine, but Sterkin did sell some parts to him.

I had no idea that Sterkin had driven the car at El Mirage. Pretty impressive to say the least.

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08 Nov 2013 22:59 #26254 by Joel
Replied by Joel on topic Duesenberg powered '34 Ford
I recently purchased a copy of the July 1951 Motorsport Magazine, containing an article about the Sterkin Duesy Hot Rod. Scanned in here for your veiwing pleasure:








Joel Nystrom
1929 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Coupe
[img

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  • bill powell
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04 Jul 2007 15:15 #7403 by bill powell
Replied by bill powell on topic Duesenberg powered '34 Ford
Last time I saw that car was at a car show in Indianapolis, in 1964. I remembered it being green at the time. Maybe not.

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04 Jul 2007 14:39 #7401 by acdclubadmin
Replied by acdclubadmin on topic Re: duesenberg powered ford

mason maynard wrote: hot rod magazine did a good article on this car in the 1960s. it was nicely done from the beginning. you can access old hot rod magazines on their website.


Please post a link to this article. Thanks.

Bill Hummel - Webmaster - ACD Club

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  • mason maynard
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04 Jul 2007 14:16 #7400 by mason maynard
Replied by mason maynard on topic duesenberg powered ford
hot rod magazine did a good article on this car in the 1960s. it was nicely done from the beginning. you can access old hot rod magazines on their website.

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  • Bill Hummel
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19 Jun 2007 04:12 #7250 by Bill Hummel
Replied by Bill Hummel on topic Duesenberg powered '34 Ford

steve derus wrote: I found the info I was looking for.

If someone can tell me how to include the scanned image I will be glad to do so.

Steve Derus



Full instructions are in the PICTURE GALLERY.

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  • Steve Derus
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19 Jun 2007 03:33 #7249 by Steve Derus
Replied by Steve Derus on topic Duesenberg powered '34 Ford
I found the info I was looking for.

The first car I referred to in my earlier post was in fact J-113 and it was owned in the 50's by a fellow named Al Sterkin of Pacific Palisades California. I have scanned an image of a correspondence I have in my posession, from ACD Historian Ray Wolff to Sterkin dated June 1962, asking about the disposition of the car, and the reply from Sterkin that the car was sold to "Space Associates, a travel agency near the LA Airport", and Nate Derus (my dad) bought some extra parts that were available.


If someone can tell me how to include the scanned image I will be glad to do so.

Steve Derus

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  • West Peterson
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01 May 2007 14:39 #6947 by West Peterson
Replied by West Peterson on topic Duesenberg powered '34 Ford
There's a 1932 Packard convertible coupe in the Pacific Northwest that has a Duesenberg J engine in it. It's nicknamed Packenberg.

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27 Feb 2007 18:48 #6462 by Joel
Replied by Joel on topic Duesenberg powered '34 Ford
I found some more on the Geronimo Hot Rod.



Some info that I found online, not my words:

Those are 4 Stromberg "48" s, the next size larger than a "97" Don't quote me on this. I think the "48" has 1 1/32 venturie vs a "97" 31/32. This log manifold was fabricated by Hal ( passed away in 2003) & Bill Ulrich of Evanston, ILL. This one of 7 or 8 manifolds the Ulrich bros. made for the hot rod that they built in the late 1940's... This paticular one, I do believe it was built for a subsequent owner, Cameron Peck, one of the greatest car collectors in the post war era... He, Cameron Peck, want a low rpm set up for city driving in the Chicago area in the early 50's. Note : the steering column is from a Springfield, Mass built Roll's Phantom , hence the left hand drive.
Bret M
PS The four pots, manifold, & linkage were restored TIm Pedergrass.

PPS. The Ulrich bros. work for a time as mechanics for Cameron Peck while he was amassing his car collection. Peck purchased one of Bugatti Royals. I do believe it was the yellow & black "Berline de Voyage''. Also the car was in posession of the Bugatti family at the time of purchase... The car was shipped to Boston,during the winter, were the Ulrich bros, team drove it to Chicago. I asked Hal about its driving impression." Smooth power, fast, & one negative .That huge straight eight puttting out lots of btus, but none of it for the driver. Only the passenger compartment got the heat." Hal. as per conversation with Hal Sept. 2001.

The " Ulrich Hot Rod" was raced at Studebaker Proving Grounds in a road course sanctioned by SCCA.

Joel Nystrom
1929 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Coupe
[img

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25 Feb 2007 03:47 #6453 by Joel
Replied by Joel on topic Duesenberg powered '34 Ford
That Marmon is certainly interesting. It looks like the center 6 cylinders on each side share an exhaust port with their neighbor, but the end cylinders get their own port. It sure makes for a neet sound. I love the sound of it in the video, for sure not a stock cam!

Greg, many parts for the J engine are being reproduced check out www.classicandexotic.com

Joel Nystrom
1929 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Coupe
[img

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  • Greg Riley
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24 Feb 2007 22:25 #6452 by Greg Riley
Replied by Greg Riley on topic Slightly off topic...
The way I heard about this car was through Jack Bowser. He is working on a street rod based on a 16 cylinder Marmon engine. I contacted him to see if I could do an ariticle and Jack said he was freinds with the guys when they built the Duesenberg powered car and this was the inspiration for his Forman.

His car is based on original Marmon V-16 engine components updated to included electronic fuel injection and modern electronics.

His web site is: www.jackbowser.com/

I know most guys on this forum aren't big street rod fans. However, this car is so unusual that I think anyone can appreciate it.

With Duesenberg prices as they are and as easy as it is to reverse engineer things today I'm surprised that someone hasn't hit upon the idea of making new Model J engine components. I suppose it is only a matter of time!

Does anyone have video of the Duesenberg powered rods?

You can also see a video of Jack's car on You Tube:


What a sound!


Greg Riley

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  • Steve Derus
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24 Feb 2007 05:55 #6446 by Steve Derus
Replied by Steve Derus on topic Duesenberg powered '34 Ford
I just looked at the photo that Joel posted, and if that is indeed the car I saw 50 years ago, its changed for the better. The car I saw didn't have a Duesenberg radiator shell. I also think it may have had a vee windshield but I could be wrong about that. Those stromberg carbs in the photo are exactly what I remember but I still would be surprised if that's the same car.
I know I have something in my files about the car, if not a photo then at least the name of the fellow who owned it.

Steve

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  • Steve Derus
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24 Feb 2007 05:30 #6445 by Steve Derus
Replied by Steve Derus on topic Duesey hot rods
I can vaguely remember two cars that I personally saw in Southern California during the 1950's . One was on a roadster chassis, and what stands out in my memory was that it had a triple downdraft carb setup, possibly Stromberg 97's. I saw that car on more than one occasion. Except for that wonderful engine, this car was pretty homely. I might have a picture of it someplace. I think it may have been the subject of an article in a hot rod magazine also. The owner at the time as I recall was a guy named Sterken or Sterkel. My dad tried unsuccessfully several times to buy the car just to get the engine. I wouldn't be surprised if Randy Ema has more accurate details on this car. Or maybe one of the long -time California Duesey enthusiasts, someone like Al Frankel or Bill Snyder, might have some information on that car.

The other car was also a roadster bodied hot rod but I only saw it once at night. All that I can remember is that it had cut down doors like an MG. I think it belonged to a fellow who also owned another Model J. It was for sale but dad passed it up saying it was too much of a chop job. Of course this was back in the days when one bought Model J's for as little as $600.00.

Steve Derus

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  • Mike Dube
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23 Feb 2007 23:10 #6442 by Mike Dube
Replied by Mike Dube on topic Duesenberg powered '34 Ford
It was at Auburn a couple of years back. I snapped a couple of bad low light photos of it in one of Kruse' buildings out at the auction site. I'll see about scaring one up. It is pictured in Fred Roe's book.

Known as Geronimo, it looks sort of like a 'Duece' roadster with an extra long nose. Roe's picture shows it with a louvered hood installed, but the hood was off when I saw it.

Mike
8-100A

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23 Feb 2007 23:07 #6441 by Joel
Replied by Joel on topic Duesenberg powered '34 Ford
I saw this one in the ACD museum in '01. I'm not sure if it is the one you are refering to. I think they called it "Jeronimo"
It is a pretty cool hot rod, I bet it really flew!


Joel Nystrom
1929 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Coupe
[img

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  • Chris Summers
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23 Feb 2007 23:03 #6440 by Chris Summers
Replied by Chris Summers on topic Duesenberg powered '34 Ford
Engine J-322 came from a Derham Sedan. The earliest knowledge I have of it in hot rod form was in the 1950s, when it was owned by Hall Ullrich, an employee of Chicago collector D. Cameron Peck.

Leo Gephardt sold the hot rod to Jim Southard at Auburn, according to the No. 7 1974 newsletter. There's a photo of the car on p. 264 of Roe's book.

OTHER HOT RODS:

J-113, originally from a Holbrook Town Cabriolet, was left on the cut-down frame and given an Auburn dual-ratio rear axle in California in 1942. The same engine was moved to a '35-'36 Dodge chassis a year or two later and used with various transmissions, including a Nash Ambassador 3-speed with overdrive and 1931 Packard 4-speed, with specially cut ratios for the rear ends. I think that this engine is in the Newport-designed wood-bodied car built for John North III, though I may be wrong. Appears on p. 129 of Roe with original body and p. 264 as the hot rod.

J-333 is in the "Kollins LaGrande" car, on a modified Packard chassis. The original Judkins Coupe from which it was removed has been restored with another engine, J-160, by Alfred Ferrara.

A LaGrande coupe donated its chassis, 2432, to Indianapolis Ford dealer W. Jim Southard's modern-styled convertible in the 1940s. He spent two years and several thousand dollars rebuilding the chassis and adding the body. Photos on p. 109 of Elbert and 180 of Roe.

Not really a hot rod but a custom is J-462/2522, originally a Murphy Beverly Sedan and later rebodied as a Buick Skylark-style convertible with cow horns on the grille. It has been known for years as the "Tom Mix Duesenberg" but there is no documentation. (Mix had better taste.)

Any others anybody knows of?

Chris Summers
ACD Club
CCCA
H.H. Franklin Club

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

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  • Greg Riley
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23 Feb 2007 20:16 #6439 by Greg Riley
Duesenberg powered '34 Ford was created by Greg Riley
I was recently told that in the late '40's Hal & Bill Ulrich built a Duesenberg powered '34 Ford. It is supposedly in the collection of Bob Drake.

Does anyone have any information or photos of the car? I would be interested in how they made that long straight 8 fit. I would surmise that the Duesenberg engine is much longer than a flathead V-8.

Is this the only Duesenberg powered street rod anyone knows of?

Greg Riley

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