Interesting Duesenberg Photo

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Typo in previous message. Cylinders were bored to 3.875 ,not 3.975.
Bob Roller

A few years ago I was contacted by a man who was apparently a care taker for some valuable cars and he knew that at one time I had done some work on J357,
a Murphy CC and owned by Melvin Ckemens.He said it had 38,800 miles on it and asked me to come to Florida and put the last 200 needed to take it to 39,000.
I was honored by being thought of but declined the offer. I know the selling price and told him that "TweedleDee the wonder dummy" would probably side swipe it
and take out the front axle,both fenders and running board and I didn't want to be driving it. The work I did all those years ago was to help remove the transmission and replace the clutch.I have number of memories about my association with the Duesenberg and am vexed about the stories about j528
when Harry Schultzinger owned it in the 1950's.It and the other 2 Rivieras are
my favorite Duesenbergs. I was personally involved with BOTH rebuilds in the early 1950's.I was helping Don Thompson and Jack Irwin with reassembling J487,a LWB LeBaron phaeton in a garge in the Harveytown section of Huntington WVa.Thery also had a sedan,J467 which was another LWB car that ran but a fractured driveshaft prevented it from moving. After the sale of the phaeton they rented a real garage building at 420 12th street and got a franchise from Max Hoffman to sell cars imported from Europe,mostly English and also maintained a service for Rolls Royce-,Duesenberg and Mercedes Benz.
Harry Schultzinger contacted them about a rebuild of the engine of J528 and
the car was delivered by Harry who was followed by his wife to take him home
to Cincinnati.We removed the engine and Jack Irwin and I took it apart and
had all bearing journals on the crankshaft carefully measured and the rods were rebabbited by Federal-Mogul in Ohio as well as the main bearings. Don Thompson and I took the head apart and lightly recut all 32 valve seats and replaced all the valves with new ones.Cylinders were done during the rebabbiting of the main bearings and they were not in bad condition so it took little to recondition them.After getting all the outshopped parts back we reassembled it and it started easlly and we drove it about 300 miles and called Harry and told him to come and get it. He did and drove it for a years and decided
to have another rebuild done,this time with a cylinder bore of 3.975 and Jahns high compression pistons and gain,he brought it to the garage which was now ,located in a bigger building at 1120 3rd Ave,Don Thompson was taking classes at Marshall University and we did not start immediately on the new rebuild.
Thompson&Irwin auto service had dissolved and Don and I were given the lob of the rebuild and Jack Irwin had NOTHING to do with it,Irwin misappropriated the car and drove it to Fairmont Wva to take his wife to visit her mother and I was a passenger. We madec it to Fairmont OK but on the was back there was a failure in the engine and a cylinder was damaged and hot water ran into the oil pan.
To this day I do not really know what happened but think the cams went out of time and a valve and piston connected. Harry Schultzinger was angry and wanted to know why the car was driven out of Huntington without permission.I had no idea that i was riding in a stolen car and shared no blame, J467 was bought by Harry and that was the engine that got the overbore and Jahns pistons and a 5 speed transmission that gave the benefit of overdrive ,First gear was a compound low that would allow anyone to walk beside of the car at idle speed. I did it with Don Thompson driving.Current comments give Jack Irwin credit for the rebuild and he had not ONE thing to do with it.That 2nd rebuild was by Don Thompson and me and nobody else and I heard Harry drove it for over 20 years afterward so I know we did it right.I do not know if the damaged motor block that was numbered 528 was restored ot scrapped nor do I know what happened to the head.I am not sure where the car is now and it was sold several times after the
Schultzinger ownership and had been resrored to look like the car Col.Schicjbought as a new one.
Bob Roller,Now 86 and not senile.

You were very fortunate by NOT having that critter in the front seat with you and an easy repair was a good thing.
Bob Roller

Quite a few years ago I had a Kangaroo do a Kamakazie attack into the side of my Westchester. It was broad daylight and frightened the hell out of me with the "Bang!"
After the stunned Kangaroo regained its composure it took off into the Bush.
The side of the rear fended had been pushed in and was relatively easily repaired. They usually only come out at night.

I think this car was in South America but I can't say for sure.Another reason to stay out of today's traffic with a very valuable car of any kind. Remember J175 with 5 killed and taken out by a Volvo??
Bob Roller?

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That rear bumper looks 50's

Ouch, poor car!

Yes Don Carrs

Looks like Don Carr’s description of the accident damage found on his speedster when doing a cosmetic restoration in 1950s.

So sad looking. I wonder if the truck trailer had anything to do with this???


Gary Parsons