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Duesenberg J-299

  • Tom_Parkinson
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11 Dec 2012 19:59 #24106 by Tom_Parkinson
Replied by Tom_Parkinson on topic Duesenberg J-299
Hi,

My former employer had an Excalibur. Piece of crap. So was the car.

--Tom

With brakes, two cylinders are better than one.

Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, The Hardtop News Magazine, the Journal of the Michiana Dunes Region, Lambda Car Club International

See pix of 1509A here: mbcurl.me/YCSE

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11 Dec 2012 19:46 #24105 by 61xlch
Replied by 61xlch on topic Re: J299/Maybach kaput>

Bob Roller wrote: Years ago,a car that supposedly looked like the SSK was sold in the USA and it used a 7.5 litre GM engine. It was called "Excaliber".

Bob Roller


The Excalibur was a "wannabe lookalike" SSK from the Seventies, made for senseless boasters. I even saw a "SSK" made of a VW beetle chassis :rolleyes:

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  • Bob Roller
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11 Dec 2012 12:47 #24100 by Bob Roller
Replied by Bob Roller on topic Maybach/Duesenberg Guitars?!
Matt,
The grill of that Maybach looked too much like a 2002 Lincoln Town Car to be attractive. Ford is now trying again to save the Lincoln from extinction but unless they start making Lincolns that small boys can't "P"over the top of,I don't see much hope for the brand. Ford revived the "Zephyr"name for a "Pretend Lincoln" and it fell flat in the market.

Bob Roller

Bob Roller

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  • landmark
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11 Dec 2012 01:27 #24096 by landmark
Replied by landmark on topic Re: Maybach-Rolls/Royce/Bentley

Bob Roller wrote: Matt,
Other than automobile historians,few know what the Maybach was and with nearly no name recognition it would be a hard sell.There is one in the Ford Museum in Michigan but few have any idea as to the significance of the car.

Bob Roller



Hello Bob,

that is the same with Duesenberg in Europe. Only a few people know Duesenberg. And almost of them know the Brand Duesenberg, as the name of a german (high level) guitar factory. www.duesenberg.de/en/home.html

Another cause of the "unlucky" revive of the new Maybach cars would be the car design. The today Maybach has no unique/own design, the car looks almost like a "blown up" Mercedes S-class car.

Matt

Was man besonders gerne tut,
ist selten ganz besonders gut

Wilhelm Busch

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  • Bob Roller
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11 Dec 2012 00:52 #24095 by Bob Roller
Replied by Bob Roller on topic Maybach-Rolls/Royce/Bentley
Matt,
Other than automobile historians,few know what the Maybach was and with nearly no name recognition it would be a hard sell.There is one in the Ford Museum in Michigan but few have any idea as to the significance of the car.

Bob Roller

Bob Roller

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  • landmark
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10 Dec 2012 13:31 #24088 by landmark
Replied by landmark on topic Re: J299/Maybach kaput>

Bob Roller wrote: Matt,
THAT is interesting. We have a retired eye surgeon here that has a Maybach sedan. Few people know what it is and I have seen it only a few times.Did the Maybach use a V12 or something else.?
Years ago,a car that supposedly looked like the SSK was sold in the USA and it used a 7.5 litre GM engine. It was called "Excaliber".

Bob Roller


Hello Bob,

these "new" Maybachs are equipped with 5.5 and 6 litre (displacement) V12 turbocharged engines with 550/612 hp.

Production is stopped, but today you can buy remaining unsold new cars.

Here is a link to the Maybach website www.maybach-manufaktur.com/

I think you are able to understand german language, here is the german Wikipedia-Site for that car de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maybach_57_und_62

Matt

Was man besonders gerne tut,
ist selten ganz besonders gut

Wilhelm Busch

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10 Dec 2012 12:02 #24086 by Bob Roller
Replied by Bob Roller on topic J299/Maybach kaput>
Matt,
THAT is interesting. We have a retired eye surgeon here that has a Maybach sedan. Few people know what it is and I have seen it only a few times.Did the Maybach use a V12 or something else.?
Years ago,a car that supposedly looked like the SSK was sold in the USA and it used a 7.5 litre GM engine. It was called "Excaliber".

Bob Roller

Bob Roller

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  • landmark
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10 Dec 2012 08:04 #24085 by landmark
Replied by landmark on topic Re: J299&Mercedes

Bob Roller wrote: There have been several attempts at reviving the Duesenberg and all with the same results. Mercedes or Daimler-Benz could make up a few of these all business,no frills cars every year using a V12 that would sell for a gazillion$ each and I bet there would be a market for them among those who can write a check and have the bank bounce instead of the check.

Bob Roller



Hello Bob,

Daimler-Benz itself struggled by its attempt to revive the famous prewar brand "Maybach" as a compeditor to BMW's Brand "Rolls-Royce and VW's "Bentley".
The Maybach-production had closed this summer.

Matt

Was man besonders gerne tut,
ist selten ganz besonders gut

Wilhelm Busch

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10 Dec 2012 00:04 #24083 by Bob Roller
Replied by Bob Roller on topic J299&Mercedes
There have been several attempts at reviving the Duesenberg and all with the same results. Mercedes or Daimler-Benz could make up a few of these all business,no frills cars every year using a V12 that would sell for a gazillion$ each and I bet there would be a market for them among those who can write a check and have the bank bounce instead of the check.

Bob Roller

Bob Roller

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10 Dec 2012 00:03 #24082 by Bob Roller
Replied by Bob Roller on topic J299&Mercedes
There have been several attempts at reviving the Duesenberg and all with the same results. Mercedes or Daimler-Benz could make up a few of these all business,no frills cars every year using a V12 that would sell for a gazillion$ each and I bet there would be a market for them among those who can write a check and have the bank bounce instead of the check.

Bob Roller

Bob Roller

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09 Dec 2012 13:33 #24075 by alsancle
Replied by alsancle on topic Duesenberg J-299
What Bob is saying is true and the "S" should have put up more of a fight in theory. This car was not an SSK (next model SS with "K" for short wheelbase).

The blower setup is the same design as what was used on the later 500k/540k cars. It is very complicated and requires the blower pressurizing the fuel system so that adequate fuel makes it into the carburetor when the blower is engaged. There was a mechanical failure of this system during the race (either from over use of the blower or some other reason) which made the blower inoperable. In any event, the Mercedes would have been much better off in a road race as the supercharge setup is designed for acceleration, not maintaining a constant 115mph.

When using the blower, it reminds you of opening a 4-barrel carb and winding an air-raid siren at the same time.

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08 Dec 2012 22:19 #24070 by landmark
Replied by landmark on topic Re: J299 Barrelside

Bob Roller wrote: If I'm not mistaken,this was the car used in the Lake Muroc race in
1932.The Duesenberg won because of apparent mechanical problems
with the Mercedes SSK,not because it was a faster car.

Bob Roller


Hello,

that would be the Marx Brothers Mercedes S www.goodingco.com/car/1928-merce ... -speedster

Matt

Was man besonders gerne tut,
ist selten ganz besonders gut

Wilhelm Busch

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08 Dec 2012 13:21 #24061 by Bob Roller
Replied by Bob Roller on topic J299 und Mercedes SSK
Mike,
That is what I have read. The Mercedes used a "demand blower" that was engaged by pushing hard on the accelerator so it would go past the normal wide open position. This would cause a clutch sysytem to engage the blower drive and I THINK I once saw an article that said the clutch arrangement had over 20 driving and driven discs.The Duesenberg with
blower was a constant engagement type driven by a very precise worm gear system that gave an "upkick"of 6 turns of the blower's impellor to one turn of the crankshaft.It gave a low pressure boost and was probably more of an equalizer for fuel distribution than a true supercharger which would probably have a higher psi volume than the 5 pounds per square inch of the "J'.
I THINK Automobile Quarterly had a fine write up on this race titled as "Madness at Muroc"and it stated that Harpo Marx had not authorized "racing type"spark plugs in the SSK.
I didn't know which Duesenberg was involved in that race until Chris Summers told me a year or so ago. I have seen it and talked with Mr.Bowersox at Auburn years ago.

Bob Roller

Bob Roller

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08 Dec 2012 05:17 #24056 by mikespeed35
Replied by mikespeed35 on topic Duesenberg J-299
The way I understand the SSK is the supercharger is only meant to be used for passing or other short bursts of speed but can't be used continually. Is this right Bob?
CORDially Mike

Mike Huffman

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07 Dec 2012 13:53 #24044 by Bob Roller
Replied by Bob Roller on topic J299 Barrelside
If I'm not mistaken,this was the car used in the Lake Muroc race in
1932.The Duesenberg won because of apparent mechanical problems
with the Mercedes SSK,not because it was a faster car.

Bob Roller

Bob Roller

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  • landmark
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05 Dec 2012 23:29 #24039 by landmark
Replied by landmark on topic Duesenberg J-299
Hello Al Light,

I suppose the following link could be helpful.

forums.phpstack-1081784-3880776.cloudwaysapps.com/phpbb2/viewto ... 2c220dd600

Matt

Was man besonders gerne tut,
ist selten ganz besonders gut

Wilhelm Busch

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  • Al Light
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05 Dec 2012 16:15 #24037 by Al Light
Duesenberg J-299 was created by Al Light
I am trying to obtain the name of the new owner, and contact information, for J-299 that was previosly owned by Ray Bowersox and sold at the October Hershey RM auction.
Addition information regarding request can be obtained by contacting me derictly using PA contact info under "Allen E. Light" in the ACD Membership directly.
Thanks, Al Light

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