from a junkyard in 1952 to the Palos Verdes Concours of 2013, this 1929 Duesenburg has seen the luxury and the decline of fortune, and come back again

I learned about this car a couple years ago from a co-worker, and did not think they'd finish it... to see it at the Palos Verdes Concours was a big surprise!

http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/06/48-years-of-family-determination-to.html

1929 Model J Duesenberg Kirchhoff Convertible Berline Sedan, J186-2208 was first purchased by the grandson of the president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company.

He purchased it when his Stutz steering locked up, and later when he saw a Kirchhoff, (former foreman for Murphy's coachbuilding company) convertible sedan he had one built for his Duesy.

It was sold in the mid 40's, went through several owners, and in 1951 threw a rod through the block and was sold to a junkyard in LA.

Gil Curtright was a car enthusiast who frequently looked through the neighborhood junkyards for car parts and had actually admired the Duesy at a 1946 hot rod show, and was friends with a guy who had taken a photo of the Duesy earlier that year at a car show, and may have tipped him off to the Duesy's whereabouts, but definitely helped him haul it from the junkyard and cost him 500 dollars.

 It was one of 2 Duesenbergs pulled from the junkyard that day, the other was restored in a short time and was in the Elvis movie "Spin out" http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2013/05/from-movie-spinout-elvis-movie.html

from my gallery of the cool cars in the Elvis movie "Spinout"

the worst looking example of a project car i think I've seen, and the most astonishing restoration... which won peoples choice at the LaJolla Concours 2013

full gallery here: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2013/04/1929-packard-model-640-runabout-with.html

I talked to the owner today, and asked him about the woodlite headlights, he said that once he discovered that they were a Packard preferred accessory/optional equipment, he searched the big swap meet at Hershey or Carlisle until he found a set

General Lee Chargers before and after the tv show Dukes of Hazard

1925 Hispano Suiza H66 Laundolet

  above, as new

Below, as found

below as is

spilling gas on the old paint caused it to  blister 

two cars were pulled out of a Petaluma junkyard to make this one from, and it turned out great!

best looking Henry J, small wonder, Gabes did the upholstery and Charley did the paint

 

1924 Cadillac 20 passenger bus, from a barely recognizeable frame to a near perfect restored Cadillac

this is the largest add on trunk I've come across

"Any and all photos taken on the museums property must include the wording: "By permission of the Motor Transport Museum, 31949 Highway 94, Campo, California, web site: http://www.motortransportmuseum.org"