Celebrity Rides

Jay Leno hopes to restore a 1931 Duesenberg Model J, with the goal to create a car that looks like the original but also offers improved performance under the hood.

The Duesenberg disassembly continues and Jay Leno's latest treasure is scattered around the garage in a thousand pieces. Randy Ema's team must separate the body from the chassis, and then move on to the task of removing the car's massive engine.

The restoration of each individual part of the disassembled Duesenberg begins. The team strips the paint and the wood trim and sandblasts the frame and body to remove rust, after which the springs and other parts must be painstakingly cleaned by hand.

After the chassis is stripped and cleaned, it gets painted and covered in sealer. The body is primed and painted Brewster Green, to keep the conservative look of the Duesenberg, but also to add a little charisma to the vehicle.

After everything has been cleaned, the team finally paints the Duesenberg. A new lubricating system is added to the car, and the interior is finished. The engine is ready to be placed in the chassis, along with the transmission, dash and radiator.

After finishing touches are all in place, the last original-owner unrestored Duesenberg is finally completed and ready to be delivered to Jay. When Jay sees the finished project, he is thrilled with the results and can't wait to take it for a ride.