Restoration Journey

Our restoration process involves several phases following acquisition or “rescue”.

RESCUE

We scour the continent for Duettos we can acquire, often from the East Coast. Once Duetto Rescue Society (DRS) locates and begins the rescue of a new restoration, the vehicle is shipped via flatbed from the previous owner to be received in Kensington, California near Berkeley. Once the restoration arrives in the DRS garage the vehicle is completely dismantled, inspected, and precision bolt-mounted to a custom roller cart “dolly” designed specifically for this car model by our founder, Matthew Wadlund. Since the tires are removed along with everything else, the cart is how we move the body around during the restoration. It may come off and be reattached several times during the process. The vehicle is now ready to travel the next restore stations in Sacramento.

PAINT STRIP

Once the restoration arrives in Sacramento, the vehicle is sand or bead-blasted* to strip off any paint, rust, dirt, or other foreign elements and remove any loose repairs previously applied. The founders visit the vehicle while in Sacramento at this point to conduct a visual Sharpie inspection of the stripped car body. Using markers, our Duetto Rescue Society mechanics locate and mark dents, rust, old repairs, and other areas of the body requiring special attention or repair. Then the vehicle goes back on a flat bed truck for the next leg of the journey. Meanwhile, back in Kensington, the Duetto Rescue Society gets to work on inspecting the parts that were removed during disassembly. Replacements are ordered, repairs made where possible, moving parts are reconditioned and cleaned, exterior car color is determined, the interior is custom ordered and our network or craftsmen is activated to provide whatever assistance is deemed necessary.

*Natural sand, used in sand-blasting, comes in fairly random shapes and sizes so instead tiny abrasive beads used in bead-blasting have consistent sizing allowing for finer control over the end result.

BODY/PAINT

At a second body shop in Sacramento, the body is repaired then the doors and hood are bolted on prior to painting. (If doors aren’t hung perfectly, we have to loosen the bolts which can break the paint seal! If we paint before installing the doors, the paint can interfere with the hinges.) The restoration vehicle is then painted (please, anything but red), then re-mounted on the dolly and sent back to our garage in Kensington.

BUILD-1

After arriving in Kensington, re-assembly begins with the replaced, repaired, and rejuvenated parts. The restoration is freed from the custom dolly and placed on our super-cool blue lift. From there we reinstall the undercarriage, suspension, brakes, axels, and wheels. We run the electrical wire harness and set a windshield if needed. Then the restoration is back on a flatbed for a quick trip up to Novato just under 30 miles away.

BUILD-2

Our craftsmen in Novato receive our restoration and complete the remaining installations and connections. They connect electrical wiring, breaks, fuel line, and install an engine and the transmission. Our Sacramento agent will then complete the vehicle with the installation of exceptional interior upholstery and trim above and beyond the quality afforded by the original. Now the completed, the functional vehicle is ready for a new home.

FINISH LINE

We conduct a final inspect and apply any missing touches. We prepare a book of the history of the car showing provenance, restoration journey, and highlights. We activate our marketing efforts and ship direct or arrange a pick up directly from our bespoke restoration garage.

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