I just posted pictures of Charlie Spitz's 1931 model 619 to the Durant Photographs sections. This car was restored by Lance Haynes and finished just days ago.

Beautiful job Lance! It really shows what can be done, from what others would think was a junk yard queen to better than new. No one would believe it was the same car. Charlie you have a car to be proud of for sure!

Do You own a car built by Durant? Almost

Lance: You have made a beautiful car our of that river bottom vehicle.
Gord.

Do You own a car built by Durant? Frontenac

First, thanks to Lance for the restoration. I have watched this car from the day that Lance started......Peg and I are looking forward to showing this car this spring

thanks to Rick for putting the photos on the website, and thanks to those that have posted with their complements. We appreciate that.

And lastly, A Happy New Year to all of the members of the DMAC.

Do You own a car built by Durant? Yes

Hi All. Thanks for the nice compliment Mike and Gord and Charlie. Muchly appreciated.
This was a big challenge for sure but it was a very rare low production Durant car and only know of two other ones in the United States so I felt I had to put it back on the road one way or another.
Interesting story here as a total stranger called me up from Ohio one day and explained he had bought it at a small auction ($500.00) out there and on the way home pieces kept falling off the car and all the wood was totally rotted away and he was not capable of tackling this tough of a car especially some car he never heard of before. I ask what model it was and he said it was a 619. So I ask was it pretty much all there like the headlights and dash, bumpers, grill etc. He said yes but in very bad shape. So I said I’ll give you $1,000.00 for it just to make sure I got that rare 619. He said wonderful and I mailed him a check the next day and told him I would send a hauler in two weeks. Well the pictures tell the rest. Butters did not have the little proper bumper bolt emblem and it only had one so I sent it to them and they made a new mold and made me the three I needed for the car. Some very interesting things about this model the battery was installed from the factory behind front seat driver’s side and the windshield is about 2” narrower than our 614 cars. I was doing two 614 cars at the same time. Nothing was interchangeable. The frame is a double drop design putting the car lower to the ground, and the rear windows are fixed so not able to roll them down and the windshield visor is a more flattened modern design.
BTW this is exactly the same car as the Durant Canadian Frontenac cars. I have seen Gordon Curls Frontenac car a number of times. The car turned out the best handling and driving car of all the Durant’s I have restored.
Later Lance

Do You own a car built by Durant? Many

Hi Lance........

WOW ! !

You sure did a beautiful job on bringing that 619 back to life. You didn't have much to go on. Sure took a lot of vision and skill to transform a pile of "junk" into such a beautiful car. You are very talented.

My 619 is still waiting it's turn in my shop, I do like the way yours turned out........Frank ---

Do You own a car built by Durant? A dozen Durant & Star cars & a Durant Dort buggy

Lance did an awesome job reconstituting that 619 from freeze-dried rust. I saw it in San Diego when he wasn't all that far along. But didn't see what he started from. I have a 619 or at least most of one in several piles (literally) that I hauled home on a trailer from Northern Michigan that Frank Johnson ("the old parts man")had. I basically got it for parts for my good 619, but every time I dig thru the pile for something, I think twice, like maybe..., but then I come to my senses. I will sometime take pictures of the stuff (you can't see a car) and see if someone wants to rescue another. It's mostly there, but not enough for a man of my means (time and $) to deal with. Worst part - no doors, rear fenders, bumpers. 619 stuff is rarer than hen's teeth.
Great job Lance and welcome Charlie to the 619 subclub.
Wayne Farrand