Why A Hudson ???

Unknown

I for one own a Hudson because I kinda fell into it. I always loved old cars. I work for the power company in Southern California, Edison. About 20 years ago I was working on a trouble crew in the city of Artesia when we got a call of part power. We went to this lttle business where a couple of older guys repaired trailers. We asked them what the problem was and they said that the 3 phase was not working. Asked them where the meter panel was and one of them showed me. It was out back along side of the little tin building behind a door.He opened the door and I seen a 1929 Hudson, 1936 Ford, and a couple other post war cars. Well we started talking and he had at one time about 50 old cars that he had to sell beacause of room. We then nagotiated a price and the rest is History. I knew what a Hudson was but never in my wildest dreams ever thought of owning one. Still have both cars. Now whats your excuse..LOL Ron

Unknown

My father had a '53 Hornet that he'd "stored" from the early seventies onward (he was the second owner). About 1990 or so, he decided to do a full restoration job on it. He loved that car a great deal. When he passed away a couple of years ago, the Hudson moved into my hands.

Which is where I hope it shall remain for a long time...

I didn't initially know very much about Hudsons, but I did know that it was a very special vehicle, and somewhat unique among old cars in my area of the world. I've since grown to love it, and now I'm hooked.

rambos_ride

Late night crusing ebay in a stupor - I had heard the name Hudson before but never really looked them up or paid them much attention.



I don't particularly care for 4 door cars of any kind - but when I saw the profile of my 49 it really caught my eye.



It's been 1 year so far and I have yet to drive or ride in my Hudson - or any Hudson for that matter - yet I have managed to spend close to 1000 hours on it so far (well give or take a couple hundred) - Then a few hundred more hours on the website about the Hudson http://www.49C8.com - HOW'S THAT FOR HUDSON LOVE?



Right now I'm getting close to need lots of cash to buy lots of parts but with the fabrication on the body nearing completion I finally feel its gaining speed and once its running I won't even care if its only primer and no windows I want to drive it!



Funny, I can fold the windshield frame down on my CJ and drive around all day as long, without Johhny Law buggin' me as long as you wear eye protection - but - would the State Patrol pass my car through inspection with no windows? :rolleyes:



It looks to be winter time before I'll get it back together - but unless there is snow on the ground the 49 will be my daily driver when its done - rain and all.



From what I can tell it's been about 15-20 years or longer since she has put rubber to pavement - I can't wait!

[Deleted User]

I guess I saw Hudsons on eBay just looking for nothing in peticular. In my late teens and early twenties I was a street rodder with a 42 Ford P/U and a 38 Dodge 5w vette powered coupe. But things got kind of expensive for my wages and I changed to old bike resto's (a 65 BSA, 74 Sportster, 41 Knucklehead) until the late eighties when I began to build a rock crawler. But less and less places to go and I thought "why not go back to my first love......street rods." I always loved the 49-51 Mercs (the lead sleds) but not many good ones around and awful lot of money if you do find one, so I started searching. Thats when I saw a 49 Pacemaker on eBay and thought "what an awesome car & beautiful lines." I didn't win the bid, but eventually found mine abd so now the adventure begins again!



I know some diehards don't like us chopping up cars, but hey, its the style I want and its my car anyway! :-) Besides, I like original restos also, I'm just not going to do it with this one! Hey, it gives me a project that my son can grow up helping me with and hopefully he'll enjoy too. Well, he already wants all the cars and trucks in the toy store (he's 2 1/2y.o.)!

Unknown

Okay, back when i was about 10 years old, I was introduced to the "junkyard" we would go to several junkyards, mainly the one that I got the best memories of, a place called "Keller's Auto Ranch". Keller's was around since the early 50's in southern Lancaster County. remember this is right around 1985-1986. We got in real good with Jim Keller, who coincidentally, graduated with, I think, my Grandfather (or it could have been my grandmother, but it's not important....) Anyhow, we were into Oldsmobiles, mainly 1949 to 1956's (It's what my dad drove in High School, he had several thru his high school "career" , and we had accumulated a few in the 80's) Old Jim Keller was aware of the rivalry between Hudson and Oldsmobile, and I think this had a real influence on us, which prompted us to buy a lowly 52 Wasp coupe out of Jonestown in 1986 (or the best to our recollection, we were just sitting around talking about this on Sunday) I can still remember going out there to get it with my dad and grandfather, and driving it home on the turnpike.... (well, not me, I was only 11 at the time)



Okay, getting back to Kellers....



Kellers was only open on Saturdays, from 2:00 till 5:00 (or until all of the beer was gone... which, again, I was too young for... but oh well..... Jim Keller started to bring down sodas for me the whole time we used to go down) I had a lot of great memories going down there, there was a great mix of cars in the yard, from the 20's to a few 60's cars scattered, but the yard was rich in Hudsons....



I guess the more we went down to Keller's the less time we spent taking parts off Oldsmobiles, and the more we spent giving the Hudsons a second look. We actually pulled two cars out of Keller's, one was a 50 Olds 2 door sedan, and the other was a 52 Hornet 4 door. We also parted out several of the Hudsons down at Kellers, since we went down there almost religiously for several years, we were in so good, we could go down during the week, and pretty much had free reign of the yard. At that point, we were just buying whole cars, and stripping them in the yard, pulling engines, tranmissions, rears, and whatever else was useable....



Then we had a chance to buy a group of 5 "better" Hudsons from Jim Keller... there were 3 49 Super sixes, and 2 50 Commodores (one was an 8) We ended up buying all 5 cars, bringing them home one at a time. The 50 commodore 8 was supposed to be mine, but it was way too far gone in the back. the rear perimeter was non-existent.... so It got cut up.... Unfortunately the rest of the cars were pretty much the same. we were able to save a lot from all of the cars, but the sad part is we were unable to save any of the cars.



During this time, my dad was on the hunt for another Hudson, (a coupe) which he found right around 1990, in Kentucky, formerly of the "twin H ranch" fame. So the Hudson collection grew again, as well as the Oldsmobile collection, got a few new members, but I was fast approaching driving age, and still had no Hudson (or any other car)



I would like to think it was for X-mas of 1990, that I got (a bit early, kind of hard to hide a Hudson) my 50 Hudson. painted blue and not running, but all there, but a lot of it was apart. I worked quite some time to get it on the road, and was able to get my senior pictures taken with it, and drove it to school a couple of times, had a real good time with it, and then, kind of neglected it thru my college and marriage, home buying, and kids years, but now, I have been able to devote the time and some of the resources it needs to become a nicely preserved car again.



it's kind of funny, looking at it now, I guess I have been into hudsons for close to 20 years now...



I guess now, my next one will, hopefully be a coupe....



or maybe a convertible....

Aaron D. IL

I started into old cars because I didn't like trucks or new cars and I needed something I could fit into. My first car was a '78 Tbird. It was fun but not old enough or rare enough to get much respect and I had my eye on going back to the '40's or '50's. I own a Hudson because when I was 19 I was tracking down a 1947 Cadillac series 75 limo only to find that the owner still had them in storage however he had a '51 Pacemaker club coupe w/ dual spotlights...all black. "WHAT'S? THAT?!" I asked. I had never even seen a Hudson. So I went to the library and checked out the 3 books that are available on Hudson and the more I read the more I got into it. I haphazardly decided to buy the car even though the rear end was bad and the rear frame was rotted. It ran and drove though I figured with my limited welding skils I could fix it. I did fix the rear end but the welding turned out to be too expensive for a teenager to handel. Anyway I located HET on the old Classicar website, got the address of the local chapter president....went with him to the chapter Christmas party and then joined and everything else just kind of snowballed from there. I became chapter newsletter editor and found myself with 4 stepdowns before I knew it. I had to get rid of some cars so a '54 Wasp I had and my first '51 Coupe went to Jim in TX. Last I hear the '54 went to Korea and the '51 got bought and restored by someone in TX. I'd sure like to see my old restored '51 again. (the one that got away). Now I have a '47 C8 and a '50 P sedan

[Deleted User]

I fell into my Pickup, there was a hudson collector who lived near me who had several hudsons an essex and an overland. He was an older gentleman and he passed away, a friend of mine was put in charge of selling off the collection for the estate. He mentioned to me that there was this 46 Hudson pickup in a barn that he was trying to move for the estate and would I like to take a look. It was pretty scarry looking, it hadn't been on the road in at least 20 years. I figured "what the hell, I need a winter project".



Now I've got the HET Bug and am trying to sell the truck so I can purchase a 33 essex and start a hot rod project....although I'll miss the truck when its gone and the looks that people give me when I actually use it as a truck see attachments

TOM-WA-

We are having a Local get together of the Northwest HET on Saturday the 24th..



Would like to have you join us......Give me a call or E mail me and I can pass along the details..



Tombar46@msn.com

206 617-1154

[Deleted User]

uc4me wrote:

I fell into my Pickup, there was a hudson collector who lived near me who had several hudsons an essex and an overland. He was an older gentleman and he passed away, a friend of mine was put in charge of selling off the collection for the estate. He mentioned to me that there was this 46 Hudson pickup in a barn that he was trying to move for the estate and would I like to take a look. It was pretty scarry looking, it hadn't been on the road in at least 20 years. I figured "what the hell, I need a winter project".



Now I've got the HET Bug and am trying to sell the truck so I can purchase a 33 essex and start a hot rod project....although I'll miss the truck when its gone and the looks that people give me when I actually use it as a truck see attachments

I could use a good pick up to haul some of the larger women that I have been known date from time to time ... Niels

[Deleted User]

My Dad is the reason I now own two Hudsons. I am from Oklahoma city, where my

dad was also born. His next door neighbor had a 1933 Hudson Terraplane 8 that the

Oklahoma Department of Public Sercive (State Police) could not catch even thru the

late 1950's. The neighbor (Charlie) was posessed by HUDSONS. He had several but

the Terraplane was his favorite. He had a 50 Commodore straight 8 in it instead of

the stock engine.

Dad was a owner of several DeepRock gas stations in OK city and always dealed

in used cars, but HUDSONS were his favorite. He and Charlie would always keep

whatever HUDSONS they bought. During the late 50's & early 60's Dad drag raced

for the local Chevy dealer (he ran a bad 59 Impala 348/335hp 4-speed in stock

class until 1964) but they raced a 53 Wasp 2-door with a 56 Hornet 308 and Twin-

H at the dirt tracks.

Dad knew several guys that were into the dirt track racing that had Hudsons.

In 1968 we moved to Indiana where my mom was from and he stopped dirt racing

Hudsons and drag racing.

He always told me that the HUDSON had the lowest weight per HP for any of the

pre 1955 vehicles. He said that Hudson was a engineer's vehicle, designed for driving,

racing and fun but not for looks or style. It was a Driver's car, not a flashy vehicle

but one that would "Clean the Clock" of everything else built!

I guess you can say I am brain washed by my Dad, but what a great Brain washing

method he used!

Now I won a 1950 Hudson Pacemaker from Enid, Oklahoma and a 1942 Hudson Deluxe

six 2-door sedan from Michigan. Both are low-line vehichle but they delivered more

Fun-Factor than any of the Competition at the time they were built.

I looked for 24 years before I bought my Pacemaker on EBay and have chased

this very same 1942 Deluxe six since 1977 before Doug Wildrick called me and told

me he the very one I had passed by two other times. I guess the third time was

the charm on the 42.

The 50 Pacemaker is 7 days away from driving under its own power for the first

time since 1976. I can't wait to see the look on the neighbors faces when it makes

its first voyage open headers and slicks on the back!

PaceRacer50

hudsonjeff

We used to own Pontiacs. When you went to a car show did anyone notice. Not really. It was your average ordinary car. Then we bought an old Hudson dealership. Our first thought was," What is a showroom without a Hudson." We had a customer that came in one day telling us that the building was once a Hudson dealership. Which we knew. I told him my plans were to purchase a Hudson and put it in the showroom. I told him I would purchase one if I could find one. He asked if we tried the Hudson Club. I never heard of it. The next day he brought in a couple old Triangles. He told us we could look at them but he wanted them back. I thought he was crazy. Who ever saved old magazines. But after the second magazine I was one the phone. Two months later I was the proud owner of a 1957 Hudson Hornet. One month after that I purchased a 1950 Hudson Super Six Sedan. Everyone I took the car I was stopped. "What kind of car is that?" People would gather around at car shows. I now proudly own 8 Hudsons,including two convertibles. The latest purchase last Saturday, a 1956 Hudson Rambler Station Wagon. Tonight at the car show it was the hit. Why do I own a Hudson? Because it is unique, attractive and fun to drive. How often do I drive them? Just about everyday till snow flies.

hdsn49

I grew up in the back seat of a Hudson. My father purchased a new Hudson Super Six Sedan in March of 1948. It was my families first car. Prior to purchasing the Hudson my father drove a Chevy panal van. He would put a board across the rear wheel wells and my sister Paula and brother Dan would sit back there. My mother would sit on a milk crate up front and hold my sister Ellen. Buying the Hudson was a big deal. After the war it was very hard to purchase a new car. Any how 2 years later I was born and got to ride home from the hospital in that Hudson.



I have many fond memories of growing up in that car. Going to Grandmas' house on Sundays or driving to the beach. I will always remember my father saying that his Hudson was the best car he ever owned. He would jokingly tell people that his Hudson would go 90 miles per hour backwards. He also told me how he dated my mother driving his fathers 29 Hudson. I guess that buying his Hudson meant a lot to him because he had lost his father 1n 1942.



My Dad died in April of 1976. I purchased my 49 Hudson sedan in August of that year and used that car to bring my son Matthew home from the hospital when he was born in November. Within a year I got my brother Dan involved with Hudsons and between the two us us we own 5 Hudsons.



29 years have passed and a lot more fond memories of growing up in the back seat of a Hudson have occured. Of course now Matthew drives the 49 sedan.

Unknown

When I was in high school, I had some buddies that had old cars. I was looking for one myself and came across a 49 Hudson in a town about 10 miles away. I liked it so much I immediately went home to scrounge up $400. When I returned, there was no one home and the Hudson was nowhere to be seen. I was so concerned that it was going to be sold out from under me, I left the $400 in the guy's newspaper on his front porch.



After getting it towed home, it sat in my folk's garage when I went off to college. Then it moved to my Grandpa's barn. A few years later, when he decided that the barn was going to get torn down and I had made no progress, he sold it for 70 bucks.

I always kidded him that it was the saddest day of my life.



20 years later, when I had some garage space, I started the search on the Internet. I came across a 48 sedan a couple hours away. I still don't particularly know what I'm doing, but between advice from the guys in the Chicago Milwaukee chapter, the WTN and this forum, my Hudson is runnin' pretty good.

Unknown

My first ride in a auto at the young age of 2 weeks was in a year old 27 Essex. And for the past 76+ years there has always been a Hudson built auto around to ride in.

[Deleted User]

My Mom's dad had a '37 Terraplane Model 71 that the whole family rode in when they moved from Chicago to Long Beach, CA in 1947...seven kids, my grandparents, and a small dog, towing a small U-Haul trailer with their stuff. There is a picture of my Mom and my grandpa standing in front of the '37 in Los Angeles in early 1948, and I remember that waterfall grille, thinking "what a cool car" back when I was about 10 or so...



Forward to the early 1980s, when the movie "Porky's" came out. That big ol' pink Hudson was such a neat ride, I remember thinking that I wanted one of those someday...



In 2000, I came across the HET website. A few months transpired, and I ended up buying my first Hudson in May 2001; a 1950 Pacemaker coupe, minus engine, from a guy in North Texas for $1,800. My second, a parts car '50 C6 4-dr, came to me a month later from a gal in town here. From there, several Stepdowns, a Hash, two Metros, and my very own '37 TP later, I'm a confirmed Hudsonophile! Not that I'm getting rid of my Mopars, mind you!

RG53Hornet

Well, how ‘bout this. Saw one in a McDonalds drive thru about 10 years ago. I already had my ’50 Chevy truck and it had been a driver for about 10 years. Trouble was I was single when I built it and now I had 4 kids. That’s a cool lookin’ car I thought and hey…that could hold the whole fam-damly! I need to see it up close. By the time I paid for my Mc Grease-Burger it had gone. I think it belonged to a High School kid as I saw it in the H/S parking lot once, and later my wife saw it with the front fender all smashed in. I started looking around for one to buy, but living in Rust-consin at the time they all looked real sad. Fast forward 5-6 years and me, the family and the fifty had moved back to Sunny San Diego. Surfing the Auto Trader on line at work (Shhh) one day and there it was. I put off calling for a week hoping it would get sold, as after that move and buying a house there was often too much month left at the end of the money. Wife actually got me to call and check on it, (I know, I’m lucky. The wife is supportive of the old car A.D.D. I have.) Yes… its still for sale. No… the price is not firm. And the car was less than 5 miles from my house. 10 minutes later I’m looking at a straight as hell and un-rusted (it had come down to SoCal from the Nevada desert) 1953 Hornet 4 door sedan with a descent paint job and all new upholstery. Went home and moped around about it for 3 days till I called him back. Yup… still for sale. $2800? Well, OK. Will a hundred bux hold it to the end of the month? Yup. I had a Hudson.



PS…a year later we moved again. This time to Southwest Missouri. We did not leave 'Ol Hud behind. Had it shipped by auto transport and supposedly the driver was getting tired of telling people that the cool Merc on his trailer was a Hudson. Oh, ya and I still have the Fifty Chevy. Did not ship that one. That was its third long cross-country drive.

Unknown

lllHLi lall and HUDSON KID, BILL ALBRIGHT HERE, I REMEMBER SELLING THAT 52 hUDSON COUPE TO A COAL OPERATOR IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY, AND TOWING IT BACK FOR HIM, IT WAS TORO RED WITH OFF WHITE ROOF, GREAT, RUST FREE CAL CAR. GLAD TO KNOW IT IS BEING LOVED AND CONTINUES TO BE SAVED SAME AS THE 600 OR SO OTHER ONES I HAVE SAVED OVER THE LAST 35 YEARS. I AM STILL TURNING OUT 4 TO 5 RESTOS A YEAR LHERE AT THE TWIN H. RANCH., IN FONTANA, CA. ALWALYS GLAD TO HELP WITH PARTS AND SERVICE TO ALL CLUB MEMBERS, BEST WISHES, BILL ALBRIGHT

Unknown

No, Bill, it was a 53, this one was originally the cream with the, I think texas tan top. It has a 56 engine in it, and has a NOS interior (blue checkerboard pattern) the car is currently gray with redish roof (I haven't seen it for years, and that's how we bought it) it is still waiting restoration... but it is a super solid original car.

[Deleted User]

As a kid growing up in Tennessee tobacco country, and well beyond the era of the Hudson. I was lucky enough to play in the front seat of a parked '51 commodore 8 that sat just beyond the tobacco barn. The car belonged to my uncle's boss. He had bought the car without his wife knowing, and was afraid to take it home. So, he asked my uncle if he could hide it behind his barn until he could break the news to his wife.



Evidently, that day never came. A pristine Commodore sat there and basicly went back to mother earth.



As soon as I was big enough to reach the steering wheel of a tractor, I was the designated driver when it came to hauling in the tobacco. When we'd get to the barn (I was too small to do the manly man work in the barn), I would scurry out to hop in the commodore and keep on driving in my imagination. Many a mile was driven in that Commodore, but it never moved. It did kindle the wild imaginations of a country boy in that big front seat.



As I got older, I began to research the Hudson as much as I could. Information was sparse and I didn't have any access to anyone who was really interested in Hudsons. I would go to the AACA car show in my hometown every year just hoping to run into a Hudson collector and widen my interest. In the meantime I tried every year to buy the Commodore - the owner would never sell it to me!



My Dad bought me the Butler book in 1992. Fuel to the fire.



Just as soon as my internet dialup connection was made, my first web search was for "Hudson automobiles" - and I discovered the online world of the HET.



Within 4 years of being "connected" - I bought the Wasp. Almost a year later, I bought the '49.



I'm a happy Hudnut now.



Mark

[Deleted User]

I was 8 or so when my parents bought a 52 hollywood wasp to restore(they still have it), and were in the club for a few years earlier,too. So, I have basically grown up with hudsons, atleast as far back as i can remember.



I remember mom and dad " exersizing" other people's cars at club functions until their wasp was road ready and helping my dad work on cars...well handing him tools, helping bleed brakes and sanding.



My first hudson was a 54 sedan but nothing really got done with it and it was sold to another hudnut,i dont know who it was tho. Right now i have a 49 super six that my father and I are restoring.



I am one of the younger members at 26 years old and have taken my children to many club functions, my daughter was probably a few weeks old when she was at her first national meet...gotta start them young!!!



Hudsonly, lisa g

coverton

Ron P wrote:

I for one own a Hudson because I kinda fell into it. I always loved old cars. I work for the power company in Southern California, Edison. About 20 years ago I was working on a trouble crew in the city of Artesia when we got a call of part power. We went to this lttle business where a couple of older guys repaired trailers. We asked them what the problem was and they said that the 3 phase was not working. Asked them where the meter panel was and one of them showed me. It was out back along side of the little tin building behind a door.He opened the door and I seen a 1929 Hudson, 1936 Ford, and a couple other post war cars. Well we started talking and he had at one time about 50 old cars that he had to sell beacause of room. We then nagotiated a price and the rest is History. I knew what a Hudson was but never in my wildest dreams ever thought of owning one. Still have both cars. Now whats your excuse..LOL Ron

If you were from the "Piedmont" section of NC as I was in the early 50's.you had to admire Marshall Teague, the Flock brothers and Herb Thomas. Darlington, Hickory and Concord were all dominated by the "Fabulous Hudson Hornet" Pestered my dad to buy one,but he was an old Buick die hard and I know the dealer wanted to lock the door every time I stopped in. Interest heated up with the April 19,1999 issue of Autoweek.Article featured two 51/52's in front of Jack Miller's dealership in Mich. This article got me started again and the email in 99 from Jon Battle that got me to the HET site. Ray Pschirer in Greenville was kind enough to call me this June to advise where I might find a car. Park Waldrop has promised me his 51 Commodore 8 cpe as soon as the engine is "rite". All those articles as well as Tim Flock's obit [references his monkey "jockoflocko" riding in the Hornet] are all on my den wall righr along with my Army Beret and ol man's picture.

Big "O"

Unknown

My first rememberence of a HET product was my 1933 Terp. 8 Coupe in 1947 when my uncle was visiting us. It was grey then. Then in the early 50's several buddys parents and neighbors had them, one I remember in particular was a beautiful 51 Commodore 8 sedan ,two tone blue. I have a lot of memories of them in the 1950's. Dont get me started. I could go on and on.