My favorite Hudson story

[Deleted User]

When I was in high school back in the dark ages, a friends parents had a 53 Hornet Coupe with the Twin H setup. One evening on the way home from basketball practice in the Hudson, there were four of us in the Hudson, we were challenged to a drag race by a guy in a 55 Ford. So off we went and the only part of that Hudson that the guy in the Ford ever saw was the taillights. I will never forget the look on that guys face.

SuperDave

Similar story..

Back in the 70's my wife and two kids were visiting another Hudson family in a town near Jupiter Florida. We all went out to have Pizza in his 53 four door Hornet work car.Daily he carried his carpenter tools to the job. Four adults (?)and a bunch of kids .A full house!

This car had the dual edmunds manifold and a Jack Clifford "built"engine. Headers and duals. Hydramatic that was beefed up but not quite a "hydra-stick". I was at the wheel.. which probably tells you that the owner didn't always use good judgement! LOL. Of course we were challanged by a Camaro with four teenagers aboard. We were waiting for them at the next light. I know they had a V8 and a four speed. Other than a noisey exhaust system, it seemed stock. I didn't accept the challange at the next light partly beacuase we HAD MADE an impression and there was a railroad crossing halfway up the block. I knew that with the extra weight and the headers going under the crossmember I would probably do some serious damage. They had a lot of questions for us when we arrived at the Pizza parlor. I would like to think one of them decided to get a Hudson someday.

Browniepetersen

My Hudson is more in todays time frame. I bought a 52 from my good friend Glen Johnson in the mid 90's. It was after a lot of discussion and a decision influenced by my wife. I was torn between a 47 broughm and the 52 sedan. I loved the lines on both of them. The racing history was the reason I went with the 52. After I got it home I decided I would try to race the car and pick up a few sponsors to help with the work. I put a presentation togeather and went to work on my plan. MACCO was the first to step up and volunteer to do all the body work and paint. They got a back fender. A local garage helped me put the engine in and hook everything up and after a few more vendors I had my "mostly" free Hudson ready to take to Bonneville Salt Flats. My first pass time was 128.10 with a two pass average of 122.683 beating the pass time set in September of 1952. It was one hell of a day and one of the top experiences of my life...... Here is a photo of the "Fastest 52 Hudson" on the road today Somewhere West of Salt Lake on a three state tour with a few friends. I sold the car last year and the trunk lid now hangs on the wall of my shop with a Beeline decal from a 1957 car tour. (By the way, I am looking for a free Twin-H chrome piece to put on the lid if anyone out there is feeling generous--condition not important and I'll pay shipping.)

bent metal

Great stories! Lets hear some more.

oldhudsons

I have several but will relate this one first:

To make a long story short my wife & I (only been married a few months) needed to get a 2nd car (we'd traded in both of our cars & bought a '62 Stude. GT Hawk as a wedding present for ourselves, LOL). We'd joined HET & spied a tired '53 Hornet cp. on a used car lot in Santa Monica, Ca., where we lived. It needed a valve job + as wouldn't start when hot, etc.

Anyway we were driving down Santa Monica Blvd. when 2 "dudes" pulled up beside us in a new Corvair conv. (I think it was a Spider with the turbo) with the top down. The driver took off to show his buddy how fast it was - I was unimpressed, so at the next light when they took off again, I floored the 10 year old Hornet (it had Twin H) & by the next light was over a car length ahead. That REALLY teed off the Corvair owner so he revved up the engine (I could hear him, had the window down), so I kept my left foot on the brake & put the right one on the throttle. Light changed, same result - the Corvair owner was so mad/embarassed, he took a left at the next light & we continued on, laughing with glee!

Aaron D. IL

What a great picture! A douglas skyraider, a P-51 and some Hudson's.

Love the stories too. A Hudson ad said "remember it's torque and not horsepower that does the work!" LOL

[Deleted User]

Browniepetersen wrote:

My Hudson is more in todays time frame. I bought a 52 from my good friend Glen Johnson in the mid 90's. It was after a lot of discussion and a decision influenced by my wife. I was torn between a 47 broughm and the 52 sedan. I loved the lines on both of them. The racing history was the reason I went with the 52. After I got it home I decided I would try to race the car and pick up a few sponsors to help with the work. I put a presentation togeather and went to work on my plan. MACCO was the first to step up and volunteer to do all the body work and paint. They got a back fender. A local garage helped me put the engine in and hook everything up and after a few more vendors I had my "mostly" free Hudson ready to take to Bonneville Salt Flats. My first pass time was 128.10 with a two pass average of 122.683 beating the pass time set in September of 1952. It was one hell of a day and one of the top experiences of my life...... Here is a photo of the "Fastest 52 Hudson" on the road today Somewhere West of Salt Lake on a three state tour with a few friends. I sold the car last year and the trunk lid now hangs on the wall of my shop with a Beeline decal from a 1957 car tour. (By the way, I am looking for a free Twin-H chrome piece to put on the lid if anyone out there is feeling generous--condition not important and I'll pay shipping.)

Hey Brownie,



I've got an old pitted one. PM me with your address and I'll get it to you. Niels

hudsontech

Back around 1969 I had a '53 Hornet sedan which I used as a daily driver. At that time I was stationed at the Coast Guard base in South Portland, ME.

One afternoon I was headed home after work and stopped at a local diner in Scarborough for a coffee.

A friend of mine, who had recently bought a very nice 1942 Hudson Commodore 8 coupe, saw the Hornet and pulled in, almost behind me. When I asked him how he liked his new Hudson he said he was rather disappointed - he couldn't get it over 40, 45 miles an hour.

I thought about that for a moment, then asked him "Didn't you get this at an estate sale from the original owner??" He allowed that was the case and that he had talked to the owners daughter and she said her dad wasn't happy with it either and had, about 10 years earlier, just parked in their barn. He had used it mostly around the farm he had, occasionally driving it into town.

I thought that over then the lights went on. I made sure the previous owner was the original owner - that was confirmed. I dug into the tool box I had in the trunk of my Hornet and got out a wrench, removed the carburetor and sure enough - there was a restrictor plate on the mounting. Interestingly enough I had recently read a bulletin about this practice - the dealers were encouraged to put these plates in so people would break in the engine (a common occurance back in those days) properly. Apparently the original owner had never been back to the dealer and the dealer (Henly-Kimball in Portland) had overlooked the fact.

I took the plate off and bolted everything back together. Told my friend to try it now - the diner was at the north end of about a mile straight across the Scarboro marshes. He took of and a few minutes came back with a grin from ear to ear. He'd gotten it up to around 70 on the Scarboro flats, as we called them.



Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

TwinH

The picture above with the Mustang and Skyraider reminds me that I still owe

my neighbor a ride in the Hudson. Although he's not a Hudson owner he owns

and maintains a lot of Hudsons WWII legacy.

While attending his Roar and Soar car,boat,plane show with our Hudson last

November he took me up for the ride of a lifetime in a P-40. The story and pics

are posted here: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=415808

hdsn49

My favorite story happened back in 1958 when my brother Dan got his driver’s license. Hudsons were known to be fast cars and Dan made no exception to that rule to test the car. He would frequently drag race other cars on Main Street in Downtown Manchester, and the local police got to know that car quite well. It was a Friday night and my brother with his girl friend sitting up front were driving down Main Street. While stopped at a red light, another car pulled up along side us and the driver began racing the engine. The driver motioned to my brother for a little action. My brother, acting very cool indeed, let the other car go ahead when the light changed. But a policeman who had seen the whole thing take place decided that this was his chance to nail Dan for drag racing, but unbeknown to the cop was the fact that my mother and I were sitting in the back seat. My mother immediately gave the cop hell for accusing her son of drag racing when his mother was sitting right there in the car with him. The policeman turned red, apologized, and we were on our way once again.

MikeWA

This is not a testament to Hudson's speed, but rather, to their- uhh- "utility".



I grew up on a dairy farm in western Washington, and in about 1960, when I was 12, my folks took a rare overnight vacation, leaving me and the hired man (a lad of about 19) in charge.



At about 1 AM, an impressively large Washington State Patrolman appeared at the door, and advised that about 10 holstein heifers had escaped onto the freeway (Interstate 5) about a mile away, and local opinion had settled on us as the owners. Herman and I sprang into action- I tried to start the early '40's "Cornbinder" (International) truck, but, as usual, it wouldn't. That left only one means of transport- Herman's '46 Hudson business coupe.



It turned out to be the ideal alternative. The heifers were about 350 pounds, and two of them and me would fit snuggly in the seat-less area behind the front seat, with me calming them so they didn't try to leap over our driver. Several trips later, with dawn beginning to break, we had the job done, just in time to start milking!



The several state patrolmen who were keeping the heifers "corraled" awaiting transport were understandably testy, especially about the need for intensive cleaning of uniforms and gear, without mentioning the obvious- that the job was far below their station. Herman was more philosophical about the condition of the Hudson- "Well, couldn't be helped". A good session with a small shovel, then a garden hose, then some "little tree" air fresheners, and it was nearly as good as new.:rolleyes:

[Deleted User]

I like all of them so far, but that one was really interesting, all I hauled was a push lawnmower. Bob

barrysweet52

I was driving our red 1937Terror to an Australian biannual ralley. It was a 2 day drive to get to Echuca. We left late the first day and were in a hurry to catch up to the rest of the South Aust HET cars staying at a midway motel that night. We had only gone 100 miles and I couldnt go any further. I had the flu, was as sick as a dog and dead tired. Somehow I slept on the front seat of the Terror in the petrol station car park. The wife didnt mind. As soon as we pulled in she was off and running to find the nearest tv to watch the Aussie rules football grand final. We couldnt then continue till the game was over.This made us even later to catch up. Well we were driving at night with the lights on through the Murray Mallee, miles from anywhere, and it was pitch black. Except when the police car came speeding up behind us with their lights on telling us to pull over. They said that one of my rear lights werent working, perhaps they were bored, or perhaps they wanted to look at a real car. Anyway they soon realised that the Terror only had one rear light, so all was OK. I must admit it did wake me up, more so that the wife sitting next to me in the middle.

shadetree

Just recently this 77 year old lady said she had only been in a car doing 100 mph one time and it was a 49 Hudson in second gear. as this story was setting in, I remembered, this had to be my car that I loaned to my younger brother back in 49. well that's ok, I wrecked his 40 chevy before that. I still have a 51 hornet and we both enjoy it

dougson

A good friend of mine (a Kaiser guy) told me that when he was young he'd cruise around in a friend's Hudson ('54?) looking for "fun". One time they encountered a C1 Corvette at a light. The Corvette easily beat the Hudson to 60 and backed off. But the crazy kid driving the Hudson didn't. Soon the Corvette driver saw the Hudson in his mirror closing fast and hit it. Too late. The corvette was used up at about 90 and the Hudson pulled away with three howling kids aboard.

[Deleted User]

hudsontech wrote:

Back around 1969 I had a '53 Hornet sedan which I used as a daily driver. At that time I was stationed at the Coast Guard base in South Portland, ME.

One afternoon I was headed home after work and stopped at a local diner in Scarborough for a coffee.

A friend of mine, who had recently bought a very nice 1942 Hudson Commodore 8 coupe, saw the Hornet and pulled in, almost behind me. When I asked him how he liked his new Hudson he said he was rather disappointed - he couldn't get it over 40, 45 miles an hour.

I thought about that for a moment, then asked him "Didn't you get this at an estate sale from the original owner??" He allowed that was the case and that he had talked to the owners daughter and she said her dad wasn't happy with it either and had, about 10 years earlier, just parked in their barn. He had used it mostly around the farm he had, occasionally driving it into town.

I thought that over then the lights went on. I made sure the previous owner was the original owner - that was confirmed. I dug into the tool box I had in the trunk of my Hornet and got out a wrench, removed the carburetor and sure enough - there was a restrictor plate on the mounting. Interestingly enough I had recently read a bulletin about this practice - the dealers were encouraged to put these plates in so people would break in the engine (a common occurance back in those days) properly. Apparently the original owner had never been back to the dealer and the dealer (Henly-Kimball in Portland) had overlooked the fact.

I took the plate off and bolted everything back together. Told my friend to try it now - the diner was at the north end of about a mile straight across the Scarboro marshes. He took of and a few minutes came back with a grin from ear to ear. He'd gotten it up to around 70 on the Scarboro flats, as we called them.



Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

Now that's funny... I don't care who you are!



Craig

[Deleted User]

Mike (WA) wrote: »

This is not a testament to Hudson's speed, but rather, to their- uhh- "utility".



... The heifers were about 350 pounds, and two of them and me would fit snuggly in the seat-less area behind the front seat, with me calming them so they didn't try to leap over our driver. Several trips later, with dawn beginning to break, we had the job done, just in time to start milking!



Funny!

MikeWA

That's a cute picture. Pony seems to be enjoying himself.



Saw a picture on the web somewhere of a guy who cut the top off a full size car (a '70's Olds or Cad 4 door hardtop, I think)- took the passenger and rear seat out, and a full size horse rode along with him. I couldn't see why the car didn't collapse in the middle, or bind up the doors. The guy seemed as happy as if he had good sense.

Unknown

My Grandad carried Dad's shetland Pony along standing on the floor between front and back seats of his 40 Olds sedan. Dad got pretty pamperd ... LoL...

oldhudsons

My other "best Hudson story" goes something like this: my wife & I had driven our Hornet Hollywood back to the National Meet, I think the 1st one at Greenfield Village, along with our pal Gary Klann who was driving his souped up '53 H cp. Gary is a mechanical engineer by education & had done a thesis on Hornet engines - he felt he built engines superior to Clifford but these were for his own use, not something he put together to sell.

On the way back to Calif. we stayed overnight somewhere in Colo., perhaps Pueblo. When we took off in the a.m. I led him & we started up into the passes thru the Rockies. Some kids in a '50 Fraud sedan passed the both of us - you could tell by the sound of the exhaust they didn't have the original flathead V8 in it.

Gary immediately took up the challenge, sweeping past us & the Fraud, who then took off in pursuit. I made no effort to keep up. Eventually we happened upon them pulled over on the side of the road, Gary with his hood up. The kids, with a Chevy 265 V8 in the Fraud, were ogling Gary's big Hornet engine which he told them was stock. He had outrun them & there were chagrined - the 3 of us had a good laugh after they drove off as Gary's engine was more powerful than a 7X.

Hudsonrules

:cool:If we are pld enough, I am sure there are some great Hudson stories. Back in the mid sixties I had bought a '49 Hudson Commodore "8" coupe off a used car loit in Reno, Nevada, it had a rod knocking, but I drove it about fifty miles before the engine went, going down a long hill late at night, three rods made a sudden exit. Where I had parked the Hudson,, while scrounging a junkyard for another engine from a wrecked '50 Hudson Sedan, I decided to move to the Seattle are a on a whim and had to take the Hudson coupe with me or it was destined for the car dump. Of couse I had not any papers with me for the car, no license plates, rented a tow bar hooked up and headed north. Was probably a mile or so from the California/Oregon border when a CHP pulled me over. got a ticked for no plates, or paperwork. He told me I would probably be stopped again and let me continue north. Stopped at a store. bought some spray paint, painteed numbers on the doors, rolled down the windows and away we went. No problems for quite awhile, till I passed an Oregon trooper who was writting a ticket. Pulled into a rest stop and waited, soon here goes the Oregon trooper flying by the rest stop most likely looking to write another ticket. Waited awhile, almost dark, and continued our jopuney to the Seattle area with no more problems.

[Deleted User]

I have been driving Hudsons since 1955, where do I start? One of my favorites was about my friend, will call him Dave, had a 51 Super six hardtop. I had a 51 Pacemaker.Guess what car we always drove? I stop to get gas in a small town North of where I lived and the attendant, I will call him Jim came out to put the gas in my car and ask me if I knew Dave. I said yes and he said that guy is NUTS. Jim had a 1956 Chevy with 3- 2 bb carbs and had raced Dave in the 51. There is a stretch of Highway 10 miles long straight as a arrow with a 45MPH curve at the end which asyou enter the curve you start down hill hitting the low point at the center of the curve and then start up hill. The chevy was ahead with Hudson 5 feet behind at speeds over 100 MPH. Jim said we hit the curve and he pulled down, the cuve was to left, on the inside lane and hung on, kowing any minute he was going to loose the Chevy. Jim said he was scared andprayed that he would make it without dying. About the mid way through the curve he heard this roar as Dave passed him on the outside lane in the Hudson. I later saw Dave and he confirmed what Jim had told me.Dave said he could pull up and touch the back bumber of the Chevy but when he pulled out to pass and hit the air he couldnt get oround the Chevy. Think about doing this on nylon tube tires. Its awonder there wasnt more of us killed.

hudsontech

1951hornethardtop wrote:

I have been driving Hudsons since 1955, where do I start? One of my favorites was about my friend, will call him Dave, had a 51 Super six hardtop. I had a 51 Pacemaker.Guess what car we always drove? I stop to get gas in a small town North of where I lived and the attendant, I will call him Jim came out to put the gas in my car and ask me if I knew Dave. I said yes and he said that guy is NUTS. Jim had a 1956 Chevy with 3- 2 bb carbs and had raced Dave in the 51. There is a stretch of Highway 10 miles long straight as a arrow with a 45MPH curve at the end which asyou enter the curve you start down hill hitting the low point at the center of the curve and then start up hill. The chevy was ahead with Hudson 5 feet behind at speeds over 100 MPH. Jim said we hit the curve and he pulled down, the cuve was to left, on the inside lane and hung on, kowing any minute he was going to loose the Chevy. Jim said he was scared andprayed that he would make it without dying. About the mid way through the curve he heard this roar as Dave passed him on the outside lane in the Hudson. I later saw Dave and he confirmed what Jim had told me.Dave said he could pull up and touch the back bumber of the Chevy but when he pulled out to pass and hit the air he couldnt get oround the Chevy. Think about doing this on nylon tube tires. Its awonder there wasnt more of us killed.

We were young, dumber than a box of rocks and crazier than an out-house mouse.



Maybe that's why we're around today to tell these stories - we looked at that we were invulnerable. It was the other guy was going to buy the farm.



Maybe, too, back in the 50's, we got away with what we did was because there was less traffic on the roads. Back then there weren't as many cars, no interstate highways and most every Dad was home from work and the car was parked in the driveway. I know it was that way in southern Maine, at the time it was pretty rural even along U S 1 where I lived halfway between Portsmouth, NH, and Portland. Forget about traffic after 6pm on the back roads where we had fun out-running the cops (cops back then had computers for brains - they knew who we were just from the cars we drove. Yeah, we'd out-run them most times, but you couldn't out-run Dad when he came home from work the next day with THAT LOOK in his eye that told you he knew all about your fun the night before. My dad took the ultimate punishment - he sold the car I had carefully built (a 1939 Dodge coupe with a 1953 Dodge 241 hemi under the hood) and sold it out from under me. I spent the last half of my senior year in high school driving the ultimate humiliation - a 1949 Nash 600. For some reason I had a lot of trouble getting dates - the girls Dads wouldn't let their daughters near me or the car.



Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

Lee ODell

I have many fond memories in my Dad's Hudson. When I was 8, Dad came home with a brand new Hudson Hornet. He did not like the interior color in it, so he asked the dealer if they wouild switch interiors from another Hudson on the lot that he liked. They switched interiors to suit him.



When we went on trips, it always started at night. I wonder if it was so he would not hear HOW MUCH LONGER UNTIL WE GET THERE. Or it may be so my younger brother and I would fall asleep. The place I chose to sleep was under the back window on the package tray. And that big wide fold down cushon on the seat back, was used alot on those long trips, during daylight hours, to seperate my brother and I.



The most memorable memory for me, was when Dad was drag racing his 4 door Hornet against an Oldsmobile coupe, from a stop light, in the city of Los Angeles. It was was a very close race but Dad won, and then he proceded to force the young driver to a stop. Then he began, in an authoritatively loud voice, to lecture him on the dangers of drag racing. The irony of this story is, Dad was a Burbank Police Officer.



I wish Dad had keep that Hornet.



Have good memories. Lee

Unknown

I got my first traffic ticket in my Dads 53 Hornet coupe in1956 , I borrowed the car without Dads permission and the the law got me , I was 8 yrs. old at the time .

Lee ODell

stateline wrote:

I got my first traffic ticket in my Dads 53 Hornet coupe in1956 , I borrowed the car without Dads permission and the the law got me , I was 8 yrs. old at the time .

HA HA HA HA. Sorry, that just made me laugh. I did the same thing. I was 15 and took Dad's (non Hudson yet) 51 Rambler station wagon and drag race it against a friends big old 41 Buick gangster car. Stupid move on my part in front of my high school, 2 or 3 time in a row. The Vice Principal was looking out of his window and turned us in.



I would beat him each time for the first 50 or 60 feet then that big ol straight 8 buick would fly right on by me. It was fun but I paid the consiquences.



Lee

[Deleted User]

You are right about the times being different.In Iowa there was not any speed limit, There was only one paved road into most towns, andafter dark very few cars on the roads. Later when speed limits did appear, the highway patrol could only clock your speed if they could get up behind you with their patrol cars. Later speed tapes were put across the highways. You could avoid them at night if you meet one by turning off your lights, stomping on the footfeed and turning on the first gravel or dirt road and keeping the hammer down as they say. I know, been there done that. If you did get caught, you were in more trouble from your parents than the police. Lost the front bumper gaurds on my 51 one night going through a 4 way rural intersection by dragging the front bumper on the road surface from the riseof the crossroad. Going about 80 at the time. Couldnt tell for sure, had no lights on. I have never told my kids and grandkids about this.I dont want them to know how dumb or stupid their grandfather was. It was another time and sure adifferent world in the 50s

Lee ODell

1951hornethardtop wrote:

You are right about the times being different.In Iowa there was not any speed limit, There was only one paved road into most towns, andafter dark very few cars on the roads. Later when speed limits did appear, the highway patrol could only clock your speed if they could get up behind you with their patrol cars. Later speed tapes were put across the highways. You could avoid them at night if you meet one by turning off your lights, stomping on the footfeed and turning on the first gravel or dirt road and keeping the hammer down as they say. I know, been there done that. If you did get caught, you were in more trouble from your parents than the police. Lost the front bumper gaurds on my 51 one night going through a 4 way rural intersection by dragging the front bumper on the road surface from the riseof the crossroad. Going about 80 at the time. Couldnt tell for sure, had no lights on. I have never told my kids and grandkids about this.I dont want them to know how dumb or stupid their grandfather was. It was another time and sure adifferent world in the 50s

The kids and grandkids know now. The guilty just can't keep it to themselves.



As Alex says, it is a wonder we are all still alive.



I'm enjoying these stories. Lee

oldhudsons

my dad bought a used '48 C8 sd. from the town Hudson dealer & I learned to drive on it. It did not have o.d. but I decided it should go 90 mph (so I could brag at school I suppose). It wouldn't & when it got up to about 85 I heard a rod start to knock. I limped back into town. Dad was told the engine was not worth fixing up (it was '53) SO dad bought a '53 Hornet (no Twin H) off the showroom floor! I was working after school at the dealership & had help "prep" the black & light grey sedan, thought it quite attractive (had the blue upholstery). I told dad what I'd done to the '48 about 30-40 years later, he just smiled (he wasn't into cars or mechanics at all, luckily for me).

I have a photo of the Hornet parked by our house probably in the late '50s as he kept the car for many years.