The Hornet's got a new home!

Unknown

For those that haven't seen it, go here:



Click here to see pics



We’re Home!

Well, Vicki and I picked up the Hudson today (October 22nd) and drove it the 200 miles home.



If anyone is still interested in buying this car, please check back with my son . . . in about 40-50 years. :rolleyes:



Just for comparison sake, I’ll let everyone know that my observations are not based on driving Hondas all my life. (And no, I have nothing against Hondas. I have one as a daily driver for a reason.) I’ve been a car guy since day one (some 40+ years ago). I’ve had some classics, cruisers, hot rods, antiques, compacts, trucks and bikes.



I even worked in an antique car museum (seems like a hundred years ago) where part of my “job” was to help keep all the cars drivable and exercised as insurance regulated that all cars be able to move under their own power. There I got to drive cars like: Horch, Alvis, Rolls, Auburn, Cord, Hispano-Suiza, Pungs-Finch (there’s only one left), Stanley, Tucker, and Packard to name but a few.



Although this is the first Hudson we’ve owned, I can draw on many years of driving a very varied list of automobiles, along with the 1-1/2 million miles I’ve logged.



In a recent post, I had my rating system all askew. The HET uses a different rating system than I have been used to, so I’ll apologize for my past ignorance. Now that I’m equipped with HET’s rating system (in hand) and having a good amount of exposure to the car, I’d say (on a 6-point scale, which I prefer), this car is a solid #3. With some work (and money), we could make it a solid #2 car, which is the plan. On a 5-point scale this car would be a high #3. Since a #1 is a trailer queen, that’s simply out of the question: gotta drive‘em! I’m basing my rating on the fact that this car is VERY original in appearance, aside from the 10-year old paint job and the re-built engine and trans. The interior is original, except for the remnant of a carpet that will soon be remedied. The car is just a very well-kept 54-year old car that needs some new threads and TLC.



Driving the Hudson:

Wow, wow, wow. . . WOW!! What a car! Driving her is nothing short of . . . sheer joy. Ultra-smooth ride, acceleration is smooth and effortless (there was no mountain in West Virginia that we drove over that I couldn’t accelerate up all the way). She’s got a quiet ride. Everyone should get the opportunity to drive a step-down at least once in their lives (this means you, Dan! If you get in my neck of the woods, just let me know).



The view you get looking out the windshield is also like nothing else. The long, beautiful hood with the pretty hood ornament way out there is simply stunning. This is the way cars are supposed to be! Modern day cars (most of them) are so dang-aerodynamically designed that you can’t even see the hood when driving; much less have one that has any styling to it. While this aspect is similar to other cars of the era, I’m kinda partial to the Hudson hood design.



80 mph and on a straight away, I was absolutely amazed. Not only can you steer (through mild curves) with your fist resting on your leg and your thumb on the wheel, but on one long straight, I let go of the wheel to see how well the car tracked. Through probably 1/3 of a mile, I didn’t even start towards the wheel and she never left the lane. This car tracks so straight, it’s spooky. Anyone thinking of putting on power steering? All I can think of is . . . why? To parallel park? How often are you going to parallel park your Hudson?



You sit down so low in this car! (I know, it’s a step-down). Anyone who has driven a Brand-X car of the late 40’s to early ‘50’s can relate. With the short windows and the step-down feature, it’s almost as if the car has already been lowered and chopped—just too cool. :cool: No other Brand-X that is un-altered compares.



This car also has the visor, and I love it! The view out the windshield is simply enhanced. Restricted, yes, but somehow enhanced. If anyone asked me about wanting to add one to their car, I would highly recommend it, but keep in mind that along with the visor, a viewfinder is a must. Luckily, this car already has one on the dash. Only downside I’ve found, so far, is that driving through West Virginia, particularly this time of year, I probably missed out on some of the beauty of the landscape, but, hey, the beauty inside was great!



Not too long ago, there was a thread about that “Hudson Smell”. I was like: yeah, right, it’s just that old car smell (which I like). But, I have to say there is a difference. The “Hudson Smell” and the Brand-X smells are similar, but definitely different. Maybe other manufacturers also have their own distinctive smell, but the Hudson is definitely unique and . . . what’s the word . . . euphoric. Sounds kinda’ corny, but there, I’ve said it. (Do I qualify as a Hudsonut, yet?)



Wow, I’m’ ramblin’, I know, I could go on, but I’ll save it for later. Hey, is there a limit on word count on these threads? . . . ‘cause I’m not done, yet.



History of the Car:

Since ’92 the owners have been Hayward and Lucille Barb and their son, Jay, of West Virginia. Mr. Barb passed away in ’00. Long-time club members, Mr. and Mrs. Barb owned many, many antique cars, including other makes besides Hudsons. I have a Roster from 99-2000, and the car is listed there. Mr. Barb was a judge at many car shows, helped find the local car get-togethers, and was known locally as “Mr. Hudson”. The VIN on the car is 7B166657. When he bought the car it was white, but that was NOT the original color. Inside the trunk and inside the fuel filler door is the (I believe) original color, a dark green, known as “Jefferson Green”. He purchased the car from a fella in the Baltimore area. Any info anyone has prior to ’92, would be greatly appreciated, as we are interested in the history. Since the beginning of 2000 at least, the car was regularly driven “around the block” once or twice a month.



Changes for the Hudson:

Priority #1: Seat Belts, converting to 12V, AC/Heat from Vintage Air, check the brakes: anyone’s input would be helpful, but the brakes seem awful stiff to me, even for hydraulics. I almost have to stand on it to lock ‘em up. Are Stepdowns typically stiffer than other cars with hydraulics? I wouldn’t think so . . .



Priority #2: At the very least, that brown paint has got to go! We’re either going to leave the charcoal color and re-paint the brown a Navy color, OR do Navy on the top and a Royal/Electric Blue below the beltline. Also, the addition of wide whites: Silvertown Radials, 3” whitewalls.



Priority #3: Interior, wire wheels. Also, the back glass is cloudy. Is there a replacement for these? I know you can pick up windshields on E-bay all day long, but don’t know about the back glass.



Priority #4: New engine, unless this becomes a necessity earlier. Upgrade to a 7X, maybe with a few goodies, like Clifford exhaust, etc. This stock 308 is nice, just not as much power as I’d like to have.



In Summation: Isn’t it odd that an automobile, which is older than I am, from a manufacturer that was long dead and gone before I was born, could make such a life-altering impact on me? It’s almost as if driving this car . . . it makes me feel more alive and . . . younger, somehow.



Thanks to everyone with the info, posts, e-mails and support. Will reciprocate. Hudson owners are the best.



Well, that about sums it up. Think I like the car? I’d go on, but I gotta go out to the garage . . .

Unknown

RL, welcome to Hudsondom!!! You have a right to be totally jazzed about your purchase. You got a good one with some history behind it and I'm positive that it will be treasured as every Hudson has a right to be these days! Nothing drives like a Hudson, I've owned several hundred cars over the last 40 years and they're just not comparable. Congratulations!!

dwardo99

Congratulations on your Hudson! As you have driiven many vintage cars, you know that the drum brakes have a totally different "feel" than modern power disks. Having said that, the brakes on a Hornet are relatively large and if they aren't good there is something wrong. Fifty years is a long time for any mechanical system, and most of our cars have been through a long series of owners, some of whom were better mechanics than others. A complete evaluation of the braking system is in order, and be aware that some parts that "fit" aren't correct and won't work properly. By all means, replace all of the steel brake lines even if they look OK. All of the brake parts are available, although the front shoes are a little bit hard to get. The folks on this list and in the HET Club generally will be more than happy to assist you, I'm sure.

[Deleted User]

Good Post, and I can share your enthusiasm. Same thing happened to me - I could not believe they drove so well.



I really get a kick out of folks buying those Mustang II clips, thinking they will improve the Hudson front end. It probably takes about 3 points off the "reliability" score of the car.



I started out going to change quite a bit, and comparing the new and old - I'm sticking with more of the old than going with the new. Remarkable cars.



Welcome to the HET!



Mark

[Deleted User]

Russell Congrats on the car.....she's a beauty (gotta agree on the brown paint though! lol)!



Jay

[Deleted User]

It's gorgeous! Keep the color!

Unknown

check your brake fluid. I noticed my car starting to take more effort to brake and discovered my master cylinder empty. It was stopping on the secondary e-brake that hudson built in for back up.

harry54

Congrats on your new purchase. I loved hearing how passionate your are . I agree , there is nothing in this world like driving a step down. Good luck.

Aaron D. IL

RL - Love your driving review. There were never any Hudson's in my family history that I know of but to drive one is to be totally smitten with the car! It's an emotional thing! If you look at a survey of marque loyalty back then Hudson had the highest and now you understand why. At first being in the driver's seat seemed intimidating to me but after a while of driving it the opposite effect happened I felt completely safe surrounded by that much steal and superior engineering and having been in an accident (without seatbelts) I have the empiracle proof. Welcome to our asylum we'll get you fitted for a Hudnut straightjacket right away. Congradulations!

Unknown

RL, I have to ask this question. You indicated you drove a Tucker; how did that compare to a Hudson? There seem to be striking similarities between the two. Better, worse, or just different?

Unknown

superwasp262 wrote:

RL, I have to ask this question. You indicated you drove a Tucker; how did that compare to a Hudson? There seem to be striking similarities between the two. Better, worse, or just different?

I honestly can't compare the Tucker to the Hudson, at least so far as driveablility or performance goes. We drove the Hudson 200 miles home and have since put on another 100 or so mostly at highway speeds 65-80mph. I've got six or seven hours driving my car over the last two days. In contrast, I drove the Tucker once . . . in a large parking lot . . .never over 30 mph . . . you can see where I'm going with this. Some of the other cars we got out on the road, but not the Tucker. So, as far as driveability comparisons, I'm not a fair one to judge. That said, what I can tell you is that euphoric feeling is there with both cars. The feeling that you are not only in a very highly engineered, unique, "once in lifetime" kind of driving experience, but also one that you know will stay with you for the rest of your life. Aaron D. mentioned the "safe" aspect after a certain period of time and I have already gotten that feeling after initially being slightly intimitdated at first with the Hudson. I never got comfortable in the Tucker . . . wasn't in it long enough. I was lucky to keep the drool off of the seat . . . you know, still star struck. Don't get me wrong, the Hudson certainly has me star struck, but I can handle it much better.



There is many striking similarities between the two. Both cars were designed and engineered light years ahead of the Brand-X. That was definitely part of Tucker's downfall (maybe to a smaller degree, Hudson's, too). Amazingly, I once thought (mind of a young dreamer), no, I actually believed I would one day own a Tucker. In 1980, you could have one for 25-30K. They are currently selling for 250-350K. Tucker's were always viewed as kind of an anomaly. There were only 51 produced (along with some extra parts) and hardly anyone got a chance to even see one, let alone drive one. No one was even sure where Tucker fit into the mix of the automobile spectrum. On the other hand, I grew up with very meager means. My family has been blue-collar workers since the 17th century and it was always my contention that Hudsons were driven not just by the well-off, but that you had to have a certain amount of class to drive a Hudson . . . or maybe driving a Hudson gave you a certain amount of class. I felt as though I didn't fit into the Hudson category. Tucker's weren't in that class, they were just another limited production car. At one time, there used to be over 3200 automobile manufacturers . . . in America, alone.



The interior of the Tucker is no match for the Hudson. It was sparse, not plush. For that matter, while the exterior of the Tucker was vastly different from it's contemporaries, I never thought it was very sleekly designed. Just my opinion. My belief of a really good car design has to be that it looks as though it's moving when sitting still. Hudson Stepdowns do that, Tucker doesn't.



I will say that the Tucker was peppy . . . you could just tell. Another similarity was that Tucker (for a brief time) and Hudson both marketed their cars through endurance, performance and safety.



So, both were similar, but different. Truth be told, I wouldn't trade the Hudson for two Tuckers (financial common sense, aside). I'm going to be hard pressed as it is waiting until I can add a 'vert to go with the Sedan. :rolleyes:

Unknown

Aaron D. IL wrote:

RL - Love your driving review. There were never any Hudson's in my family history that I know of but to drive one is to be totally smitten with the car! It's an emotional thing! If you look at a survey of marque loyalty back then Hudson had the highest and now you understand why. At first being in the driver's seat seemed intimidating to me but after a while of driving it the opposite effect happened I felt completely safe surrounded by that much steal and superior engineering and having been in an accident (without seatbelts) I have the empiracle proof. Welcome to our asylum we'll get you fitted for a Hudnut straightjacket right away. Congradulations!

Weren't any Hudson's in my family history, either. But your "marque loyalty" is something I think about so often, even more so now that I have a Hudson. My grandfather was a Buick man. Bought his first new car in '32 (a Buick). He'd keep a car for a couple or few or sometimes (rarely) 4 years and trade it in . . . for another Buick. Woodworker by trade, he always had a truck and a car. Trucks were GMC's, cars were Buicks. He was consistent throught the rest of the 20th century. So many other people I have met, who are considerably older than me, fit exactly into that mold. This guy's a Buick guy, that guy's a Hudson guy and that fella over there drives Cadillacs.



Old-timers had the marque loyalty down pat. I've wished that America still took the pride to be so loyal to their manufacturer. I wish the manufacturers took the pride they once did. These days that kind of loyalty seems to be for one's favorite sports team, not cars. The only place I've truly found that kind of loyalty for the automobile is with the HET crowd. I'll have one (at least one) in my garage for the rest of my life and when I'm all but done in, perhaps my son will carry the torch for me.



Russell

Unknown

RL,

Thanks for the information. I have always wondered if the Tucker was more of an intriguing phantom than it was a marvel of automotive engineering. I have only seen one Tucker in person. Think it was #48 and It was maroon. It was sitting behind rope barricades at the Auburn/Cord museum collecting dust and shrouded in darkness like a phantom. I once had an elderly neighbor who swore up and down he once knew a guy that owned a waltz blue Tucker. No pictures of it, just a phantom memory. As far as Hudsons go, there is also intrigue. However, there are pictures, personal accounts, and most of all the roadable survivors. Interesting....

Aaron D. IL

RL - Yep usually more often than not even today within the HET club Hudson owners own more than one Hudson. Many of them were using them as daily divers in the '60's and '70's when no one wanted a Hudson and you couldn't give em away. But when they were new Hudson's were upper-middle price class cars in Buick's sales territory. Sort of the country-club set I've been told. Although Hudson always tried to offer a less expensive model.