Questions about '54 Hornet coupes

Unknown

This question goes under the "I'd love to own one someday, but it ain't happening anytime soon" category...

How common are the '54 Hornet coupes compared to the other models/body styles offered that year? Are nice, driveable (but not show quality) Hornet or Hornet Special coupes out there if you're willing to spend some time looking?

I can't say I've ever seen one listed in Hemmings or on eBay, but I haven't being seriously searching and maybe I'm not looking in the right places.

Unknown

Hudson coupes for all the Stepdown years are continually available on the open market.

EBay, Craigslist and other electronic media should be watched for the 1954 coupe you seek. A nice driver quality car has a price and you must be willing to pay that price when the car comes available. There are several folks who regularly post on this BBS who have purchased 1954 coupes within the last year. One in particular I remember purchased a red coupe which appeared to be very close to show room condition when viewing the pictures.

Hang in and keep a close watch on the electronic means...

For the record... if you are willing to restore ... there are at least 2 54 coupes offered for sale in the Atlanta area and they are advertised on Craigslist.

Good Luck with your hunt!

Jon B

This is a bit of shameless commerce, but you might want to consider joining the Hudson club in order to get its magazine, as you ponder your Hornet future. You'll be able to see a lot of ads for these cars in the magazine, plus learn a lot about Hudsons (so you'll have a feel for what you should be looking for when you finally do go shopping). You might even discover, when you receive the national roster, that there are one or two Hornet owners in your vicinity. Then, you could perhaps drive over, look at the cars, and learn even more about them from the owner.

Our esteemed editor, Sam Jackson, will mail you a free copy if you'll contact him at fortyqtpi@earthlink.net and send your address. I think you'll agree that the magazine alone is worth the price of admission!

[Deleted User]

See if Brad Blaisdell still has his '54 Hornet coupe for sale it was a good looking and running car.....contact number for Brad in the roster is 910-460-0743
if not mistaken it was a very reasonable price.
Bob Hickson

Unknown

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I will go ahead and join the club just to learn a bit more about the cars.

A couple follow up questions:

Will it be hard to find a '54 Hornet with 3 speed overdrive? Was the Hydramatic standard at this point, like with Lincoln, Cadillac, etc.?

Does anyone know of anyone racing one of these stepdowns in the Carrera Panamericana Mexican road race re-enactment? I'd love to get in touch with them and ask a few questions.

dougson

Three speed overdrive '54 coupes were built but the ratio of auto's to standard shift is probably unknown. Hudson built about two thousand Hornet coupes in '54 (number interpolated from previous years), how many exist today is unknown. I found about 25 on the HET roster. They do come up for sale from time to time, the price can get quite high if the car is in decent shape. I bought mine three years ago and it needed a complete resto, which I am 1/2 through. It was a factory equipped twin-H with stand./overdrive. Stepdown coupes have been entered in the recent Pan Americana races and done well, but I have not seen a '54.

53jetman

WildWasp wrote:

Hudson coupes for all the Stepdown years are continually available on the open market.

There are several folks who regularly post on this BBS who have purchased 1954 coupes within the last year. One in particular I remember purchased a red coupe which appeared to be very close to show room condition when viewing the pictures.

I guess I'm the member "Wild Wasp" is talking about above. '54 coupes in the condition of my car (which is not a show car by any means) seem to carry price tags from the mid teens on up thru the early 20's. The problem is, if you are not interested in a project, you've got to be ready and able to jump on the "keepers" you find when you find them. Here's the pictures of my car I ran in March '10 when I brought it home:







[attachment:4]'54 Hornet Club Coupe' 004.jpg[/attachment]

Marconi

Ivan Zaremba in the San Francisco area races a Hornet in the modern Mexican Road Races. We have a very nice 54 Hornet coupe at Vintage coach in Fontana, Ca. for sale right now. It's a Twin-H car with Hydra-Matic, Dark metalic green in color. Hours are 8 to 5 Tues to Sat. Phone is 909-823-9168, ask for Jason if interested.

Hudson Grandpa

Heres mine from Vintage Coach, in Fontana, Circa 2006
It's been a long road, but worth the sweat and labor.

Unknown

So if 24,833 Hornets were built in 1954 and about 2000 were coupes, what are the estimates for production of the remaining models? There was probably, at most, a few hundred convertibles, right? How about the Hollywoods, 2-dr sedans, and 4-dr sedans. (I know exact numbers don't exist, so these are just estimates.)

Only 25 registered in the club? I knew they were rare, but had not idea they were that rare.

Chris Smith

Hey Hudson Grandpa, I remember seeing your car at Bill's shop before you bought it. I know time flies when your having fun, but it does not seem like it took you very long at all to get it looking good. I wish my 54 coupe was half as close to being completed. I have the same rocker rot in mine that you had. As I recall the interior in your car was very original and in fairly good shape compared to the outside appearance. How about some pictures of the inside. What did you do for carpeting? I think I am going to have a carpet made with Mercedes Velour in a dark brown as it's kinda close to the hudson tight weave only thicker.

Hudson Grandpa

Hey Chris:

2006 to 2011 should be enough time to get something back into shape.
The interior was pretty bad, and stunk badly, and was full of Nevada dust.
The instument panel was in fine shape, but wiring was all fouled up, lights, taillights, turn lights, etc. SAS in Oregon did the door panels. Could of done a better job locally. Took them a whole year. I had the headliner, floor carpet, seats done locally to match door panels in about 2 weeks. Not original color, but better than original.

I'm pretty good at epoxy glass, and painting. I did all the work on the body myself. I did not use too much bondo, and no lead at all. Only epoxy resin with cloth to fill all the rust holes, but rust cleaned out first, and sprayed with encapsulator. I also have a buddy thats a great mechanic who helped me do all the brakes, rear end, fuel tank, and got it running for me. Engine not too swift, but I drove it for 4 yrs I guess until it starting smoking this past year pretty bad.
He also was proficient in Fiberglass resin. Instead of putting in new floor pans and welding, we decided to go with Fiberglass Resin, with 1/2" fiberglass mat and did the whole bottom inside of the floor with such. Really runs quiet now.

He also helped my with the door mechanics, such as wing gears, new glass driver & passenger side. Rest of glass cleaned up and OK. I took off all the stainless, sent what needed to be fixed down to Rick Monroe, (slow as a 7 year itch), and put all the stainless back on, and then took it off again for the paint job, and then put it back on again. Bumpers sent to San Antonio for re chroming. All new tires, radials, brakes and did some of the wiring myself. The car is 6 volts, with a Optima Battery, the best.....Has a Alternator on it now, and am now in the process of putting a 6 volt pusher fan on the radiator, to make sure that the new engine won't heat up at a stoplight down here, during 100 degree temps.
Basically the car in the beginning wasn't a basket case, I got lucky on that account. It just needed some care, to get it back to health.
By allmeans don't go with the carpet that these guys recommend. There are too many lush looking carpets out there that really do the inside justice. Mario the carpet man here did a beautiful job. Made the hole in the carpet to be able to check the transmission oil, and can roll back the drivers carpet back to check the brake cylinder.

You know I wouldn't want the same cloth put back on the inside of the car, cause it was the cheapest stuff they put on in 1954. Everything now is so much more durable, and good looking.

Enclosed find pic of inside. I can send you more if you need.

Well I guess thats not bad for a now 80 yr old. But I enjoy the hell outta driving this beauty. And down here amongst chevy & ford country, the old girl does turn some heads. Finally got another 51 cpe about 9 miles from me, but that car was done completely years ago by Bill Albright, and finally found it's way down here.
Car was already a #1 when he bought it. If you need to get in touch with me, heres my phones
512-288-2055 Home
512-461-9636 Cell
Always like to talk to another Hudson man, especially one that owns a 54.
Send me a couple of pics of your car when you get time.....

Dave in Austin, TX

Chris Smith

Grandpa, Would love to see pictures of the door panels,sun visors and carpet closeups. Did you reuse the metal trim strips on the doors? Mine were gone,but I bought a complete set off a 54 Hollywood and may use them even though they are different.

Hudson Grandpa

Heres a few:

duncan

Beutiful car grampa I hope our 54 Hollywood looks that nice. Are the Hollywood doors longer than a coupe and also is there a difference in the quarter panel lengh between a hollywood and coupe. hudsonly duncan

Hudson Grandpa

I'd have to leave that question about the quarter panel length to the experts, however wouldn't the overall length of the frame dedicate the same length of the doors!! Thanx Duncan for lookin. It's been a trip. Isn't a Hollywood, Hornet Cpe, and Conv built on the same frame...

Regards,

David

53jetman

All two door step down Hudsons use the same chasis as the four door cars, and the rear quarters and front doors are all the same for all models (except the Holywoods which had the upper door trimmed off)the two door bodies. It has been only in recent history that the automobile manufacturers decided to build their two door models on shorter and different chasis from the sedans.

Ol racer

FYI



I came across a very nice '54 Hornet Cpe Picture and thought I would find a place to Post.....
Have a nice Hudson Day!

MikeWA

Yep, its true that everything looks better in black ;<)