New Member Here - Hello!

J_VV

Hello there,

I happened across this discussion board while trying to find parts for a 1954 Hornet that I saved from the scrap collector. Sadly, the Twin-H engine was long gone before I came across it, but I'm (slowly) trying to assemble it into a driving vehicle and learning a lot while doing so.

I look forward to chatting with you all; keep 'em running!
-J

Jon B

Welcome to the forum, J!  You may now post in whatever category you like.

At the moment, several of the forum members are at the national meet of the Hudson club in Indiana, but things should return to normal soon!

46HudsonPU

Welcome aboard! 

Good to have you.  I'm sure you'll find a wealth of information here.

You may also want to visit the Hudson Essex Terraplane Club website, and consider joining that Club - Members come for the cars, and stick around because of the great folks there!

We hope you enjoy your time here at the Hudson Essex Terraplane 'Open Forum' -

Lee ODell

Welcome to the forum. You will get a lot of help with any questions you my have to help with fixing your Hudson. Congratulation on saving another Hudson from going to scrap. Any pictures you can share? Where are you located? There are Hudson Club chapters all over the country. Probably one near you. The Hudson Club is like being part of a large family.
I hope you keep us informed on your Hudsons progress.
Lee O'Dell

Kdancy

JV welcome. What is your location?

J_VV

Hey gang,

Thanks for the warm welcome! I have a good feeling about this place I'm located in California, between Sacramento and San Francisco. I haven't seen too many Hudsons prowling around, but I suspect there are more nearby than I am aware.

I picked up my '54 a few years ago, but I've always been short on either time or money (or both; frequently both), which is pretty typical, but I'm hoping to make a little more progress soon. The car's admittedly in pretty rough shape, but I just couldn't let the scrap man haul it away. At any rate, I hope to get it moving under power by the end of the year. It's not much to look at (yet), but I've attached a pic for anyone curious.

Thanks again for the welcome!
-J

oldhudsons

we have a very active Chapter in your area called the NorCal Chapter; hope you'll consider joining the HET Club thru which you will receive contact info

ken1962

Welcome J_W,

Doesn't matter how bad it is, its yours to dream over :-)

This was mine, before and after (Previous owner did all the work - not me)

yours doesn't seem as bad now I'd say :-)

cheers Ken

Chris Smith

Well J_VV at first glance your Algerian blue 54 looks like a good restoration project. 54's are my favorite and I have a two of them. I will share a few things I have learned about 54 hornets while restoring mine and collecting parts. 54's have flimsy hoods that rust in the front corners, and bow in the center. Your hood looks great with mabye some rust issue in the right front. They are double wall in that area and trap moisture there. Look below the hood ornament and notice a small half inch bridge that devides the air scoop openings. These are typically cracked or completely broken away. This is caused by closing the hood with one hand on the center of the hood ornament. Don't do that! Keep your hinges lubricated and it wont bow. 54's have rust issues with the rocker panels so address that area early on. 54 steering wheels are thinner than ealier models and tend to be cracked or chunks broken out especially if it was ivory/bone colored. They can be restored by recasting for a small fortune. There is about a mile of stainless trim on 54's and by far is the biggest pain to remove without damage. You will wan't to remove all the trim before attempting any body work as rust under the trim is common place. If  you are wanting to get it running and driving before any major restoration (I recommend)  you should drop the engine oil pan and clean it before attempting a start up. Do as oldhudsons suggests and get involved with your local club. This will get you motivated and will open up the world of Hudsons to you.