1937 Hudson six

alansking

This vehicle arrived Saturday 4/10/2014 from sunny South Africa and we collected it from Southampton in UK on the following Thursday, this means although I have owned it to a while I only got to see it just over a week ago in the flesh, the car is simply put in awesome condition, it needs a few trim parts but otherwise it is great.

I need to sort the choke on the carb as the starting process includes some fuel down the throat of the carb as it's choke is u/s , it growls into life instantly once this is done, running well and smooth on road, brakes etc good.

The car held a few surprises as it was sold to us as a terraplane but is a six touring sedan, it also has a power dome head on it and this does say terraplane on it, the casting number though on engine fits the year of the car and the engine number begins with 366 interestingly as it's a six this could from all the docs I have read be correct, the eights numbers started at 80 or 90 but some info shows the six starts on 25 and other info on the het site show the 36 number began in 1938 , but this could vary.

So if I have it right the whole car looks like it's pretty authentic, come to think of it at those times in South Africa gold and diamonds were big business , who knows this car may have been bought from this.

Both fender trims are missing but indications ( holes) seem to indicate it had fender lights, these are I believe almost impossible to buy so I have made a plug and will cast some.

The body is rust free, all engine bay plates in place and all seems very original, car is fitted with two spare wheels.

Anybody out there with more info please feel free to advise, the chassis number is 731510 .

Park_W

Glad the car got there all right, Alan. It's my understanding that all export models, regardless of point of manufacture, were equipped with the fender parking lights.

alansking

Thanks for the info, finding them seems a challange so will make them, also need to find the red single wing so if anyone has one please let me know.

Geoff

My Hornet also came from South Africa. To date I have been unable to discover anything about the Hudson operation in S.A. I believe they assembled them there, but don't I know any details. Can anyone help? Did they source from Canada? or G.B.?

Ol racer

Dont worry aboutva Red Wing. I bought one on E Bay tghen tweaked it to fit the '37 Hood Orament. Its not perfect replacement but will suffice until they start reproducing them...
b vThey can also be ourchased on E Bay for about $25 for a Pair... I used Awquariun Adhesive from Petsmart to secure the Wing...

Ol racer

Sorry, Dont know how to correct my mistyping with the Forum changes taking place.....

Jon B

Park, are you saying that all HUDSON exports had the fender lights? Or all 1937s (including Terraplane)? My 37 T was an export model but had no fender lights.

alansking

The hudson six in 1937 had a single wing, hood ornament and based on some photos I am going to cut one from perspex I will do it in a five layer lamination and use a friend's laser to cut it out each layer will then be shaped and polished prior to lamination, this should give a fairly accurate copy. As to Hudson's being assembled in SA my understanding is this was done from kits in Port Elizabeth , this is very likely as the cape province is known now for car production, I have some family in PE and have asked one of them if he has any knowledge of this.

I am not sure about the fender lights and what cars had them but mine definitely has three holes in each fender , looking at pics of these lights the holes look to be in appropriate places, I have completed the plug and will be looking at doing some sand castings but may also persue the lost wax method. The lenses for the lights is a small challenge but I have found an appropriate shaped lense.

If my wing looks good I will pull a mould off it and cast some in red casting resin, I was going to make a plug but decided the perspex route would be interesting.

barrysweet52

The 1937 red carrot or zeppelin or cigar is similar to the 1936 carrot shape, except for the mounting grooves. I think the 1936 carrots are being reproduced by Eshelman moulding. Perhaps you can buy one without the grooves and modify it for your 1937. Might be easier. I also have spare 1936 cigars. ozhudson@gmail.com

Jay_G

I have a set of the fender light bodies that I would be willing to part with.  They have been rechromed and are good but do have some blemishes given the shape they start out as.  I have also made a silicone mold of the lens but I have not tried casting them yet.  These bodies do not have any sockets so those would have to be reproduced.

Jay

Jon B

Unfortunately, you need to also have a metal collar (which fits around the neck of the lens) to attach the lens to the body.

alansking

On the 1937 Hudson six unlike the terraplane the ornament had a wing not the cigar, this wing is quite simple to make if a picture of it is carefully examined, the cigar or torpedo would also be easy to cut on a lathe and then polish but it would I think not be able to be made to look like the wing , this seems to be quite a rare item to find. 

alansking

I am aware of the ring on the light but reckon this can be turned up, I would love though to get my hands on an original set of lights, I have made my plug and reckon it's pretty accurate. Have sent you a pm Jay.

PaulButler

I have some "midget" fender lights on my 112 so if anyone is thinking of making some more substantial ones I'd be interested!

I know they wouldn't be standard but would have to look better than the small ones currently there and I could look to incorporating indicators into them as well

alansking

As I have completed the plug I have ordered some product to make a mould from, I will then cast some in wax which will then enable them to be cast in brass, will turn some reflectors plus ring and then use a low wattage candle bulb housing for the lenses. I will also make some in clear casting resin and see what they look like.

Jon B

Concerning 1937 fender lights, here is the real deal:



Note the chromed collar at the neck of the lens.  The collar does a quarter-twist to hold the lens in.  There is no reflector behind the lens.

Here is a photo of three different 1937-8 Buick fender lamp lens reproductions.  Not sure which one is the correct Buick repro.  The center one looks closest to the Hudson.  Might be modified to fi the Hudson housing.  The discussion (on an AACA forum) is here: http://forums.aaca.org/f165/1937-1938-fender-light-lens-question-285895.html



Packard also featured a similar fender light in the late thirties -- you might google that to see if the repro's are similar to the Hudson ones.

alansking

These are the pics I have based my lights on,  I will be casting my lights in two ways, one will be using the lost wax method , the second will be using casting resin, in the first case I will need to reproduce a lense and the chrome ring, should not be a huge problem, on the casting resin I may do them as one piece drilling up from the base for a LED and then chrome spraying the light fitting leaving the lense in clear and then lightly sand blasting it.

Jon B

I'm confident that, if you do reproduce these fender lights for yourself, you will find a few buyers for them. As Geoff Clark says, they are made of Unobtainium.

I have rigged my '37 fender lights as turn signals, although the frosted glass picks up the sun during the daytime and I had to use a 21 cp bulb even to produce the faintest glimmer.

Ol racer

alansking

So here they are, one blue foam and balsa plug, then a casting resin body, then the body prepared and sprayed, made a lense mould too will post pics later of complete light, light fitted with a flashing LED 10mm diameter, rear tail light will have LED's fitted into the reflector. I will cast some in brass but to be honest the cast resin units look good and are quick and easy to make, they could be chromed as per most modern plastic parts.

PaulButler

Looking good to me Alan! Do you have any ball park figure as to cost yet?

alansking

Hi Paul

If made in casting resin I would not think very much, in brass will need to work it out once made, I will let you know but in resin with lenses and flashing LED not chromed but silver sprayed I think max £60 a pair.

alansking

In the above example the body is cast in resin as per the pictures, then the lense is made in perspex this is then fitted to the backing plate which is made of stainless steel with a stainless trim ring, the LED fits into this trim, LED can be flashing Amber normal Amber or white light if required .

Jon B

I'm not sure...are you planning to actually produce several of these, for sale?  If you do, please let us know the price, give us some contact information,  and show some photos of the final product.  As I said, there would probably be a market for this, as they are not only a rare and desirable option, but useful as turn signals (instead of having to add period-incorrect indicator lights at the front of the car).

alansking

Yes I will make some available for sale, here though is the important option, I can make them one of two ways, one in casting resin as per above or I can investment cast them from brass which will make a much more expensive unit. I will be able to offer a pair of lights cast in resin and chrome sprayed ( not real chrome) with stainless trim ring and backing plate fitted with an LED to buyers spec with a lexan lense. I will have some ready soon and will post pics.

I will also be able to offer the single wing for the hood ornament, this will be cast in red transluscent casting resin.

alansking

The price on resin pair will be £60 ($ dependant on exchange rate at the time) this will be ready to mount but I would need to know if buyer wants LED lights or normal bulb , 6v or 12v .

alansking

here are my first castings of wing, the cream colour one was done to check the mould was ok, the plug was made from pink foam. the red wing is from clear casting resin with a red tint added, the wing now needs to be polished. the mould is from silicon so can make about 25 before I need to make a new mould.

I am able to offer these to anyone wanting them at a fair price, if you want them in a particular colour to add your own signature to your car I can do this.

alansking

Here is the first completed unit but this is silver sprayed not chrome sprayed, lense is solid casting which screws into the body, ring is a stainless steel unit , lense drilled to accept 10mm LED , in my lights I have used flashing Amber LED's for turn signals. As I had nothing to measure from other then mounting holes in fender I have judged the size of the lights from this, I think they have come out well.

hudsonsplasher1

Looking good.  

alansking

I note from some photos on the net that these lights often were the same colour as the car, please feel free to correct me if I am wrong but it looks a bit odd with two chrome side lights and two painted head lights, I will. Be spraying mine car colour.

Jon B

I think I recall from the 1937 parts manual that the lights could be ordered from the factory either in chrome, or painted (probably in primer).  Most of the photos I've seen have shown the plated versions.  I think in the U.S. most cars had fender lights that were chromed; possibly in the U.K., painting the match the car was the standard procedure.