Grandpa's 1929 Essex

29_essex

Hello all, I am in the process of restoring my Great Grandfather's 1929 Essex Super Six Coach and was hoping some might be able to tell me how/where the condenser mounts in the distributor.  Pictures would be awesome!

Jon B

Welcome to the Forum, '29' !

What a kick, to have your Great-Grandfather's Essex!  I'll bet there is a story, there!  Fortunately, that's probably the most popular Essex ever built, so parts and technical advice should be readily available. 

I don't know if you are acquainted with the H-E-T Club but if not, you may want to consider joining, because it's a great clearinghouse of information and parts. (Plus, they run this forum!)   http://www.hetclub.org/ .   I don't know where you live, but there is a decent chance that someone in the Club with a '29, lives not far from you.  That might be helpful when you need first-hand information, dimensions, or photos to help your restoration.  (Most Hudson owners are happy to assist their fellow enthusiasts).

I'm sure someone will jump in here with the info  you need, on placement of the condenser.  If you DO happen to be an H-E-T member, did you know that the Club has all sorts of technical and sales literature available for download, at the website?  Of course, one needs to be registered at the site in order to get all the website benefits, and registration is free for all Club members.

So, keep the questions coming, because we do have a number of Essex experts right here at the Open Forum.

29_essex

Thanks for the warm welcome!  You are right on the money, long story short the car was picked up in Detroit in 29 and been in my family ever since, it spent most of it's life on a small island off the coast of Maine where my family is from and is now getting a well needed restore.  I am a newly registered HET Member (just this week) but I am having a little trouble navigating the website, I am sure it will get easier when I get the time to really sit down and explore.  I am sure I will have plenty of questions to post in the future!!

Jon B

Just to clarify, regarding the website: if you're a paid-up member of the H-E-T you can have total website privileges (which include the use of the online library) but you still need to register at the website.  Once signed in there, you will see "Welcome, Joe Doakes" (or whatever your name is!) in the upper left corner of the page.  If it's not there, you're not signed in yet.

Don't hesitate to ask questions here, about navigating the H-E-T website.  (This Open Forum, as I mentioned, is run by the H-E-T as well as another, separate forum on the website. So it's all one big happy family.  The Open Forum has the advantage of having a lot of non-Club people on it, so you get an even larger cross-section of Hudson enthusiasts here.

Our newsletter editor, Sam Jackson, would probably love to carry an article in the WTN about your car's history (along with photos).  Of course, he'd love it if you'd write it, but if that's not possible, maybe you could send him some facts & figures and he can find some lackey like me to do the article, LOL!  1929, as you probably know, was Hudson's best-ever sales year, with Essex hitting the #3 sales spot in the nation, behind Ford and Chevy.

We do look forward to hearing more about your great-granddad's Essex!

Browniepetersen

Welcome to the family.  I have a 28 Essex hot rod.  We love to answer questions and look at photographs so when you get some time post a bunch so we can enjoy your process.

ernie28

What a great car to have inherited. I have attached a photo of the distributor on my '28 which should have the same one as your '29. Hopefully this is clear for you.

Good luck with your project!

ESSX28-1

Alistair's photo shows an after market condenser (very common)
If your distributor is an Auto-Lite IBA (or IB)4001 then originally the condenser was flat curved mounted inside the distributor. These are rare in my experience.
The other distributor often used in the 29's is the later IGB 4022 (much smaller than the 4001) which also had an internally mounted condenser.
If you have a 4001 be aware that the counter-weights are made from the dreaded die-cast zinc (pot metal or muck metal) & are likely to disintegrate. Geoff Clark (in New Zealand) has reproduced these in bronze & can supply them.

29_essex

Excellent pictures and advice!  That is just what I needed! I have a similar condenser to the one in the picture.  It has been a great week, I found a new ring gear for my flywheel and got my questions answered on the distributer, now I just have to figure out my steering wheel hub.  Thanks!

Jon B

Geoff Clark (mentioned above) is an invaluable source of information, and is reproducing a number of parts that tend to dissolve (due to their alloy) on the old 'twenties Essexes and Hudsons.  We're lucky to have him in the Club and here on the Forum!  I think he reproduces the metal steering wheel hub (which can break apart, with disastrous results) and some of the control levers at the steering wheel.

Geoff

Gary Lynch has the new steering boss for the 1929 Essex.  I only have '28 version.  You distributor will have steel counterweights.

29_essex

Thanks for the info, you are correct on the distributer.

29_essex

I am still trying to figure out how to navigate this site. How would I go about contacting Gary Lynch?

Jon B

First: this open forum is separate from the H-E-T Club's website  although it is run by the Club.  So you cannot get the info you need, from the Open Forum.

If you are registered at the aforementioned website, go there first http://www.hetclub.org/  and then look for the "Member" drop-down menu just below the H-E-T Masthead. 

(If you're properly signed in you'll see "Welcome 29 Essex" -- or whatever your username is -- toward the upper left of the homepage screen.  If you don't see it, you're not signed in, and a number of drop-down menus will not be visible to you.)

At the "Member" page, click "find current club members" link from the list at the left side of the page.

Fill in the Club member's name in the blank (and any other information you have on him/her)  and click SEARCH.

If you know the person to hold a particular office with the Club, you can skip this procedure and go right to "Club" / "Info"/ Officers and Directors.  Or if the person is a chapter president or newsletter editor, for example, you can go directly to other places to find this.  But if you don't know, just look under "members". 

Of course, if you are a member of the H-E-T, just grab your printed roster, which is a lot simpler!

cricket

Gary can be reached at -  essexcanada@hotmail.com

29_essex

Thank you!