My new purchase... 1952 Hudson Wasp Hollywood...

Monkeyspinner
Monkeyspinner Member
edited February 2020 in HUDSON
Hi, new here and new to owning a Hudson. 
I am in the UK and the car has just arrived at the shippers in San Francisco so I wont see it in the flesh for probably 8 weeks yet. I am really looking forward to the day it arrives as you can imagine! 
I hope that the car is as solid as it looks, I intend on cleaning it up, preserving the bodywork as it is, recommissioning the car mechanically and redtrimming the interior. The car is an Automatic, if I decide to keep it I would like to convert it to 5 speed manual. i would also like to lower the car, probably around 3 inches if possible.
I would appreciate any advice that anyone can give me regarding where is the best place to buy parts for it? mainly brake recommissioning parts, engine service parts etc for a start. 
There is quite a lot of trim parts missing of the interior and exterior but I'm told that most of it is inside the car so no point trying to search for parts until it arrives and i can check. 
Thanks, Tim.

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Comments

  • 29sptphaeton
    29sptphaeton Member
    The car looks pretty complete Tim. Dale Cooper Hudson Motor Car Company is the go to guy for mechanical parts, he has a web site.   Good Luck with the car, Ed
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Do join the H-E-T Club if you haven't done so already.  https://www.hetclub.org/ In fact, there are probably some members living in the UK who could be very helpful to you.
  • Glowplug
    Glowplug Expert Adviser
    Love the car!  I sold mine to a member who fully restored it.  Enjoy your car, thanks for sharing.
  • ken1962
    ken1962 Member
    Hope you enjoy your car. May I ask how much did you pay for it? Personally I'm not game to buy something sight unseen. Cheers ken 

  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    Thanks 29sptphaeton, I have found his website. 

    Yes Jon B, I will join...

    Glad you like it Glowplug

    Ken1962, $2200. I have imported well over 60 cars from the states only having seen photos over the last 17 years. I always buy the most original cars I can so I know they have not been botched up to sell. There is always risk involved but I have never been stung and won't be on this one. I can tell that it is rock solid.
    It's a single carb car but also comes with a Twin H Power set up, so that is pretty cool. 
  • 33kc1989
    33kc1989 Senior Contributor
    To all that ship across the pond and follow there dream of old rides I’ll give a tip of my hat.  It looks good in pics and should be a fun ride.  Good stuff.  
  • Val
    Val Member
    I agree with 33KC, have fun bringing her back to life and please post pics along the way.
  • cchancel
    cchancel Member
    This link will prove very useful to you:

    NAPA autoparts also carries a fair number of the parts you will want for the brakes, shocks, u-joints (Spicer 5-153X), carrier bearing (Federal 88107-BVV), etc.


    Searching this forum will also provide a wealth of information regarding part numbers.




  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    Brilliant links cchancel, Will be very useful I'm sure! Thanks. 

    Your car looks great DocHubler! 

    My vin# is 183722, what is yours? 

    Does anyone know roughly how many Hollywood Wasps still exist? 




  • RichardD
    RichardD Member
    Here are some short clips on the restoration of a '54 Hudson on Sam's Garage. This will begin again on TV in April and will also be continued on YouTube. It may help with incentive|.
    >>  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sams+garage+hudson
  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    DocHubler said:
    What is the paint code for your car?  It's stamped on the top passenger door hinge.

    I don't know until it gets here Is it on a plate or stamped onto the body its self? 

    I think I read somewhere that there was 1320 Wasp Hollywood's made but not sure if that was just in 1952 or over all years and how accurate it is.


  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    Yeah, I had a look at my photos after asking you where exactly the stamp was and I could just about make it out on one of the photos. So I asked the shipper to take a close photo... Here it is, what do you think it says? I think maybe 121

    Was the Hollywood only produced 52-54?
  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    To me it looks like it was Symphony Blue Green with a black roof, but I don't know if that was an option?
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    Although I have a '50C8, it really was odd to me that Hudson kept the Commodore in the lineup after '50 or even '51.  The only real difference between the Hornet and Commodore was the engines available, and some scripts here and there.  I guess they wanted to continue to have some segmentation at the top.
  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    50C8DAN said:
    Although I have a '50C8, it really was odd to me that Hudson kept the Commodore in the lineup after '50 or even '51.  The only real difference between the Hornet and Commodore was the engines available, and some scripts here and there.  I guess they wanted to continue to have some segmentation at the top.
    For someone like me that has been into old cars for many years but is new to Hudson, the model range in the early to mid 50's period is baffling... like, really baffling!!!  :D

    Thanks DocHubler, some more great info there! 


  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    edited March 2020
    It is probably more confusing for Hudson than a lot of other makes due to moving to new model designations, while others were still being made.  I even sometimes get confused from '51 to '54, Pacemakers, Supers, Commodores, Hornet, Wasp, Super Wasp, Jet Super Jet.....  Which had what body style available...... sedan, special, custom, Hollywood (Hardtop), coupe, 2 door sedan (brougham), convertible....... 
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    Oh I forgot business coupe as another body style!
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    Although I have a '54 Club Coupe, the Brougham body style sure is sharp looking, and I think I like it better than the Club Coupe  Nice lines from front to back.  The sedan shape was the first one designed and they just got it really right.
  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    50C8DAN said:
    It is probably more confusing for Hudson than a lot of other makes due to moving to new model designations, while others were still being made.  I even sometimes get confused from '51 to '54, Pacemakers, Supers, Commodores, Hornet, Wasp, Super Wasp, Jet Super Jet.....  Which had what body style available...... sedan, special, custom, Hollywood (Hardtop), coupe, 2 door sedan (brougham), convertible....... 
    Crikey! That's plenty to get confused about! 

  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    edited March 2020
    DocHubler said:
    Hi, I have a 52 Wasp Hollywood also.  Here it is, and it's stock except for the green paint.  It has more rust underneath than I'd like, but there are so few of these around that's just the way it is.  Mine is just a plain 3 spd, no OD, and indeed it originally had no heater either, but someone added a Hudson heater later.  So rather unusual.  What is the serial number on your car?


    Have you seats been retrimmed? 

    Also, what colour was the car originally? 
  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    edited March 2020
    DocHubler said:
    No, those are the original seat fabrics.  In reasonable condition, especially the back seat as expected.  the original color of the car was Boston Ivory over Jefferson Green.  Top was repainted white and the greek is an ugly Kermit green, but all the jambs and trunk area have the origin
    al Jefferson green color.  
    I wonder if mine had the same colour and style of interior as yours, you can see a bit of the original seat covering at the top of the seat back and a good bit of the door card material, does it look anything like yours?
  • Glowplug
    Glowplug Expert Adviser
    The interior in your car is the same as that of DocHubler's car.  The 1953 Wasps also has this interior.  
  • RichardD
    RichardD Member
    edited March 2020
    Comment regarding colors: I would doubt that you are doing Concours when finished; SO if paint it what you want to (within the Hudson family of course). My '53 is not painted original colors;   Painted 1954 Hudson colors: Palm Beach Green and Honey Cream, that I LOVE !!!!! It is YOUR car; do it the way you want to !! 2¢  

  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    RichardD said:
    Comment regarding colors: I would doubt that you are doing Concours when finished; SO paint it what you want to (within the Hudson family of course). My '53 is not painted original colors; I DO NOT LIKE THEM.  Painted 1954 Hudson colors: Palm Beach Green and Honey Cream, that I LOVE !!!!! It is YOUR car; do it the way you want to !! 2¢  

    I won't be painting it. It will be cleaned up and preserved just the way it is but with a fresh interior and rebuilt running gear. We like them the way nature has shaped them, they are only original once. All the cavities and underside will be waxoil protected and the exterior will also have a wax coating. 
    Maybe in the future someone will restore it. I intend to use it in the summers and have fun days out with my family without worrying about scratched paint work and shopping trolley dents.

    If I was going to paint it, I actually love its original colours so that's what it would be. 

  • RichardD
    RichardD Member
    Oh, well. Suppose you need the best of luck.

  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    RichardD said:
    Oh, well. Suppose you need the best of luck.

    Ha! Thanks. No luck needed, I've been caring and cherishing cars that look very much like this for the last 20 years. I have been fully restoring cars for almost 30 years so I know both sides of the coin...
  • cheyenne7271
    cheyenne7271 Member
    I have a 54 Hornet Hollywood that’s all original and mostly complete if interested to add to your collection.  Needs total restoration. 
  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    cheyenne7271 said:
    I have a 54 Hornet Hollywood that’s all original and mostly complete if interested to add to your collection.  Needs total restoration. 
    It's cool but i only need one at a time!  Not so keen on the later shape to be honest either. 
  • cheyenne7271
    cheyenne7271 Member
    I agree, club coupes and sedans for me, although I am about to get a 51 Super 6 Hollywood, was told only about 150 were made, I could be wrong but can’t find any documentation to support that. It will need total restoration as well
  • Monkeyspinner
    Monkeyspinner Member
    The day finally came, my Hudson has arrived! Very happy with it. Looks very solid from what I have seen so far. Also, it has come with lots of parts that I thought were missing which is a bonus.
    I had not seen any photos under the hood so wasn't sure what to expect, the carb and fuel pump are missing but it has a complete (hopefully) set up in the trunk so hopefully I can fit that. The engine turns over by hand which was also unexpected. 
    Photos will follow, I need to reduce the size and am too tired to do it now... 1:33am here in England!

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