'52 Hornet coupe restoration

Unknown

Ray wrote:

Picked up some of my chrome today from Chrome Zone, you may be able to see how great these 55 year old parts turned out...Cyrus and his wife working real hard in putting out top of the line plalting and polishing. If you live close to Las Vegas and interested in making your Hudson or any classis car, look new again, I suggest you wait a 4-6 weeks and give Chrome Zone a call at (702) 367-8915



Ray

Hey Ray...I am looking for a "GOOD" plater that does old style nickel plating for my 1929 Hudson interior hardware. Had a couple of pieces done here in the Long Beach Calif. area for a test and it looked like crap . When you see the folks at Chrome Zone please ask them about it. Thanks, Ron

rambos_ride

Ron P wrote:

Hey Ray...I am looking for a "GOOD" plater that does old style nickel plating for my 1929 Hudson interior hardware. Had a couple of pieces done here in the Long Beach Calif. area for a test and it looked like crap . When you see the folks at Chrome Zone please ask them about it. Thanks, Ron

I've always liked the softer, elegant look of nickle plating...anyone ever done their stepdown trim in nickle?

[Deleted User]

I am going to the shop this Friday to pick up additional pieces of my chrome and will ask present owner and Cyrus who is Hudson Club and just purchased a partnership with option to buy the shop...I know they are busy but will inquire about your request.



Ray

[Deleted User]

rambos_ride wrote:

I've always liked the softer, elegant look of nickle plating...anyone ever done their stepdown trim in nickle?

From what I learned from owner, a good nickel plating job (leaving parts in tank longer etc.) is also good plating, however the hard chrome brighter finish is what most people prefer...Like everything else, it comes down to a matter of one's personal choice's.



Have a good day,



Ray

[Deleted User]

A Hudson Tale…



I started off the day checking at Chrome Zone Shop for my ’52 Hornet items being plated, more of my parts were prepared, polished and ready for plating next week in fact they look so good, I could put on the car as is, however without hard chrome plating they would get dull…I checked with Cyrus about only nickel plating and was informed shop can do it, but it would get dull after time passes. I then went to my upholstery shop doing interior of ’62 Skylark presently on, then went to my mechanic’s friend shop where car is being restored, also picked up five dish type Hudson hubcaps to be polished next week.



I had my back to the street when my friend John said hurry look there goes a Hudson, which is extremely unusual mainly because West Sunset Blvd. turns into a dead end street. I thought John was kidding with me however he knows Hudson’s; in the past five years I’ve had five ’53, one ’54 and one ’52 Hornet’s respectively in his yard. As I turned to look there was a ’51 Hudson Commodore being towed by pick-up truck and stopped about 100 yards down the road from shop; knowing I’m impulsive buyer John said to me I better not talk or look at this car but I like most of you all have a thing about Hudson’s. I immediately when to car and asked driver if car with California license plates was for sale, he said they just picked it up but would call his boss. As he was calling I inquired who was his boss and he informed me Bill Albright, (saw Bill at last Laughlin, NV. Hudson meet where he bought two gorgeous Hornet convertibles) well I started talking to Bill about car which he was taking on trade from gentleman living in south side of Las Vegas who purchased one of Bill’s restored beauties. Also learned that Bill did hot motor job using three carburetor’s, special intake and exhaust manifold and on complete rust free looking car being towed to Hudson Fontana Ranch.



I learned from Bill the driver was his grandson/Jason, a real nice young man who was featured in White Triangle magazine along side his grandfather in two page article about Hudson restoration. Also for Bill’s reference it’s common for people to make turn off Las Vegas Blvd onto West. Sunset thinking/seeing route 215 and 15 highways, I gave Jason proper directions and he was on his way with the One That Got Away. Being the car was almost at mechanic’s shop I was seriously was tempted to make an offer to Bill for a running straight, clean with all the parts ’51 Commodore, however with my other Hornet & Skylark projects not being completed, I thought it would not be in my best interest (still would have liked to own the car) maybe the Hudson Tale can be renamed to the One That Got Away. Just for anyone’s information, my writing and posting on FORUM is just to share my experience today and was unsolicited by Bill Albright.





Ray

[Deleted User]

That triple carb Hudson that Bill had was really cool....
Glad to know there's another running Hudson in Vegas.

Ray, glad to hear that your project is moving right along. I look forward to seeing it someday.

Matt

[Deleted User]

royer wrote:

That triple carb Hudson that Bill had was really cool....

Glad to know there's another running Hudson in Vegas.



Ray, glad to hear that your project is moving right along. I look forward to seeing it someday.



Matt

Hi Matt,



I believe there is three running Hudson's in Vegas; Cyrus, yours and the one Bill sold and delivered today...Hopefully my 1952 Coupe will get on schedule and at later time Cyrus will retore his wifes '53 Hornet Coupe... With five Hudsons in town; in the future we can host a decent Hudson meet.

I'll drive down Sahara by your music business and you'll be one of the first to see my car when completed.



Ray

Unknown

The Car I Sold To Vegas Was A Stock 49c6, I Took In A 51 C6 Sdn In Trade. I Have Known This Car For 20 Years And It Had The Trip Carbs, One Of The Reason I Took It Back In Trade. Now Have Two Trip Carb Running Cars, Bill Albright

[Deleted User]

Picked up some more of my bright shinny chrome yesterday, every piece on my car of chrome and stainless should be completed this month. If anyone interested in chrome plating, profession stainless steel polishing, I'd recommend calling the Chrome Zome (702) 367-8915 and speak with Anna or Cyrus.

rambos_ride

I hate to ask and you can PM me the answer if you like...roughly how much is it going to run you for all the trim and chrome polishing and plating?

This could be very helpful for people planning, contemplating or in the process of their builds as this is an area its hard to get prices nailed down on anything but bumpers!

[Deleted User]

Starting on my restoration again,

Last year I had someone install Fatmanfab kit on my car, unfortunately for me after checking the measurements, driver's side was off by 1 1/2 and passenger's side was 1 " respectively too short obviously entire front suspension was also out balance. I could see and two other mechanics’s informed me the welding job wasn't done by qualified welder. With new builder we decided to take apart undoing front suspension from start, what a pity after cutting where kit inner frame was welded we found inferior flat plate sheet metal used, also bondo on exterior frame than covered with black chassis paint? I guess I can feel lucky I didn’t go forward with other builder?

So I purchased a 4 x 8 flat sheet plate 3/16 thick (maybe a fraction thicker than original Hudson frame) and 1 x 1 square tubing 1/8 thickness and we started all over again, as you all probably have experienced, undoing someone else mistake is harder than starting from the beginning of job, especially true when working with heavy gauge sheet metal. Anyway after about nine hours of hard work on front end suspension, cutting frame where kit was installed too short, power chiseling, that grinding old inferior welding, making new 3/16” inner frame plates, drilling through original Hudson frame, cutting outer frame sleeve pieces, we started to put back together and are 1/16 off the mark and decide to call it the day and will make correction this Wednesday. After measurement satisfaction, we will put doors, fenders etc back on to insure proper alignment. I’ve attached some pictures to this message.



Ray

[Deleted User]

Good Morning Rick,



Yes I have/had unfortunate experienced of shoddy, unprofessional & possibly unsafe work. The so called builder worked in his private personal garage, I was too far removed from my car and never allowed or saw amateurs’' w/o pride workmanship therefore no documentation of total loss I incurred. Anyway I've taken my lumps and resigned to taking negative experience turning into positive. Nobody enjoys lossing money, but looking at bright side, I didn't go forward with dishonorable inexperience builder who if allowed to continue restoration with mentioned questionable safety concerns and I surely wouldn't be satisfied with and completion, which without initial frront suspension being square would have been impossible to line up other parts properly.

I am not a mechanic but now can participate in viewing/offering my limited helping hand to complete with personal pride of ownership restoration. I really feel good about "being back on track". Although the car is located about 1 1/4 drive time or 90 miles from my house, I enjoyed the fact of quality control input, more important the young gentleman is respectable with patients towards senior citizen (me) and a BWM professional trained school hi-tech mechanic who also has many years of working with his father's guiding hand gaining experience of restoring classis old cars. This respectable young gentleman plans to open his own restoration shop because of his workman's pride I know at the end of restoration I'll enjoy a fine Hudson Hornet.



I don't remember if I answered Dan, however if I forgot I'll attempt now, logistically whenever I start any project I always tried to get up front as much as possible, (will post pictures of my interior upholstery- which will be finished in next six weeks) I had the chrome & stainless completed many months ago. Another nightmare, the shop I mentioned I was financially and personally involved in, therefore I received favorable price and had the opportunity to personally bring my prepped/polished parts to plater in Arizona and watched QC insuring parts proper amount of time in each tank necessary for high quality triple plating of copper, nickel and chrome. I am no longer involved in that Vegas shop and because of EPA violations the one in Arizona went out of business. To answer your price question, thusfar I have about $1,500.00 invested in all my chrome plating and stainless steel polishing, which is about halve the cost of what present platers in the industry would charge? Because of my poor builders, chrome plating experience’s, I don't like to recommend, however since I left last chrome shop, I've used American Polishing & Plating located in Henderson, NV. (702) 307-4552 they have there own plating facility in California with weekly trucks going to and from with customers' parts, personally I am satisfied with management, service, quality and price.



Sorry for long winded answer and pleased to be "back on track" I plan to visit and work on car again Wednesday; we'll fine tune overall measurements, then hang doors, fenders, quarter panels for proper fit, after when we're pleased/happy, plan to put frame in rotor rooter. I'll update with pictures as progress is made and I thank you for your interest and input.



Just in case anybody reading or interested I have what appears to be a good 308 single barrel carb engine core with single range hydramatic transmission from 1951 Hornet parts car, along with front end and rear suspension, intergity of frame of original desert car (Parhrump, NV.) is very good located in outside Las Vegas.



Ray

MikeWA

Ray,

Glad to see your project back on track, and sympathize with your bad experiences in former builder and the chrome plating venture. Seems like honorable people are becoming "few and far between" anymore, doesn't it? Sounds like you have a good shop lined up now- hope everything works out.

Mike

[Deleted User]

Thanks Mike,



Pity, in my youth you were taught a man or real man's word was his bond of trust. Yes, I feel very comfortable with young man working on restoration who not only learned the quality of his trade from his father but all other life's valued vitures. I may also add I have a good sound car I happily purchased from you with full honest disclosure that I wasn't disappointed with; guess a lot truth in the old saying "there is more to life, than just money" thanks again.



Ray



P.S. Some pictures of started interior upholstery I mentioned in earlier email.

[Deleted User]

Worked on car today; measured-square-level-height-width-depth continuously until all measurements were spot on. My thanks to Rick for following two links:



http://www.webrodder.com/article.php?AID=62&SID=16

http://www.webrodder.com/article.php?AID=63&SID=16



We used to confirm correct installation of front end suspension, I posted some better pictures, I realize any of you who have installed fatmanfabs kit experienced same as we did today. Use to be old military saying “do it right, do it once” however we had undo and start over from scratch, but now that’s it’s behind us, I am happy to have done so. You can see in one picture how short frame was cut with plus 1” gap, that’s one of the reasons I purchased ’51 Hornet with good frame as back up parts car, fortunately we didn’t have to use; time wise probably would have been the same.



You can aslso see from pictures additional welding required, then grind down before boxing off making clean look (no bondo) of chassis. Also grinded down lower arms support, replacing old inferior weld with a better weld; we’re satisfied with overall kit installation. Learned like everything else in life “it ain’t easy” or the right way is the only way. We put doors on and will do the same with fenders next week making necessary alignment adjustments; drivers door is good, but passenger door needs post worked on for better fit. I wonder why Hudson didn’t stamp left/right on hinges and upside/downside for back plates, arrows or maybe in *assembly manual top of hinge pins were instructions to install correctly.



Did Hudson ever publish o offer assembly manual? More at a later date.



Ray

mrsbojigger

Good morning Ray,
Nice Posts!
I have the same problem with my door hinges. Left side fits correctly and the right side is off about the same as your photo shows.
Peace,
Chaz

[Deleted User]

Good Moning Chaz,



Thanks for message...In my case when removing the door last year I experienced difficulties and must of use too much force, therefore post will require a little additional TLC; but it will be right and lined up correctly.



Stay well,,



Ray

[Deleted User]

Today I picked up couple more pieces of plated chrome of core's purchased on eBay...Old computer saying "garbage-in, garbage-out", well my core's weren't exactly garbage-in, but happy with higher than normal quality-out...You'll see two other Hornet birds in another picture that are for sale, one is chrome plated already and the other has been prepped, polished but requires a little work before plating; it took me four core hood ornaments purchases before satisfied. What a great new chrome shop American Polishing & Plating I found in Henderson, NV. www.americanpolishingplating.com who have their own (immediate plating at shop owners instructions) plating facility from start to finish it took only 12 days. If interested see attached pictures.



Ray