1929 Hudson Coupe For Sale

Jon B

1929 Hudson Super Six rumble seat coupe, partially restored.  It is being offered by The Vintage Motorcar Company of Inwood, WV, which performed the restoration work over several years for a client who ultimately decided to purchase a different antique car.

The car has been in climate-controlled storage since restoration work began.

The chassis is mostly restored: frame painted, with new bushings and seals as needed, shocks rebuilt, brakes rebuilt, rear axle inspected, serviced and repaired as needed and resealed. Wire spoke wheels are restored, painted, lock rings chromed and new whitewall tires installed.

The engine is 50 percent assembled with machine work done, with cylinders sleeved, new stainless valves and babbitt bearings etc., and some painting and detailing done. The transmission has not had any work done to it.

The body shell and doors were stripped, body metal work done and epoxy primed. Most of the wood work for the body is done with new white ash, with only some work to finish the roof bows remaining. The rest of the sheet metal body parts were stripped and epoxy primed but still need straightening and metalwork. Bright trim parts still need repair and plating. Nothing has been done with any of the interior or dash etc.

Nothing has been done with the radiator. Nothing has been done with the lights.

The car is fairly complete with the exception of the rumble lid hinges and hub caps being missing. We do however have a pattern for the hub caps.

Photos of all restoration work and paper invoices are available.

Price is $20,000 or best offer. Contact John Bassler, Vintage Motorcar Company, 365 Arden Nollville Rd., Inwood, West Virginia 25428-5353.  Tel. (304) 821-1326 or e-mail vintagemotorcar@aol.com.

Geoff

They have to be dreaming to expect that sort of money for a car that requires so much more money and work.  

40indianssgmailcom

At $100/hr shop time $20,000 equals 200 hours of labor at 40hours/week by one person that is 5 weeks.  If one also gets the car for $20k plus the materials cost that is not so bad but it needs to be the car of your dreams

paulrhd29nz

That’s an insane price. That shop has no idea of the market for kind of car. It just shows me how out of touch they are which would have me very concerned about buying it. 

Geoff

Of course, the car has had more spent on it already than the price asked.  But that's not the point.  Whoever buys it will have to complete it, and that is going to take a truck full of money if you are paying "professionals" to do it.

Jon B

I'm bumping this to the top, because the seller has created a webpage with more photos and information.  http://www.vintagemotorcarco.com/for-sale

54coupe

Something doesn’t look right... The panel below the rumble seat lid on my 29 coupe is 10” tall. The one in these photos looks like about 4”. I wonder what’s up with that?

paulrhd29nz

That price is ludicrous. A joke really. Alls it’s doing is proving the fact that the restoration shop is way out of touch with reality which would make me extra suspicious. 

54coupe

I think that if you took any 90 year old car to a professional restoration shop and asked them to restore it for you, I doubt you would get it back finished for less than $80,000. Lets face it, the vast majority of us Hudson people are way too frugal to spend that kind of money on our cars. The work that was done here would cost the same if it was a Ford, or a Pierce Arrow. It's time and materials, and I'm sure a restoration shop is probably going to charge $100/hour or more... They would have to, if they want to stay in business.
 Being a club member since the mid 70's, and knowing how frugal the general population of club members are, I think they will probably have a hard time selling this at that price to a club member.
 Assuming this was a complete, and assembled car when they got it, it probably took two guys a week or more to completely disassemble it. That's $4000. Cleaning up the frame and painting it is going to be at least $2000, even if it is perfect, and doesn't need any repair work. It doesn't look like the  wood work is complete, but it is well on the way. That is time consuming as well. We haven't even talked about the body yet. 
  I don't know anyone at this restoration shop, but I'm guessing he would negotiate on the price, and you have to start somewhere. It makes sense to start high.
  I'm not a buyer, but I don't think the price is unreasonable for what's been done. Many of us can do the same work in our own shops or garages for less money if we don't put a value on or time. The restoration shop will also  hold the responsibility of maintaining a standard of quality... whereas if I'm doing it myself, there are probably going to be some "that's good enough" moments.

BigSky

Just my thoughts....   If someone is going to restore an antique to original or even as street rod that person paying the bill has accepted the financial loss or gain in doing so.  For example around 18 years ago my father sold his 37 Oldsmobile which was then built into a highly customized street rodded & a year or two after completion was sold at the Scottsdale Barrett Jackson auction for about 1/2 of the cost of building it.  That guy decided it was worth loosing the $100K-$150k to have the Olds built & it was truly stunning. 

I see Hudson owners just like most car owners, who look at a vehicle’s end valve & determine how much they want to invest in it, ie; how much of a loss they are willing to take.  Some will be willing to lose $5k, 10k or $20k others wont want to lose a dime.  Most cars are going to be worth well below the cost of paying someone to do a full restoration.  Ultimate it’s up to the individual to decide if it’s worth$ having someone do the restoration or how much of the restoration.  We love our cars & to me I couldn't sell my 37 Hudson Coupe even if offered $50k for it.  Ok, I would think really really hard at $50k, but you get my point.  

I don’t blame the shop for asking what they are, they like us don’t want to lose a whole bunch of money & they could very well be holding a $20k investment in that car.  Yes, at a $100 per hour rate some may say it’s worth what’s being asked, others would never even consider it.  I guess one can argue or justify whatever it is they want.... just look at politics!  Lol!!!

The only thing I’d perhaps challenge is this; we’ve all hear or have seen of shops doing crappy work.  Not all, but some.  So not knowing the shop I’m not gonna go out on the line & say that they maintain a standard of quality.   They may indeed be very very reputable, but not knowing I couldn’t say one way or another.  However if I liked The Hudson & what they’ve done to it, I’d toss them an offer... worse they can say is no & your no worse off!

Jon B

I can say with certainty that this particular shop has a very high standard.  I've had them redo the fenders in my '37 so that they're now the best part of the car, and they also repaired a rusty frame with my car still sitting on it.  Their clients entrust their big-buck cars to the shop (one regular customer brings his 16-cylinder Marmon there, from time to time).  So I have no doubt they did a good job on the '29 Hudson.  But of course, in the end, the value of the '29 will depend upon what someone is willing to pay for it.