Taking a Poll

harry54

How many miles a year do you drive your Hudson ? How many times a year ?

MikeWA

I try to take it somewhere at least once a week in good weather- I'll be honest, I just don't like cleaning road gunk, so generally don't take it out in bad weather (the time I spend cleaning my car takes away from my quality time of building horse fences for the Mrs. Maybe drive 1,000 miles a year.

super651

I drive my 51 Super-6 at least 5000 and sometimes 6000 a year

Coast to Coast Summer and Winter.

hudsonguy

I've only owned (and driven) my Hudson for three summers, which of course is 'car season' in Wisconsin.



The first year I drove it (2004) I put on 4000 miles, wishing I had O/D the whole time.



The second year I drove it (2005) I put on 8000 miles, glad that I'd installed the overdrive the year before. This total reflects driving to Reno for the Nationals.



This last year I also drove about 8000 miles, since I made another trip to the west coast for vacation.



I usually try to drive it at least once a week between May and September, with a few longer trips to shows and meets mixed in here and there.

harry54

What year and make Hudson is it , Hudsonguy ?

hudsonguy

It's just a '49 Super Six sedan. Even though it's probably the most common stepdown, it's pretty special to me....it used to be my grandparents car!

Unknown

My 53 Hornet coupe is safely tucked away in the pole barn for the last several years.



My 52 Hornet coupe finally was put together and started 2 months ago. Since it's unlicensed, we only took it out on the road 3 times for "Test Drives".



I think the 52 Wasp coupe came out of the garage three times this year for about 50-60 miles. I let "Hudsonkid" drive it once but he's too hard on it, as he gets too big of a kick out of chirping the tires when the Hydramatic shifts gears.

harry54

Hudsonguy, that's great that it's your grandparents car. There probably are many people in the Club that wish they had their hudsons from their family tree.......

rambos_ride

Sadly...0 miles and 0 drives...

I just have to live vicariously through you all until I get a new place

[Deleted User]

Usually once a week if the weather is good. Parades and shows the 27, Hudson about 1500 miles. Havn't had the 29 Essex long enough to tell yet, but probably will be about the same.

Aaron D. IL

Not to be a pest but where's the poll in your poll ?

[Deleted User]

So busy this year did not have time to take my 51 Hornet anywhere. This I think sucks big time......

Unknown

hudsondad wrote:

My 53 Hornet coupe is safely tucked away in the pole barn for the last several years.



My 52 Hornet coupe finally was put together and started 2 months ago. Since it's unlicensed, we only took it out on the road 3 times for "Test Drives".



I think the 52 Wasp coupe came out of the garage three times this year for about 50-60 miles. I let "Hudsonkid" drive it once but he's too hard on it, as he gets too big of a kick out of chirping the tires when the Hydramatic shifts gears.

as far a several years.... how about 16?



yeah, I bet most of the miles logged on the Wasp were from me driving it two times in the last 10 years....



and as far as being rough on them, seems that your luck on the cars is worse than mine....:cool: (didn't you blow it up shortly after you got it?)



When hudsondad buys tires, he never worries about them wearing out, only the air going bad....



I think this year, I was able to log around 500 trouble free miles on my hudson, my trips are usually to cruise around locally, but it gets out on a regular frequency. Honestly though, I can say that it has been about three weeks since I drove it. I like driving it when it gets colder out, it runs well.



Hopefully with the OD or maybe the automatic conversion next year, I get to take it out more. And hopefully with plans of repainting it, I still get a good year with it.

[Deleted User]

I normally try to get the 54 sedan out at least once a week. Maybe 500-600 miles from April to November. Mostly just short trips around town. Was sick most of the summer so I don't guess it got more than 100-150 this year. It will be at Pigeon Forge this weekend!
Bob
The 54 Coupe is in a long term rebuild so it may be a couple more years before it is back on the road.

faustmb

I've had my 50 Pacemaker one year (was bought new by my grandfather). Sadly, I've only put about 300 miles on it. My first outing was just before Christmas last year. My last outing was in April when I had rear brake trouble. I am in the middle of rebuilding the rear brakes, but time has been tight all summer.



Matt

Unknown

Been averaging 5500 miles per year for the last 3 years on the 49 Commodore with the straight 8. Just got back from Hot Springs - 500 mile trip, with no problems other than a bad brake light switch on the master cylinder. We went to the 1st Arkansas Chapter meeting of the HET Club. They held a car cruise for those in attendance. The cruise was a 150 MILE TRIP!!!! I found out those HUDSON GUYS really drive their cars!



BST RGDS

GARY ( happychris )

Unknown

I've only had my '51 Pacemaker since early September - I've added about three hundred miles to the odometer - I'm too scared to go anywhere far until I get my gas gauge fixed!!

hudsonguy

harry54 wrote:

Hudsonguy, that's great that it's your grandparents car. There probably are many people in the Club that wish they had their hudsons from their family tree.......

Harry54,



Thanks for the kind sentiments. I'm forever grateful and indebted to my uncle, who had the foresight to keep the car in his garage for many years. This car means so much to me, I noticed I never have a problem of dozing off while driving the Hudson. Last summer I could drive for 16 hours a day, up to about 750 miles, with stops of course, and not be fatigued at all! .....and the car wasn't the least bit tired!



I also realized what my particular Hudson (stepdown) is best at. Long distances, mountain grades, and the more curves in the road the better! I mean it's okay around town, although I wouldn't want to try parallel parking. The stepdown is definitely at home on the long cruise. I can see why so many salesman drove them back in the day.



One of the highlights from my trip last summer, was driving the Hudson over the Santa Cruz mountains in California on Highway 17. I've driven this road many times in Brand X cars, and it is definitely the most 'white knuckle' experience I've had behind the wheel of a car. Pay FULL attention, both hands on the wheel, don't even talk to me, etc.... On one side of you is a constant flow of fast traffic, and on the other is a cement wall full of skid marks. It feels like driving on a racetrack. So I knew that I HAD to take the Hudson through there, while I was so close, and I must say I had the time of my life! I wanted to turn right around and do it again! It's easy to see why the stepdowns were so good on the race circuit.



Hudsonly,

Doug

JasonNC

I hadn't thought about it before, but based on the mileage when I got it in 1999 and the miles on it now, I have averaged over 2000 miles a year. I drive it every weekend and took it to Greenville, SC and Asheville, NC. I once took it up in the mountains of NC, but I'm not doing that again until I have converted to disc brakes.

Jason

harry54

Jason,

Have you had specific problems with the brakes ?

JasonNC

harry54 wrote:

Jason,

Have you had specific problems with the brakes ?

Just that day. They overheated coming through the curves out of West Jefferson and standing up on them didn't slow it down. The only thing that saved us was the way the car handled the curves at 45 mph and thank God nobody was coming up the mountain. I replaced the front brake shoes with smaller Chevy truck brakes and have not had a problem since, but I haven't been in the mountains to check them out. It's just that as soon as I can afford Rick Pridemores disc brake conversion kit, I intend to buy one.

Jason

[Deleted User]

I can't drive mine at all right now, but when she's done, it will be my daily driver. Probably get shopping cart dinks and so forth, but I can't see any other reason to have hot rod unless you drive it all the time! lol

essexcoupe3131

Mine seems to be a trailer queen the old girl goes from one panell shop to another and back but she has pulled into her last stop before she starts breathing fully with her own lungs and driving me around LOL

harry54

Jason,

That is a scarry story. The smaller front brakes sound interesting. Did you happen to catch the Walt M, story in one of the wtn's mag's on brakes. Might be helpful. I think it might have been 2 issues back..... Any way great driving on those mountian roads. Herb Thomas would be proud....

JasonNC

harry54 wrote:

Jason,

That is a scarry story. The smaller front brakes sound interesting. Did you happen to catch the Walt M, story in one of the wtn's mag's on brakes. Might be helpful. I think it might have been 2 issues back..... Any way great driving on those mountian roads. Herb Thomas would be proud....

I read that article. In fact, according to Walt's article, I probably need to adjust the brakes even though they're working quite well. I don't know whether Herb Thomas would have been proud, but I sure impressed my wife and my in laws.