My experiences, mistakes and questions re my 1924 Hudson tourer

Unknown

I bought my Hud about 10 years ago. It was the last of 3 that were in a shed to be sold. I guess it was picked over by the people who bought the other 2.

It had a 26 rad/shell/ louvers in very good cond and I thought how lucky I was until a visitor said it was the wrong rad. The correct one was the rounded one on the ground that was so rusty  I was going to dump it. I had it repaired and chromed. I then thought louvers would be nice. A man in Tasmania would only sell me the whole shell/rad assembly, for an arm and a leg. His shell was better than the sh one I had done up.

My timing gears and chain were stuffed. It happens when the chain is stretched and more adjustment only slackens the chain and causes more teeth wear. I had the 3 gears remade to take a modern 2 row chain.

The rear tub, doors and centre pillars were sat on the rotten wooden buckboard tray when I bought the car. In Australia it was common to cut off the back body and fit
a wooden tray for farm use. The tub looked the right one until I measured the centre pillar attached to the rear doors and the pillar attached to the front doors. I found I had a 26 Hud tub section. Im looking for a 24 tub & doors. Most of my woodwork has been destroyed by woodrot & borers (insects).

Couldnt find any new rear axle brgs. Had some bushes made up to take modern brgs.

People here bond clutch facing onto the multi plates. They still run in "Hudsonite".

I would ask people with other similar Hudsons what a certain 1/8 pin was, behind the camshaft timing gear. And what they did to recond their water pump. No one knew what I meant and had done nothing. I often thought of the expression living on borrowed time.

Some people modify and fit early GMH (Chev) distributors so they can find cheap readily avail points, rotas & caps.

I know of someone who turns out the worn thread in
the wire wheel brass hub caps, and silver solders a new bush into the cap, then recuts new thread.

There was a local trucking company you could go to to get NOS brgs. I bought a complete set for $20. Then went back and paid the same for a spare set. When the business closed up, the local car clubs went in with their wheelbarows and filled them up with all the brgs for that particular club. ie the Dodge club loaded their barrow and paid $30 for a barrow full of brgs. Something similar happened a few years back when a big suspension place closed up and everything went in the big steel bin as scrap metal. I was lucky to get 4 complete spring sets with bushes for my Terraplane.

A lot of 2" oil/amp guage faces and speedo faces are in so bad a condition they spoil a good restoration. What do people in the US do? Can you get reproduction faces? A man here scans and then gets them printed. Thought of doing it for all the Hud models. Dont want to waste my time if it
has been done already. The speedo is harder to do, and a sticker might be a better idea. Any comments?

Buffaloe wire wheels and the split rings are now being made in New Zealand.

All for now. Appreciate any tips & suggestions. 

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