Reijer says hello from The Netherlands

Unknown

Hello all,



My name is Reijer. I see a '51-'53 Hudson (Hornet) coup in my future. I have to admit this preference is based on very little knowledge about the '48-'54 Hudsons. What attracts me to the '51-'53 (Hornet) coups are the looks, the unibody, the racing history and that wonderful gold & red (!) Twin-H motor. Alas, at the present I have no space and money for a second project.



In the coming years I’m going to do my 'homework' so I can tell myself later on that I knew what I was getting myself into This means: read what I can (on this forum, the web in general and whatever books there are) and ask a lot of questions as to educate myself on models, options, known problems, parts availability and vendors. I have also joined this forum: http://hudsoncollector.com The moderator suggested I'd register here too. So, in short, I hope to learn a lot here from you all & read about your projects.



Some background info: my interest is in American cars from the thirties, late forties/early fifties and early to mid sixties. I prefer original cars or ones that have had a sympathetic restoration. I do like the original hot rods (and the DIY attitude behind it) but I don't 'get' what has become of car customization in the past twenty years (I'm 30 years old by the way). Oh, muscle cars are beyond my understanding as well.



My present classic car is a rolling restoration/nice driver. It is a good combination of enjoying spring & summer cruising and the occasional repair. I do as much of the work as I can myself. I would really enjoy doing a nut-and-bolt (though sympathetic) restoration - but only while having a nice driver.



It's a 1964 Lincoln Continental that has been imported from Fresno, Ca. to The Netherlands in April 2006. It's my first and only car. I use it for weekend touring during spring and summer (when the weather is nice). There are only eleven '64 Continentals registered on a Dutch title but I have never seen another one. About 50 total of these 'slabsided' Continentals (1961-1965) roam the Dutch countryside (they are too big to fit into our cities). So far I've only seen 10 of them. Like the Stepdown Hudsons it is a unibody. Like the Stepdown Hudons, slabsides are an unknown model here, even to most enthusiasts of American classics.



In the past two and half years I've done quite a bit of work: a (more than) complete engine rebuild & engine bay restoration, LPG system installation, electrical work, rebuilt rear leaf springs, rebuilt brake system, some rust repair and repaint (a previous owner gave the car a quality repaint). Here’s my cardomain page if you ‘d like to check out my ’64: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2323897 I posted a few photos below. This Lincoln forum has been a great resource and is very well set-up: http://www.thelincolnforum.net/phpbb3



Cheers,

Reijer

SuperDave

Reijer,

Welcome to the forum. Lots of activity here. Sometimes the conversation gets a bit "spirited'.. Glad to hear you have an interest in Hudsons. I used to have a Lincoln just like yours same color. What a gorgeous car. I'm sure you will get connected to other Hudson nuts in your country. Dave W. Fl

[Deleted User]

Welcome. A very nice car. The first picture at the gas pump is quite fitting....

Jon B

Reijer,



welcome to the Hudson Forum! You have a very nice Lincoln.



Please feel free to ask any question you wish, and we will "educate you' in the ways of Hudsoning!

Hudsonrules

:)Hi Reijer, Welcome to the Forum. You have one very nice looking Lincoln.

I am sure that your car is a bit big for the cities and parking spaces across the pond. As the cars here in the states get smaller so do the parking spaces, try parking a full size American crew cab pick up in one. Never be affraid to ask questions about Hudsons on this forum, I have found it to be of great help and encouragement, lots of fantastic knowledgable Hudson people. Take care and enjoy. Arnie

Unknown

Welcome Reiger,



I recognize your car from the Lincoln forum. Did you ever get your ammeter repaired? BTW, your car is beautiful. Since you obviously enjoy quality cars, you really must add a Hudson to your collection.

Unknown

Thank you for the nice comments. I feel at home already.



nhp1127, Dutch gas pump owners love to see a classic American car pull up. Gasoline is between 1.55 and 1.60 euros per litre here. I had my Continental converted to run on LPG because it's +/- a third of the price of gasoline. It also burns cleaner. It will actually 'clean' carbon deposits in cylinder heads and the oil takes a lot longer to blacken. Easy starting too. You have to use colder spark plugs because LPG burns at a higher temperature than gasoline does.



On the downside: mpg and compression drop slightly (timing will be a bit different from the factory set-up). The evaporator valve doesn't last forever (I mean the gizmo that serves to evaporate the pressurized LPG using heat from the cooling system - you can see it in the engine photo above). IMPCO - an American company - are often used in Europe on American classics. I opted for a more old school/simple design that allowed me to keep my air filter housing: a ring sits in the air filter on top of the carb. There's more info on my cardomain page if anyone is interested.



Hudsonrules, I very rarely drive the car in a city centre. Most city centers are historic (17th & 18th century) city centers - not at all designed for American cars. You can forget about paralel parking and any other kind of parking. But besides that it's not too bad.



Dave53-7C, what a small digital world this is! At the present I have cut and connected the two ammater wires (there is a fuse too now). It had shorted to grund - the gauge actually partly melted...! The car is still not charging correctly so next spring I'm converting to a modern two wire alternator with a built-in amp regulator (I'm told modern VW alternator fits) + adding a charge idiot light. The original system is just to wonky for my taste.



cheers,

Reijer

Unknown

Reijer,



Small world indeed. I remember reading about your ammeter "melt down." Not sure about what alternator would be best, but someone on the Lincoln forum may have done a swap and would have some first hand advice. Is space under your hood limited or would any standard size alternator fit? Aside from the problem with your gauge, what else do you find wonky about the original system.



Dave

Unknown

Dave, I read a few threads where a two wire GM alternator was used. My friend Peter - who is very often right - said a VW alternator would fit too. So I don't think there will be a clearence issue. The original '64 & '65 charging system wiring does not have a fuse (!) & the ammater is prone to shorting to ground. As a result cars have burned down...



Reijer

super-six

That is one nice Lincoln. I love the color. What is the name of the color?

Unknown

Reijer,



Good thing you installed a fuse then. We wouldn't want to see your Lincoln go up in flames. :eek: Any reason why you didn't mention using a Ford alternator?



Dave

Unknown

Thanks Larry! The colour is called 'Desert Sand' but I think beige is what most people would call it. The car has had a respray (previous owner) and there seems to be a bit more red in the colour than it originally had.



Dave, no reason whatsoever. A Ford product would of course be most fitting.

jjbubaboy

Welcome! Any yes what a beautiful Lincoln. U need to get yourself a Hudson to save as well!

What a beutiful area you live in as well. The streets and houses look so cool!



Jeff

Unknown

Thanks Jeff.



You're referring to the big church, I take it? That was taken when I drove two of my friends at their wedding. They married at the historic city hall in a provincial town called Alkmaar where I and most of my friends grew up, went to school etc. City hall is positioned in one of two main shopping streets which are a pedestrian zone but for which you can get a permit in case of a wedding. I had great fun cruising my slabside through the historic city center. Very narrow and very crowded. There were droves of (pensioned) men swarming around the car - much to the dismay of their wives who wanted to get on with their shopping. Little kids liked the car too. One little girl was standing next to the front of the car when I started the motor. That gave her a huge scare.











Most Dutch cities have a historic city center that look more or less like in these pictures - Rotterdam is the exception: it was bombed by the Luftwaffe in May 1940. Arnhem was almost entirely destroyed too ('one bridge too far').. Churches and other public buildings are often from the 16th & 17th century, private houses from the 17th, 18th & 19th century. The wealth of the city at the time of construction decides the scale of it all. Amsterdam was by far the wealthiest Dutch city in the 17th century - in fact we ruled the world for a few decades and were filthy stinking rich - and thus Amsterdam today looks the grandest (but... compared to Paris or Rome... that's something else entirely).



Not everything old survived of course. I can't believe how crummy, dirty and almost dilapidated Amsterdam looks in pictures from the 1970's and 1980's. But ever since the city center was rediscovered as a good place to live, work and play - and automobility took second place to human activity - a lot of historic city centers have been restored. Tourism and leisure activity play a large role in this. So much in fact that it is now often said that old cities are becoming more and more like open-air museums.



Rest assured we too have our suburbs, business parks etc.



..... anyway, I'll stop talking about things that don't necessarily belong on a Hudson forum! :rolleyes:



Cheers,

Reijer

jjbubaboy

Hey Reijer,

Cool pics, and great info!

Thanks,

JJ