1950 Hudson 4 Door

[Deleted User]
[Deleted User]
edited November -1 in HUDSON
I am going to look at a 1950 hudson 4 door for sale. The seller has said that the rear floor pans are rusted out. It has been stored outdoors & I do not think he has inspected the car. Any tips on things to look for (body or frame) when buying a 1950 hudson

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  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Yes.



    Be VERY wary of perimeter frame rust-out. This will occur in the area of the rear wheel well, and behind it. The car is a unit-body, and the frame is not the standard heavy gauge steel that you usually have with a body-on-frame. The rear wheel area is the place where they "go" and it will be very expensive to have this fixed. Get under the car and look up.



    This is not to say that, even if the car is now in good shape, it will eventually rust. If taken care of an properly garaged, Hudsons will last. But if driven over salty roads and left out in the "north forty" for 25 years, the perimeter frame did indeed rust out.
  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member
    Jon B wrote:
    Yes.



    and left out in the "north forty" for 25 years, the perimeter frame did indeed rust out.



    . . . unless it was stored upside down . . .
  • ESSX28-1
    ESSX28-1 Senior Contributor
    RL Chilton wrote:
    . . . unless it was stored upside down . . .



    Like this??:D:D
  • Nevada Hudson
    Nevada Hudson Senior Contributor
    PWRLINZ wrote:
    I am going to look at a 1950 hudson 4 door for sale. The seller has said that the rear floor pans are rusted out. It has been stored outdoors & I do not think he has inspected the car. Any tips on things to look for (body or frame) when buying a 1950 hudson



    On E-Bay under Hudson parts, someone is selling replacement rear floor pans for a really good price. They are from Michigan.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    PWRLINZ wrote:
    I am going to look at a 1950 hudson 4 door for sale. The seller has said that the rear floor pans are rusted out. It has been stored outdoors & I do not think he has inspected the car. Any tips on things to look for (body or frame) when buying a 1950 hudson

    Your question goes right to the core of what needs to be done when ever you are attempting to evaluate a Hudson built from 1948 to 1954. In the following picture the red high lights show the Hudson frame.

    stepdownchassis.jpeg

    Other than those parts which project to the front of the car from the firewall the frame is made from stamped steel. In otherwords sheet metal formed into frame pieces which were welded together for strength. These areas of the frame are very strong when new and if maintained they will remain so. A 48-54 Hudson is prone to getting dirt and debris in these frame areas and when mixed with moisture they will rust and destroy the integrity of the stamped steel frame members. Your interest in this or any other Hudson of this era should be accompanied by a careful examination of these elements of the car. A real ally in this inspection is a sharp metal ice pick or awl. Probe the frame bottom and inside in every area. Do not decide if you find good metal in one area all is OK. The whole frame must be inspected. The floor pans of the Hudson are welded to the bottom of some of these members... hence the expression STEPDOWN hudson. These panels are now available and are again sheet metal with strengthening ribs.

    The following are files which will help in your inspection and evaluation:

    http://hudsonrestoration1948-54.com/PDFFiles/CHECK%20THE%20PERIMETER%20%20FRAME.pdf

    http://hudsonrestoration1948-54.com/PDFFiles/Restoring%20the%20frame%20on%20a%20Stepdown%20Hudson.pdf

    For other information about these GREAT cars click on the link to my Hudson STEPDOWN WEBSITE shown in my signature block below.


    Good Luck :)
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