Kinda fed up with '37 Terraplane

Hudsonrules
Hudsonrules Senior Contributor
edited November -1 in HUDSON
:angry: I bought this Terraplane 3 years ago, supposedly a running, driving car. It did not run when I recieved it, when I got it running, it needed a clutch which has been installed, along with rebuilt fuel pump and carburator. Unable to get the headlights to work properly, keeps blowing fuses, something is crossed, trying to install a hand choke, big pain. sounds small but it gets frustrating to the point that I just want to get rid of it. The engine sounds healthy and did drive okay considering the the clutch was bad. I am sure most of the problem is me. I just can not get things right. I am not a mechanic, parents would not let me take auto shop in High School so what I have learned is trial and error. Plus there was a time there were mechanics, not speciallised technicians like now. Many of which do not know how to set points.I like '41-'47 Hudsons, maybe some one has a driver and some cash for this Terraplane. It is a Model 71 Sedan, pretty much origional and needs some TLC. Please let me know, I am in Nevada, So if any one is interested that are not to far away, please contact me. Thanks, Arnie in Nevada.

Comments

  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    edited July 2011
    I can understand your frustration. Been there before.

    By all means, go ahead and get the car you really want to have. But with whatever car you buy, you run the risk of having the same problems you had with this one. (1941 Hudsons aren't that different under the skin than 1937 ones.)

    Let's face it, cars built 60-70 years ago were more primitive and required much more maintenance than modern ones. And unless the one you purchase has been completely restored, there is always going to be something that needs replacing.

    A good local old-car mechanic is a wonderful thing to have, but most of us end up having to deal with simple repairs ourselves. At least your problems weren't major, like engine repairs.

    Here's one suggestion, though it might not work for you. Talk to someone in your chapter about having a technical session, to which you (and others, presumably) can bring your problem cars. Our chapter has had these every few years. We are lucky enough to have had a car restorer (with a big, heated shop!) as a member, and he has welcomed us to that shop several times. If you present your problem (in this case, electrical / lighting) there may be enough amateur mechanics among your fellow chapter members to make good suggestions, possibly discover the source of your problem, and even help get you started in fixing it. Such a tech session not only helps the guy with the problem, but it's instructive to others in the chapter. And on a cold, wet, winter's day it provides a fun way to spend the afternoon. (We laid in a good supply of pizza and soda pop during last winter's tech session, and I used the occasion to play some videotapes taken at a Hudson meet 25 years ago.)

    You might also ask around your local chapter, or among local members of the H-E-T, to see if any knowledgeable members might be willing to come over on a Saturday and work with you to remedy your latest car problem. (Offer them dinner in return!) In this way, you might finally get the mechanical education that eluded you in high school -- and on a one-to-one basis.

    That's sort of what happened to me. I would have LOVED to take auto mechanics in high school but trade school wasn't an option for me. So, I have learned most of what I now know, by trial and error mechanics on the same old Terraplane for the last 35 years. And with the help and suggestions of a lot of fellow old car owners. (And I still don't have it right, yet!)

    Good luck, and may the "new" Hudson have fewer problems!
  • StillOutThere
    StillOutThere Expert Adviser
    Go to the nearest cruise night and ask the guys with the oldest cars and be honest that you need HELP.
    Go to a couple of nearby parts houses and ask for a recommendation of a local car guy, whether a professional shop or a car collector because you need HELP.
    Join some area generalist old car club and go to a meeting or two and ask for the HELP you need.
    Find car shows in your area and admit when talking to some owners that you need HELP with your Terraplane.
    In other words, if you can't be resourceful on a basic level, then be honest with yourself and reconsider whether you should be an antique car hobbyist.
  • Aaron D. IL
    Aaron D. IL Senior Contributor
    Networking with guys who have car of your vintage is half the thing that's going to keep you in this hobby. Bear in mind that there's many similarities in the construction of pre-war American cars so if there's not enough Hudson guys nearby some with cars of close to your vintage may still be able to help. For me being a younger member I learned a few things the hard way, a few things from other hobbyists, a few things from doing them myself with the help of the shop manuals (Hudson manual, Motors Manual, and on this forum) and a few things with my dad. That's the kind of homework you need for the care and feeding of these cars.

    BTW '46-'47 is my favorite years of Hudson too and I got the '47 C8 sedan I'm working on now as soon as I could. I'm restoring it but it is not a beginners car to restore.
  • Aaron D. IL
    Aaron D. IL Senior Contributor
    Also you should call John Otto in the Hudson Club. He was not a mechanic either he learned what he could on his own, but he has 2 '37 Terraplanes and could probably give you some advice.
  • Marconi
    Marconi Senior Contributor
    If you're anywhere near Minden (Carson City) give Lester Harris a call, 775-267-2559, see if he can reccomend someone. Lester sells engine and chassis parts and is very fair and knowlegeable. Sounds like your harness has a bare spot in ti where it passes thru the firewall or goes into a clip that supports it. Check your whle harness carefully and see if you can find any bare spots, also check wiring that goes down to the dimmer switch as this section is not very well protected.
  • Jay_G
    Jay_G Expert Adviser
    Arnie, I understand your frustration. I have 3 Hudsons and an Eessex which were not always represented as they should have been when I purchased them. Regarding you specific problems with you 37. I have a 37 also and the best advice is to replace the wires from the switch to the headlings, inside the headlights (or tape these up real well), and to the headlight switch. With the old cloth wire it is difficult to tell where it goes bad unless the insulation is all gone. My 37 blows fuses when it is washed. The old wires get wet and conduct through the insulation. Which is fine unless you drive in the rain. On the carb, I would recommend not going to a manual choke. I have never had much luck with them. If you really want to I think I have a 37 carb with the manual linkage setup. You can have it if you like. It does not have the cable but the rest is there. You may have to change top butterfly valve, again I don't remember but you are right sometimes it is not as easy as it should be.
    Jay
  • Hudsonrules
    Hudsonrules Senior Contributor
    :) I want to thank everyone for their input and suggestions. I was having a bad day. I work to many hours and sometimes do not get enough sleep, so when things go wrong, they go wrong and I want to give up. The problems are not major, I just have step back and think about what I did or am doing. I have stayed away from this car for a few days and feel that I can tackle it again. I bought a 30 amp 12 volt circut breaker that I will use for testing for a short, and new fuses. Darn, fuses are getting expensive. I will let the progress be known as I get this Terraplane back on the road. One last question, Do I have to remove the grill and headlight asembly to get to the headlight wiring? Thanks, Arnie in Nevada.
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    edited July 2011
    I don't believe you have to remove the grille shell to fool with the wiring. The wiring comes from the firewall along the left (drivers side) inner fender and then splits. Part of it then goes into the drivers side headlight shell and the other part goes over top the radiator to the other side and into THAT headlight shell. There are hand holes in the sheet metal radiator "surround" to enable you to pull the wire loom from the headlight shell, out into the engine compartment.

    I would seriously consider simply replacing the existing cloth-covered headlight wiring harnesses with new plastic covered wiring of the correct gauge. As you may know, you can still purchase the old style hollow black cloth flexible loom; you can stuff the new plastic wires into that where it passes through the engine compartment and no one will know it's new wiring.

    Also, consider screwing a junction block to the inner fender (above the battery) so that you'll have a place to connect and disconnect all these wires. (There were originally plastic terminals I think.)

    Here are my suggestions for improving the '37's lighting system:

    1). Replace all wiring with new, at least within the engine compartment.

    2). Install a dual relay (or two relays, one for high- and one for low-beams). You can do this behind the removable panel on the left side of the dash and it will be hidden, yet fairly easy to get to. Run the wires from your floor dimmer to this relay. Tap into the BATT terminal on your voltage regulator for the main power. This way, your headlights get their power directly from the battery and not through miles of bad wiring and two corroded switches. These miles of wiring and bad switches will only CONTROL the relay, so they'll carry low amperage.

    3). Get your reflector re-silvered. I found a place in Ohio that did it for me for a little over $50, ten years ago. Then put a new gasket around the perimeter of the reflector to prevent future tarnishing.

    4). Solder a ground wire to each of the two sockets and firmly ground the other ends on the frame.

    5). Get new 6 volt halogen lamps, which are available in two wattages. These fit right into the original sockets.

    With these changes you should have headlight brightness that approaches or even exceeds the old sealed beam bulbs with which many people used to replace their original Hudson headlight reflectors.
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