Hudson "Woody" Junker
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Gentlemen:
My late uncle was Bob Weber from Illinois. I don't know if you ever heard of him, but in his day he was a Hudson collector (Hud Nut) and probably met one or more of you in his dealings? In the late 1950's or early 1960's he came out to Little Falls, NY and bought a Hudson "woody". He was on his way back to Illinois and the auto mysteriously burned up on the NY State Thruway while under tow. He left what remained of it at my father's house and that is where it still is today. It is obviously very rusty and hasn't been looked at, or moved, in many years. It was supposed to be a rare version of some sort. I'm not exactly sure what year it was, but it has the features of some photos I saw on line which indicate a model 1942. I think I remember hearing that there were only less than ten made, of whatever it was? I am not predisposed as to value and my main concern is that, if it happens to be a rare model, or even if it is not rare, it be returned to the fraternity of collectors. I am not a collector, and have been on line much of the day checking Hudson models so that when I next view the wreck (perhaps tonight), I might be better able to identify the year and maybe even the serial number. I will post my findings here if I am successful. Since my uncle once owned 4 or 5 dozen Hudsons, I know he knew his stuff and probably wouldn't have travelled 1000 miles, one way, for a run of the mill auto. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if there is something very special about the auto remains that I have been mowing around for the last 50 years! I believe there must be some salvageable parts left, even if rust and fire has claimed much of the original machine. I understand the necessity of knowing the serial number and for providing clear photographs. At this time, I have neither.
My late uncle was Bob Weber from Illinois. I don't know if you ever heard of him, but in his day he was a Hudson collector (Hud Nut) and probably met one or more of you in his dealings? In the late 1950's or early 1960's he came out to Little Falls, NY and bought a Hudson "woody". He was on his way back to Illinois and the auto mysteriously burned up on the NY State Thruway while under tow. He left what remained of it at my father's house and that is where it still is today. It is obviously very rusty and hasn't been looked at, or moved, in many years. It was supposed to be a rare version of some sort. I'm not exactly sure what year it was, but it has the features of some photos I saw on line which indicate a model 1942. I think I remember hearing that there were only less than ten made, of whatever it was? I am not predisposed as to value and my main concern is that, if it happens to be a rare model, or even if it is not rare, it be returned to the fraternity of collectors. I am not a collector, and have been on line much of the day checking Hudson models so that when I next view the wreck (perhaps tonight), I might be better able to identify the year and maybe even the serial number. I will post my findings here if I am successful. Since my uncle once owned 4 or 5 dozen Hudsons, I know he knew his stuff and probably wouldn't have travelled 1000 miles, one way, for a run of the mill auto. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if there is something very special about the auto remains that I have been mowing around for the last 50 years! I believe there must be some salvageable parts left, even if rust and fire has claimed much of the original machine. I understand the necessity of knowing the serial number and for providing clear photographs. At this time, I have neither.
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Comments
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Bill, this is the type of lead that gets all us old Hudson Nutz to sit stright in our old rocking chairs and perk up. I guess the most of us old iron benders would like to see a bunch of photo's. I would suggest that the next post you have would include all the data you can find and photo's of everything. Some up close and some from a distance. You have our attention....0
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he did in fact have a reasonably nice '41 wagon he sold Bill Albright who restored it - not sure where it is now.0
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Pictures on here might help - serial number definitely.
Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN0 -
Mr. Weber-
We're certainly looking forward to your findings. Woody's are indeed rare, regardless of year. If you need help posting photos, don't hesitate to ask.0 -
My wife and I made a trip out to Bob Webers In the mid 70's and we still
talk about it!He had a woody wagon at that time that he said once belonged to
Agnes Morehead (sic?) ,the actress.I thought it was a 1942, but could have been
the 1941 mentioned.He did say he had another one,perhaps the one that burned?
He had over 60 Hudson's.One that I remember was a Hudson 8 cyl. step down with
a dual carb manifold that he said was smuggled out of the Hudson factory
by a rope from an upstairs window.He was a true Hudson fan,and left us with lots of memories
Roy0 -
Yes, Roy, you did know Uncle Bob! He lived Hudsons 24/7/365!0
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Update #1:
I got a quick look at the Hudson last night, in between the showers that were hitting my area at the time. I've seen enough to make a preliminary determination that the year of manufacture of the woodie is 1942. That is from visual observation and not based on the serial number, which I have not yet found.
I planned on taking some pictures to post here, but when I checked my digital camera I found that the battery was completely dead and will no longer accept a charge! I ordered a replacement battery this morning and it will take some time getting here, so be patient, and I will post photos as soon as I am able to do so.
I will post more updates as they become evident and pertenant to the conversation.0 -
Update #2:
Some good news about my camera battery - it shipped this afternoon. I know that you all want to see what I've been so poorly describing.
I'll give you some more to digest as we all wait for the pictures.
I stopped to see the car again tonight and was still not able to find the serial number. One gentleman contacted me and tried to explain where to look, but I followed his instructions and wasn't able to find it. Can anyone else perhaps lend some assistance to me as to what to look for and where to look? Perhaps post a photo of the location?
I wasn't going to say this, because I don't like getting hopes up as the photos, when taken and posted, might not support my suppositions, but I did find what might be a very important consideration in determining the identity of this Hudson. I flipped the hood tonight. It opens up and toward the front of the auto, away from the windshield, toward the grill. Inside I found the remainder of the motor - an inline straight 8 cylinder! Yes! 8 little white spark plugs sticking up like so many soldiers in a row! I do hope this turns out to be original to the auto! Finding the serial number is the key! HELP!0 -
Hi Bill, look on the right front door pillar, the one next to the dashboard and about even with the dash, you're looking for a triangular tag with Hudson on it and the serial number. The first 3 digits are going to tell what year and what series the car is. If the car is a 42 it should start with a 2. Yes, the 41 woody you talked about was the one that Bill Albright restored some 20 years ago and was owned by Miss. Morehead. Bill sold that car to a fellow in Beverly Hills (?) 7 or 8 years and it appeared on ebay towards the end of last year or the first of this year. The fellow that Bill sold it to passed away about 1 1/2 years later. It was a very nice car.0
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I was afraid you were going to say the tag was there. I already looked in that location and it is missing. Is there any place else where it might be located?0
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Bill, I can tell you where it might be, but you're not gonna want to hear this. In the 1930's (and possibly through 1942) Hudson would stamp a duplicate chassis number on the passenger side frame rail just behind where the front axle passed under it. (I think this is where the triangular gusset from the cowl bolts to the frame. I forget whether it's on the outside of the frame rail, or top.
The other place was on the rear axle housing, again on the passenger side, on the top of the housing. And that will have a lot of surface rust so you'll have to scrape it off to see it.
In either case you are going to get really wet and dirty, and maybe make some new reptile friends. Unless this car is inside.
If it's just the year you want to know, a front end shot will show the grille and that will "nail" it for us hard-boiled Hudson pro's. Here's a '42 wagon:
By the way, when your camera finally dies of old age, be aware that they're making them now with AAA batteries, available in any grocery store. I carry a small plastic vial with fully charged extras. Nothing worse then going somewhere to take a photo and the darned thing won't work!0 -
[quote="Jon B"
By the way, when your camera finally dies of old age, be aware that they're making them now with AAA batteries, available in any grocery store. I carry a small plastic vial with fully charged extras. Nothing worse then going somewhere to take a photo and the darned thing won't work![/quote]
I've found the Kodak EasyShare series cameras to be very good for a clunker photographer like me. At the moment I have a C813 - and it uses two AA batteries so no problem with exotics and batteries are available most everywhere.
They aren't all that expensive - the only drawback is they don't have a view finder - you have to use the screen and that can be hard on sunny days.
Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN0 -
well if it's got an 8 cyl. engine it's not a "woody" as they were only made as Super 6s.
Eldon's 8 cyl. "woody" is something he had created.0 -
here's pics of the best original station wagon, a '42, that was subsequently restored. Used to belong to Paul Simms of N.J., then Jim Fritts had it for some time, not sure where it is now.
These pics taken at Woody National Meet in Encinitas, Calif. where it won Best of Show for Jim (he also had it at the Sacramento National).0 -
Update #3:
It's a pile of rust, much of it quite fragile in its present state, however, 50 years ago it was a woodie. All that wood made for a hot fire.
I don't know if Uncle Bob bought an original 1942 Hudson Woodie with stock items, or a dinked with Super 6 Woodie with a changed out motor, but I do know he travelled a long way to get it, and that he was nobody's fool. All the players who might have known something about the deal have since passed away, so we're stuck with me and whatever I can determine with your much appreciated assistance.
As I said before, I'm not a Hudson collector, but I do avidly collect antique firearms. One thing I have learned over the years is never to dismiss a possibility until that possibility has been proven impossible, or at least highly improbable. There are a number of possibilities regarding this auto.
I'll list a few:
- It is a 1942 Hudson "Woodie" Super 6 with a changed out I8 motor.
- It is a 1942 Hudson "Woodie" Super 8?
- It is a war year Hudson "Woodie" (Not for production sales), but made specifically for company use, with a I8 motor.
- Use your imagination and you will probably come up with more possibilities.
It's raining here again, and the car is outside, so I won't be checking for the serial number today.0 -
In 1971, I drove from Fayettevillle, Arkansas to Cisco, Illinois to look at a '51 Hornet Coupe which Bob Weber had advertised in Old Cars Weekly. When I got there, I was surprised to see that the car was 99% rust free and running. I told him I'd take the car and handed over the cash without trying to haggle over the price. Mr.Weber informed me that the price went up $50 bucks in the last 2 days since our telephone conversation. I had driven a long way and was in no mood to quibble over $50 bucks, so I forked over another fifty and took the car home. That was the first Hudson I bought. Quite an adventure.0
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I'm sorry if Uncle Bob pulled a fast one on you. It looks like he did, but being fair to him, and not knowing his reason for upping the price (which could have been anything from having made an improvement to the auto to just sizing you up and seeing if you'd pay it) I'll say I'm sorry he skinned you. Of course, his side of the story will never be known.0
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Bill-
I'm leaning on agreeing with you. Hudson only advertised Woodies as being on the Super 6 platform, but if your car was intended for company use, it very well might have had an 8 from the start. I've seen many stranger things regarding Hudsons than that. Serial #'s will (most likely) prove it, although, then again, who knows?
If it is indeed a "factory" 8, it most likely is the only one. Looking forward to your findings.
Russell0 -
Somebody's asking $38,000 for this '41 Buick termite trap...askn' ain't gettin', but woodmobiles do command high prices...:cheer:
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Bill sold the '41 wagon he'd gotten from Weber several years before he died. Last time I heard of it, about 1-2 years ago, it was at a car "emporium" in San Diego & they were asking I believe $125,000; I would assume it's been sold by now, but to whom & for how much, ??????0
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RL Chilton wrote:Bill-
I'm leaning on agreeing with you. Hudson only advertised Woodies as being on the Super 6 platform, but if your car was intended for company use, it very well might have had an 8 from the start. I've seen many stranger things regarding Hudsons than that. Serial #'s will (most likely) prove it, although, then again, who knows?
If it is indeed a "factory" 8, it most likely is the only one. Looking forward to your findings.
Russell
1941 - 8 Pass. Station wagons offered on Model 11 Super 6 and Model 14 Commodore 8 chassis:
1942 - Station wagon on Model 21 Super Six chassis only.
However, all that said I imagine it was possible to order an 8 cylinder wagon - as Russell says Hudson did strange things.
Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN0 -
I stand corrected - just looked in Butler's "bible" & as Alex says the wagon avail. in '41 on an 8 cyl. chassis, in '42, only as a 6.0
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Bill I knew your uncle well. I and my family stop there several times. He told me about the 42 Hudson he was trailering back when it caught fire. A lite cigarette went down the air vent and started the fire. He had new tires in the back and said that he was so shocked that he didnt even get the tires out. Someone called the fire dept. and could not save the car and sent him a bill for the call. I really enjoyed your uncle. He was a fun guy to talk to. He always showed up at the meets with something different. He had Hudson medalines on his engineer boots that he wore. I think he was the first one to drive a 57 to the meet. He caught alot of static about it and defended it very well. Back when my father had the only conv at the Nationals someone,I cant remember his name, wanted to find a conv. I told him to call Bob because he might know where to find one. He did and told me later that your uncle asked him what color did he want. He wanted to sell me a 54 Hornet and told me if I couldnt bury the speedometer needle he would give it to me. I could go on with many more stories but, He was a great guy and I really miss the early days of the club and the people that made it the club it is today. PS it is a 1942 woody wagon. At that time it was 1 of only 2 known to exist.0
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Thank you very much for jumping into this string with a story that supports my current suppositions and long term memory!
Isn't this internet something? Three days ago I got the idea to search it for a website which might give me a lead for disposal of a rusty old burned out wreck of a Hudson Woody that had been planted in my father's back yard for 50 years and was just rusting more and more every day and good for nothing, and to no one, where it is. Instead, it turns out to be what's left of a rare version of a rare model auto; sparks discussion and interest in the collecting field, and brings back old memories of days gone by, old time collectors and stories that can't help but make one smile.
I'm already enjoying this effort, and will enjoy it even more when I follow through in my attempt to learn the serial number of the Hudson. As soon as I can take those photos and post them for you to view, it will be interesting to learn what you all think about any possibility for salvaging what's left of the wreck and whether or not it has any chance of being rebuilt. I'm sure that Uncle Bob would have liked to see that done.0 -
Update #4
I got home last night and checked my mailbox. My camera replacement battery was there. I'm charging it up before using it. Now I'm going to have to find the time to take photos during the daylight hours, if possible. If not, I'll just have to rely on the flash to give me the light I require for acceptable photos.
Other than the obvious overall photos, are there any particular shots that anyone would like to see?0 -
you show me your picture, & I'll show you mine, LOL!
This taken by me about 50 years ago at Clair's Camp, a mining site on the w. slope of the Panamint Range in Death Valley. After this photo was printed in the WTN one of our enthusiastic, let's say, HET members "liberated" it. After his demise Eldon eventually got it, it's now on display in his museum in Ind.0 -
Yours looks showroom new compared to mine. I'm talking about 50 years of harsh upstate New York weather (not warm & dry as in Death Valley) on a burned out hulk to start with. You'll see what I mean real soon!0
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well if you ever go to Eldon's museum in Ind. you'll see what happened to this '42 wagon.
To get to Clair's Camp was a several mile hike up a very steep dirt road strewn by big boulders washed down by rains. There were several other cars there at the time, the newest was a '57 Chevy so I doubt if the road had been navigated by a wheeled vehicle for years.
The HET "liberator" went up there with a trailer behind a truck (how he got by all those boulders is beyond me!) & on the ensuing trip down the canyon the whole wooden structure, which you can see in this photo is fairly intact, collapsed. Eldon has it as it was when he got it, with the wood stacked inside.
Clair Camp is private land. The "liberator's" girl friend worked for DMV so must have been able to create some sort of "paper trail" for him to have ever gotten title, if in fact he did. The "liberator" never did anything with it, as was true of most of the 50 + or - Hudsons he had at the time of his demise, but that's another story, LOL!0 -
as an adjunct to my last post, when he died, amongst a host of interesting & non-interesting Hudsons, he had stored downtown a '28 Hudson Murphy bodied conv. sedan (crony & I talked Eldon into buying it, LOL), a very nice original '47 C8 conv. (it was on a trailer, guy backed up took C8 conv. & trailer, still never found), AND a very nice Italia!
Our "liberator" had Hudsons stashed all over where he lived & seldom had the rents paid so the owner of the property where the Italia was STILL HAS IT. I believe one HETer knows where that is & has made attempts to buy it, all rejected. I don't know which serial # it is.0 -
Pete, you need to write a book. It sure is great having you on this forum.0
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