1926 Essex delivery van project

ernie28
ernie28 Expert Adviser
edited November -1 in HUDSON
Thought some of you may like to see a pic of my 1926 Essex delvery van project that is nearing completion. It started life as a sedan and many years ago was trucked by an orchardist. A local HET member bought it a few years ago and started making the van body. He got distracted on other projects and I made a deal that if he completed the woodwork construction, I would take it over and complete it.
It is a bit of a fruit salad with '28 doors and a '27 engine but I really just did it for a fun vehicle - it will never be a concorse vehicle! It runs well and I hope it will pass the required tests to be allowed back on the road without too much extra work. The rear wheel braking system was a good learning curve being so different from the '28 system.
It will be used next January at our International Rally in Wanganui, NZ as one of the promotional vehicles for the event. After this I will be selling it to make way for a new project I have recently been offered - a 1950 Hudson Pacemaker. More on that later sometime.

Alistair, NZ


Comments

  • dave s
    dave s Senior Contributor, Moderator
    Nice to see another delivery van being put back on road. My 36 panel delivery was same thing, a project that was started by someone else who gave up. A lot different than doing a car, for sure. Good luck with it.
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    Very nice Alistair. Those old square bodied cars of the 1920's, and not just Hudson, lent themselves very nicely to "truck" conversion.

    One of the interesting things about Hudson is just as soon as somebody says "there ain't no such animal" examples start falling out of the woodwork.

    An unusual Hudson was at the 2004 National in Pittsburg, PA. A 1916 coupe with a pickup box on the back where the body slopes down. Nice little conversion.

    And then there's the "Grapes of Wrath" Hudson conversion out in Kansas.
    A 1929 sedan chopped off behind the front seat and fitted with a wooden flat bed. That one has been to a couple of National meets.

    Another interesting mention is in the weight section of my General Info Handbook. In the 1932 sheets is listed an "L" Cab Pickup. The Model L was a 132" wb Hudson, of course - the note with this one says "L" cab pickup is made up of "L" Frame rear end and "E" frame front end. Like to see one of those sometime.

    Again, thanks for sharing, Alistair.

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
  • Aaron D. IL
    Aaron D. IL Senior Contributor
    It looks like if it had the right badge work it would be a Dover. Except I think Dover's were only 1929. Looks great. I think 1937 was Hudson's best commercial vehicle year.

    It's a shame Hudson didn't stick with some sort of commercial vehicle production. Everything they ever made looked better than anything GMC ever did.
  • bent metal
    bent metal Senior Contributor
    I like that! That's a nice truck, like the back windows too.:)
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