Pickup Bed

[Deleted User]
[Deleted User]
edited October 2012 in HUDSON
The user and all related content has been deleted.

Comments

  • charles4d
    charles4d Expert Adviser
    In the 1940 pick up was painted flat black
  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member
    I have been told that charles4d's info applied at least from '40-'47. Not sure about pre-'40, but a '38 I saw recently had a metal bottom to the bed and was painted body color (of course).
  • bent metal
    bent metal Senior Contributor
    Yep, chassis (or flat?) black at least in '40-'47. Not just the wood, all that was flat in there. The wood, the strips, the surround up until it goes vertical. Also black was the windshield wiper bases and side view mirror.
  • Browniepetersen
    Browniepetersen Senior Contributor
    Here we go with the "Custom" aspect of the hobby. Flat black might be original but the best looking beds that I have seen are stained and clear finished. Just adds a nice touch to the truck. Hudson trucks were built and sold as work trucks and they were used that way. On my 28 Essex, I sanded out the paint and with a small bit of black paint down deep in the grain; I did a clear coat on the wood. I think it looks great.....
  • charles4d
    charles4d Expert Adviser
    Brownie I agree with you it looks better like that its your vehicle do as you please as you cant please everyone just your self
  • bent metal
    bent metal Senior Contributor
    I too think they look better with a stain and clear coat. But, I'd like to see some body redo a '40-'47 truck the way they were. Before there isn't anyone who still remembers that the wiper bases, side view, and beds were black. ...When is the last time you have seen one that was all original specs? The last one I saw was owned by Bill Albright, he did one with the black, as original. I think that was twenty-five or so years ago.
    Remember, this guy didn't ask "What do you like?". He asked "What was original?".
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • stbryson
    stbryson Senior Contributor
    Hello,

    On the factory photos and period photos I have seen of the 1947 trucks, the mirrors look to be black, but the wiper bases look to be chrome plated. The parts book for 1946-1947 doesn't show a separate parts number for a truck wiper base, which would lead me to believe that the cars and trucks used the same wiper bases.

    Thoughts?

    Take care,

    Steve Bryson
  • charles4d
    charles4d Expert Adviser
    The truck was same as the car for wiper base same number they just painted them
    after all it was just a truck nothing fancy just for work
    On the 1940 anyway
  • bent metal
    bent metal Senior Contributor
    I think that's right about the wiper bases. Same, just painted black, not chromed. I know most you see on trucks are chrome now. But have you ever been looking through parts at a swap meet, or seen a truck in a junk yard, and found a wiper base that was juuusst perfect? No pits and all of the corners and detail still sharp, but yet it's grey with no chrome. The chroming is what causes the pitting in the pot metal. The buffing of the chroming smoothes off the detials. So if you find one of these bases as I described above, that's a truck wiper base that has never been chromed. And they are getting harder and harder to find.
  • Fred
    Fred Expert Adviser
    I have qtr saw'n white oak in the bed of Jethroe (46 pickup) varnished with ss strips but put in a rubber mat from tractor supply when he is being used for "hauling in a Hudson."
    Fred
  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member
    Fred-

    That's a grand idea! I like it.
  • stbryson
    stbryson Senior Contributor
    Hello,

    So if the wiper bases for trucks were never chromed, why wouldn't there be a separate part number for the truck bases? The parts book for 1946-1947 shows "All" for the models the wiper bases ("Chain housing and linkage", in Hudson Motor Car Company parlance) fit. No separate number for trucks, nothing indicating a different finish.

    Lets look at an example from a Hudson Fast Moving Parts List from July 1, 1945. Part F 204142, Door outside handle - front RH - rear LH for 42 Models 21-28 (21 is a Super Six, while 28 is a Big Boy Business Car), denotes a chrome finish, while part F 205764 - same part name, same year, same models - denotes a polished finish. So the factory did use separate numbers for the same parts having different finishes. Wouldn't they do the same for the wiper bases?

    One other hitch in all of this is that the parts book indicates that the wiper bases ("chain housings and linkages") "are not supplied by Hudson Motor Car Company, but may be obtained from Trico Products Corp., Buffalo, N.Y. or their authorized service outlets. Trico symbols (i.e. parts numbers) are shown." If the factory, or a dealer, needed to order these parts from Trico, how would they differentiate parts for cars from parts for trucks, if there is only one parts number for the "Chain housing and linkage"?

    Did Trico send the part with no finish, and then the factory or the dealer plated or painted the part depending on the application? Did the factory or dealer paint over the plated finish? Did the factory or dealer strip the chrome plating, then paint the part? None of those ideas make much sense.

    Take care,

    Steve Bryson

  • bent metal
    bent metal Senior Contributor
    edited November 2013
    I thought we were talking about '40-'47. The other years I don't know anything about.

    Steve Bryson, If I showed you some that had never been chromed, would you believe it? As for the replacement parts. Is it possible that ALL of the replacements were chromed? But the trucks came black off the assembly line? Maybe?
  • stbryson
    stbryson Senior Contributor
    Hello bent metal,

    Sure, I believe that there are wiper bases that have never been chromed, without even seeing them. But I won't go as far as to believe that the factory used painted ones on the trucks, at least in 1946-47, without factory documentation, especially given how specific the parts manuals are regarding various parts. Not to mention the period factory photos that seem to show plated, not painted, wiper bases.

    Do the parts manuals refer only to replacement parts that would be different from first-run parts? Would the factory have used black wiper bases on the production run, but then used only plated ones for replacement parts? That wouldn't make much sense. The way I interpret the parts manual is that Hudson sourced the wiper parts from Trico, and they only used one parts number for the wiper base, for all models.

    Regarding 1941-42 trucks, could it be that Hudson also had "blackout models" like some other makes, when chrome wasn't available due to the war effort? Or that un-plated parts were the replacement parts?

    I thought I had a period Trico catalog, and was going to look in it, but I haven't been able to find it yet.

    With all that said, I'll readily admit that I wasn't there when Hudson was making trucks. ;-)

    Take care,

    Steve Bryson
  • bent metal
    bent metal Senior Contributor
    What your saying does make sense to me. But some of the things that Hudson did doesn't always make sense. I would believe the arguement that the replacements were all chrome, why not? I've gotten "factory" replacements that were not exactly like the original I was replacing, on Chevy stuff. Especially since your talking about an outside supplier, as you mentioned Trico.

    I'd like to see some of the factory photos. You also have to wonder if the commercial vehicles came painted black but you could order them chrome. An easy upgrade for anyone or any dealer to do. At any time over the years.

    Your reference to '41-'42 makes sense too. But, I know of a truck that is a '46, doesn't look to have had the wiper bases ever off, and they are not chromed.

    What if?! If it was 1940 thru 1947 and you walked up to any Hudson dealer and bought an unaltered, no upgraded truck. I'd bet the wiper bases would be black. ...Kinda' like when you go to a dealer now and look at any new cars. They always have a bunch with upgraded wheels, or a stereo, or a whatever. But they have very few that are stipped down bare bones.

    Anyone have the factory photos?
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Just an example of what may have happend . I have seen bottom model Hudson Jets with painted speedometer housings. And due to age the paint was pealing off to reveal very nice chrome surface underneath.
    As if only one type of dash was ordered - the chrome plated ones. And when it was decided to make the striped down Jet they just painted some of them,
    Roger
  • 53jetman
    53jetman Senior Contributor
    I believe all models of the Jet series, Jet, Super Jet & Jetliner had the speedometer housing painted to match the selected interior of that particular car. However, the assembly had chrome trim around the actual speedometer face - therefore the complete housing was chrome plated.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    edited October 2012
    Oh , well that would explain that .Thank you , Interesting way to make something .. .. ..I guess the one I saw was painted completely. As a base model maybe and was peeling ?
    Roger
This discussion has been closed.

Categories

In this Discussion