# of 46-47 Hudson trucks existing?

faustmb
faustmb Senior Contributor
edited November -1 in HUDSON
I've heard production numbers ranging from 3000-4500 for both years. It seems like another truck shows up on ebay or elsewhere every few weeks. I'm just curious how many are left, is it 200 or 2000? My personal guess is in the 300-500 range. Anyone care to guess or offer soemthing more concrete?



Matt

Comments

  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    The only 'concrete' way would be to contact the fellows who keep the Hudson commercial car rosters, in the Club. I believe there are two separate registries, for different years. There are certainly more trucks 'out there' than on the registries (due to the failure of the trucks' owners to bother to register them) but at least it's a start.
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    faustmb wrote:
    I've heard production numbers ranging from 3000-4500 for both years. It seems like another truck shows up on ebay or elsewhere every few weeks. I'm just curious how many are left, is it 200 or 2000? My personal guess is in the 300-500 range. Anyone care to guess or offer soemthing more concrete?



    Matt



    3,104 trucks were shipped in 1946, 2,917 in 1947. Adding the two together

    (6,201) and figuring maybe 5 to 10% survived, that means 300 to 600 could have survived.



    Hudsonly,

    Alex Burr
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Most figures I've seen for cars and trucks over 40 years old or so estimate between one and three percent that are on the road and registered. Pasture queens and parts cars do not count. So, does 62 sound low? I'd think so, in this case. I would guess 300-400 survive, along with double that number for parts trucks and yet-undiscovered "barn finds".
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    If you count as existing anything more or less recognizable as a 46-7 truck, then the 5 to 10 percent range is about as close as you'd come. But of course it's impossible to know how many are out there, forgotten, or unknown, in salvage yards, barns and garages - or even just sitting in the woods somewhere.
  • Clutchguy
    Clutchguy Senior Contributor
    faustmb wrote:
    I've heard production numbers ranging from 3000-4500 for both years. It seems like another truck shows up on ebay or elsewhere every few weeks. I'm just curious how many are left, is it 200 or 2000? My personal guess is in the 300-500 range. Anyone care to guess or offer soemthing more concrete?



    Matt



    This is a good question!!! I've had my own theory about why another pops up regularly?.I think that as the farmlands and the countryside get bought up and developed,more old cars and trucks are found.Trucks are found because they were purchased and used in an era when they were actually used for a TRUCK!!!! Wonder how many have been found with a set of 17"or 22"wheels??LOL:D
  • SamJ
    SamJ Senior Contributor
    Like the '32 Ford, there are more '46-'47 Hudson pickups surviving than were actually built. In 20 years of attending meets, I have seen over 8,200.:D :D:D
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    speaking of trucks, my wife is pushin a bit for me to sell my 47 pick-up. too many things, not enuf time, email me @ Qtukapa@cheqnet.net if any interest. (remove the Q) im in n.w. wisc
  • faustmb
    faustmb Senior Contributor
    Jon B wrote:
    The only 'concrete' way would be to contact the fellows who keep the Hudson commercial car rosters, in the Club. I believe there are two separate registries, for different years. There are certainly more trucks 'out there' than on the registries (due to the failure of the trucks' owners to bother to register them) but at least it's a start.



    I will definately have to look into this. I would like to know how many of the cars that have popped up recently are HET registered.



    I recently bought a 47 truck. The previous owner claims that it was registered in the HET, but I have not verified it.



    Matt
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Good question. Anyone know how many 1940 Pickups were made? I've heard more than 46 or 47 and I've also heard that well less 1940s were made. Thanks.
  • nick s
    nick s Senior Contributor
    SamJ wrote:
    Like the '32 Ford, there are more '46-'47 Hudson pickups surviving than were actually built. In 20 years of attending meets, I have seen over 8,200.:D :D:D
    and16 of the 8200 actually have a 3x5 under the hood; f course there's only 5 '32 fords with original drivelines.
  • PAULARGETYPE
    PAULARGETYPE Senior Contributor
    Hudson Cv's And Trucks It All A True Hudson Guy Wanted To Save Lol ;)
  • Uncle Josh
    Uncle Josh Senior Contributor
    Well, my 47 is being used daily. It's down 'tother side of the pond now with a load of brush on it. It's original and looks it. Everybody says to leave it like it is. Original 212 puttering along driving a 4:11 rear end.



    That's it on the inside cover of the last WTN. The snow has finally melted.
  • dave s
    dave s Senior Contributor, Moderator
    My "stock" 46 Hudmobile does fine pulling trailer with 4000 pound Hornet cv. LOL
  • Clutchguy
    Clutchguy Senior Contributor
    dave s wrote:
    My "stock" 46 Hudmobile does fine pulling trailer with 4000 pound Hornet cv. LOL



    I do like your truck Dave!!! A real looker and totally functional.:)
  • faustmb
    faustmb Senior Contributor
    dave s wrote:
    My "stock" 46 Hudmobile does fine pulling trailer with 4000 pound Hornet cv. LOL



    I was wondering how well it pulled the trailer. I plan to use mine to do some occasional hauling eventually. It has a 350/350 drivetrain and a Chevy rear as well. The previous owner used to haul a racecar behind it regularly I am told.



    Matt
  • SamJ
    SamJ Senior Contributor
    PAULARGETYPE wrote:
    Hudson Cv's And Trucks It All A True Hudson Guy Wanted To Save Lol ;)



    When I was talking to some members who used to race Hudsons down in old El Paso, they told me that in the '60's guys were only interested in the drivetrain, since the car around it wasn't worth much. They pulled 308's from rust-free convertibles, coupes and sedans and pushed the bodies into an arroyo.:eek:
  • dave s
    dave s Senior Contributor, Moderator
    faustmb wrote:
    I was wondering how well it pulled the trailer. I plan to use mine to do some occasional hauling eventually. It has a 350/350 drivetrain and a Chevy rear as well. The previous owner used to haul a racecar behind it regularly I am told.



    Matt



    Last year, it pulled atrailer well, but was "light" in front end. On steep hillsOver winter, I added air shocks to rear to be able to shift more weight to front of truck, but haven't tried it yet. I will let you know.
  • Aaron D. IL
    Aaron D. IL Senior Contributor
    They're not as rare as you'd think, even though the production figures are low. Seems most folks kept em beccause they're good looking truck and because if you're tall you're not likely to drive in them often. I got roster count of I think 419, so of which have been modified, engine swapped, or not in great condition.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    SamJ wrote:
    When I was talking to some members who used to race Hudsons down in old El Paso, they told me that in the '60's guys were only interested in the drivetrain, since the car around it wasn't worth much. They pulled 308's from rust-free convertibles, coupes and sedans and pushed the bodies into an arroyo.:eek:



    Seems to me that would be the place to find and drag some back out... convertibles particularly. I know where there's a guy with a collecton of rough cars behind a building, rusting away, and one is a step-down convertible. I guess it can be bought, but no idea how much. The only reason I even know it's there is the property backs onto a railroad line and I rode by on an excursion train once.



    There are catches of cars like that all over the place, although every time scrap gets high you lose a few more. That's what I primarily do with these cars - go in and buy as many as I can from the scrappers and junkyards, and save them. We were in a yard last year that had stuff from the late 20s to the '70s.. that's where the '42 Hudson coupe came from.



    I've been in enough of them that just based on what I'd seen I sat down and did the math and came up with an average of 4% - since then I've found enough more yards to conclude that may even be low, the average survival rate for postwar cars is probably more like 10%. What's funny is the 70's cars are much harder to find - I can find places with rows of 40s and 50's cars, but if I needed a taillight for a '74 Hornet, that would be a problem.



    Late prewar cars the percentage should drop a little, I'm sure a lot went to Korean war scrap drives, and 1934 and earlier it should also drop back, except for Fords, because of WWII and Korean war scrap drives. Fords still seem to be everywhere; I even found the remains of a '26-7 T in an old farm dump - a few feet to the side of a short hiking trail in the park near where I used to live.
  • faustmb
    faustmb Senior Contributor
    Aaron D. IL wrote:
    I got roster count of I think 419, so of which have been modified, engine swapped, or not in great condition.



    Our guesses weren't too far off :) I would assume there are quite a few more that didn't make it into the roster yet, waiting to be disovered by HET.



    Matt
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    I recently started restoration on a 1942 PU that i just registered with HET.



    Paul
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