Jon37

A photo would probably help. Take a look at this, for a 1935 Terraplane. Close? http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2011/2362985531_4cc5b75a6b.jpg?v=0

A lady I know has an antique car in Florida and needs it shipped to Maryland within the next few weeks. She got a reasonable offer from a company called "State 2 State". Has anyone had experience (good or bad) with them? Or is there an even better company that would run this route?

A woman in Maryland whom I know, has a vintage 1950 automobile which has been partly restored, but which needs several things done: mostly, there is chrome and trim to be mounted, but she may need some minor mechanical work as well. Are there any "recommended" old car mechanics in the Baltimore - Pasadena - Annapolis whome she might contact?

You might want to post that message over at the Hudson club's forum, at http://www.classiccar.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13 . It would certainly be worth salvaging as a parts car, if nothing else. The weak spot on these cars is the rear perimeter frame (behind the rear wheels) so if it is solid back there, it is worth saving for the frame alone. The overdrive and possibly the 8-cylinder engine are definitely worth saving. As to the price, I'm not sure...you might want to pose this question at the Hudson forum.

Our local AACA also has a sign-up table at its annual car show (which, incidentally, has steadilly increased in size for the past three years). Our members save their AACA magazines and we give these out, along with application blanks, to potential members. We have been getting 6 or 7 new members each show. Considering that we have about 90 members, that isn't a bad harvest for one show.

Since the Hudsonite is readily available I use it, rather than to experiment with different types of ATF. Being a cheapskate I don't change it very often so therefore it doesn't cost me much!

The stuff is still available, actually in two different formulations ("original" and "improved"). There are several people who have restored the 1909-10's in the Club, so don't hesitate to post your questions at the Hudson forum noted above.

Had you tried posting that inquiry over at the Hudson club's forum, at http://www.classiccar.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13 ?

You an purchase the original type of Hudsonite from the Hudson club store at http://www.hudsonclub.org/hetstore.htm (only if you are a Club member, though), or you may purchase the new and improved type from Wildrick Restorations at http://vintageautorestoration.com/ (Club membership not required for this). You may also use certain types of automatic transmission fluid though I don't recall which. If you need more information on your car you might want to go to the Club's forum at http://www.classiccar.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13 and post your Hudson questions there. All Hudsonite is put up in bottles containing the correct amount for one filling.

Thanks for your thoughts!

I wondered if there are any individuals or companies that reproduce those interior visor-mounted vanity mirrors with the car name etched on them (as well as etched spaces for recording mileages, date of oil change, etc.)? I have purchased an old vanity mirror and wondered what it might cost to have re-made in small quantities. I was told that someone has reproduced these for certain years of Studebaker, but a quick "Google" doesn't reveal any information about that. I'll post this request down in the Studebaker section as well. I'd be grateful for any leads!

I'm wondering if there are any individuals or companies that reproduce those interior visor-mounted vanity mirrors with the car name etched on them (as well as etched spaces for recording mileages, date of oil change, etc.)? I have purchased an old vanity mirror and wondered what it might cost to have re-made in small quantities. I was told that someone has reproduced these for certain years of Studebaker, but a quick "Google" doesn't reveal any information about that. I'll post this request down in the Studebaker section as well. I'd be grateful for any leads!

Had you tried listing this on the Hudson club's forum, yet? http://www.classiccar.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

You could list them here, at the Hudson club's forum: http://www.classiccar.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

Strictly aftermarket, never an option on any make. I met and interviewed the gentleman behind these, several years ago. He also made a more spartan "truck" version that wasn't chromed. He didn't make much money on the Passing-Eyes, had gazillions of leftovers, and was trying to peddle them for years. The irony is that, now that he's gone, they're finally in demand!

The cheapest is not always the best. But you can get a good battery at a moderate price. Some of the cheap batteries don't have the Cold Cranking Amps necessary to get your car started, nor do they have a long life. I have used "DEKA" batteries for several years. I bought their group 2 battery (6 volt) for about $72 in 2006, and it has 780 cold cranking amps. You can use this as a benchmark against which to rate other batteries. A lot of people swear by the new Optima gel batteries, and these are good. But they cost about $139 and deliver 800 CCA. You have to balance what you get, for what you pay...

If there are any salvageable parts, or he has specific questions about the car, you might want to post them not only here, but at the Hudson club's forum, at http://www.classiccar.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

Yes, it's possible to make and install your own top if you have a sense of adventure, a certain instinct as to how things go together, and a realization that the finished product probably won't win you any trophies. When I bought a 1937 convertible in 1971 I had very little money to spend on the top, so set out to make and install my own. I obtained some good quality convertible top canvas, then -- armed with a reprinted magazine article entitled "Re-topping the Antique Automobile", by a top shop in New Jersey -- I got to work. I salvaged the torn and rotted pieces of the old top and traced them onto the new material with chalk. Noting how the pieces were put together, I connected them with pins and took them to a local canvas shop (that made boat covers) for sewing. Then I brought the finished sewn sections back home and pinned additional pieces to them, and returned again to the canvas shop for further sewing. Although the magazine article pictured a 1920's car like yours, the basic construction was similar to that of a late 1930's car. Finally, I tacked the top to the car, stretching here, loosening there, fitting, re-tacking, and generally feeling my way through the operation, until the thing looked reasonably good. I finished up with the hidem welting, to conceal the tacks along the front and back, and installed snaps in the appropriate places. The result wasn't too bad looking, and it looked better the farther away from the car that you stood. I did the whole job for a song. I felt a sense of pride. And, the top stayed on the car for over 35 years.

Here's a photo of one, from Alex Burr's on-line Hudson photo album. To see a larger image go to the following webpage and click on the image (bottom right) and a larger image will appear. First, click on this link: photo page

If you don't receive a reply soon, you might try posting this over at the Hudson club's Forum, at http://www.classiccar.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

Dwight, if you don't get any responses here, you might want to go over to the Hudson club's forum and pose the same question. http://www.classiccar.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

You might want to advertise that over at the Hudson club's forum page, if you haven't done so already. A photo would be helpful, to I.D. the correct year. Go to http://www.classiccar.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

The Hudson club's Forum would be a good place to start, http://www.classiccar.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13 . True, the 1956 is an "Nash" at heart, but many of the body panels and a lot of other things are quite different from the Nash of that year.

I own a 1937 car that was exported to Europe when new. It has several items not standard on American versions. I was curious if others own such export cars and if so, are there common "threads" that link all American exports? Or, were the non-standard items on my car simply added by various European owners themselves? I suspect that European safety regulations might explain some of these differences. Among the non-standard items I discovered on my car (a 1937 Terraplane) upon purchase (in 1971) were: 1. kilometer speedometer (this was certainly a factory item because it matches the mph speedo's in every other respect) 2. Non-standard bumpers and guards. 3. "Trafficator" style semaphore turn signals mounted to the cowl, on stalks. 4. Storage pockets sewn into the door upholstery panels 5. Lower mounting location of (standard) taillights. 6. Headlight lenses different from standard U.S. versions 7. A simpler hood ornament than the more elaborate plastic one standard in the U.S. models (I suspect safety standards here because the simpler one is much less lethal). 8. Seat cushion in two pieces rather than the one full-width cushion standard in the American version. Also, I bought some NOS springs for this car several years ago (here in the U.S.) which were listed as "export" versions. To my mind, the ride is much "jouncier" than I think it should be, and I wondered if export springs tended to have more leaves because Europeans were used to a less-cushiony ride than Americans?

Had you tried posting your needs at the Hudson club Forum, at http://www.classiccar.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13 ?