SAD BUT TRUE

[Hudsy Wudsy]

I'm sick to hear about this lunacy! There aren't many cars I personally would rather own than that Hudson and I would own that car for a long, long time. It was even my favorite color. What a colossal idiot. It would have been so easy to have had a vehicle with good brakes, say your truck, behind that Hudson with a tether chain only allowing the Hudson to inch along down the hill at a safe, moderate speed until it reached flat ground. All of that loss was so unnecessary. The Hudson Safety brake system didn't impress me very much the one time that I had the brakes go out on one of my Hornets many decades ago, but that particular car hadn't had much in the way of regular maintenance before I got it. The brakes did slow me down better than pulling out an emergency brake handle, but that's about all I could say for them. The factory made Hudson convertibles by hand, taking finished coupe bodies off of the line, adding the cast pieces under the floor, cutting the roof off, forming the large header over the windshield and then installing the top and the hydraulics. That large underfloor bracing is important to all convertibles so that they don't buckle behind the driver's seat, but the Step Down Hudsons were unibody, so it was more than important, it was vital. That probably explains the sequence in which they did things. I've known very rusted, but complete convertibles to be saved by transferring all of the unique parts to a sound coupe body with the roof cut off. As far as the unique windshield header, guys chop roofs all of the time, so I imagine that it really is a lot easier to transfer the whole upper windshield assembly than trying to duplicate the hand formed header that came from the factory. I can tell I'm going to have nightmares about this tonight.

Edited August 14, 2016 by Hudsy Wudsy (see edit history)

[Xander Wildeisen]

The seller/owner made a bad choice. And it all most cost him his life. There were three of us telling him and his wife, the car had no brakes. We talked about towing the car down. The more I talked about no brakes, the more I got my but chewed. For what ever reason that guy, on that day, was hell bent on having that car, driven down that hill. And I was not going to do it. I never took to books real well, but that just had bad idea written all over it. I have owned over 30 Hudson's, they are great cars. Step downs are put together very well. I would also say they are put together to good, if you have ever really dived into repairing one that has rust damage. A big pain in the a%# to try and get in there to make the repairs. One thousand spot welds, held in place by one thousand spot welds. Sandwiched in between layers of metal and held together with more spot welds. They were put together with no plans of ever coming back apart. The Hollywood hard tops would be the one to use if wanting to transfer convertible parts over, in the years 51-54. The coupe body and doors are a lot different then the hardtop and convertible bodies and doors. Bodies for the most part are unchanged from 1948-53. A lot of work would have to be done to take a 49 coupe, and turn it into a convertible. It would be easier to take a 51-53 hardtop and turn it in to a 48-53 convertible. From a fabrication stand point. Maybe that is what the person who bought the wrecked car is doing?

[8E45E]

21 minutes ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

The seller/owner made a bad choice. And it all most cost him his life. There were three of us telling him and his wife, the car had no brakes. We talked about towing the car down. The more I talked about no brakes, the more I got my but chewed. For what ever reason that guy, on that day, was hell bent on having that car, driven down that hill. And I was not going to do it. I never took to books real well, but that just had bad idea written all over it.

I bet he still wishes he could turn the clock back to before it all happened.

 

Craig

[Hudsy Wudsy]

Xander, you're absolutely right about the use of a Hollywood for the conversion, but my recollection is that they were able to reuse the convertible doors on the coupe. It's been years, though, since I read about it.

[Xander Wildeisen]

All of the doors have the same outside shape from the window opening down. You could turn a coupe door into a convertible door, but it would be a lot of work. The coupe doors having the door frame all the way around to hold the wing window, window track and interior garnish rail. The doors on a 51-54 Hollywood are convertible doors, 54 being a different body style. I think two door hard top doors from a lot of different makes of cars, for the most part are the same as their convertible doors. With the lack of good solid cars left to build/restore, and good parts left to purchase. A person has to look at what parts can be made to work. Not that big of a deal on the custom end, you can make any changes you want to. But a lot harder on the restoration side, parts have to fit the way they did from the factory. If any one is looking for good classic car parts for any make, chrome, sheet metal and so on. Call Jim Hines, At vintage automotive here in Idaho. He has a ton of NOS parts still in the boxes.   http://www.jimsvintageautomotive.com/

[Hudsy Wudsy]

Thanks for that info. I've filed it away for future use.

[Doc Hubler]

What Xander says about the Hollywoods/Coupes is correct.  I'm over in the Tri-cities, WA area.  THought I had that on my Avatar, will have to go back and fix that.

 

 

[Doc Hubler]

BTW, here's my latest Hudson, though not doing much to it yet.  A 52 Wasp Hollywood.  Pretty rare car.  If you look carefully at the doors, you'll see that they match the convertibles, but can't easily be converted or used for a coupe/or vice versa.  

[Xander Wildeisen]

Same door as the convertible. From the fire wall back, all Hudson body styles from 1948-1953 are the same. With just different tail lights, side trim, dashes and grills. Front of hoods had to change with the different grills. The super six, hornet and commodore have the longer nose. With the pace maker and wasp being shorter. The sun visors were not meant to go on the hard tops or the convertibles, I have all ways put them on as well. The side bracket is curved for the drip rail on the closed cars. The drip rail on the hard tops and convertibles runs straight.

[Doc Hubler]

Obvious to me is that the hood on this 52 Wasp must have been damaged and was replaced with a 53 hood.  The car was originally Boston Ivory over Jefferson Green.  The top paint is still original, but the green is, well, not my favorite.  Clearly also, the lost the stainless when the car was repainted so it is missing those pieces on the side.  Otherwise, pretty much and original car.  Your Hornet convertible is to die for!  

 

 

[Xander Wildeisen]

The Hornet convertible was sold a few years ago. Looking at your pictures, I did not think that the Hollywood had a cloth interior? I do have the leather grain pattern to repaint the dash if you are looking to have it refinished. You do have a 53 hood ornament on your 52. Does the grill have the two extra grill bars? Or has it been changed to a 53 grill as well? Jim Harmon would have had the stainless trim you are missing. Did all of his cars and parts get sold?

[Doc Hubler]

Thanks Xander!  The Wasp has this interior (it's stock original).  Yes, the grille is still 52 (with the inverted triangle).  I don't think you can interchange the hood ornaments, so I'll have to get a 52 Wasp hood eventually.  Wasps did not have the stainless pieces on the headliner either.  But otherwise, pretty much the same as the Hornet/Commodore series.  This car also did not have the Wasp emblem on the trunk, and I've seen other 52 Wasp Hollywoods that did not have any ornament on the trunk lid.  It's the original Jefferson Green under there, hasn't been bothered with (they didn't even paint the jambs).  I have a correct ornament and plan to install it.  I can do my own leather graining (I've used Grain-It Technologies system).  Did that for my 48 Cadillac.  I think I may have some sources for the stainless trim on doors and quarters.  This car has a lot of good and some bad.  The bad is the rust of course.  It's got more under there than any Hudson I've bought (bought only ones from my local area or dry intermountain region cars).  This car probably came from the midwest (Iowa) and was in Utah for some time before going to Idaho where I got it.  Someone installed an electric fuel pump and removed the mechanical one.  That's a no-go on safety for me.  I'll redo the entire brake system, but for now I will have to replace 2 wheel cylinders on the ones that stick.  It had no brakes at all when I got it.  This car is just a 3 spd, but I have a 52 3 spd tranny with OD that I will install eventually (rebuilt by Al Saffran years ago).  Make it much nice for the highway.  And the green machine motif has to go.  I'm going to other colors, but way to early to decide on that.

 

I think a lot of mechanical pieces went to the dump from Jim's place.  Pieces like stainless did not.  As far as I know, the cars pretty much sold but there were a few in storage near the old homestead.  I believe it was just before Christmas 2011 that everything finally had to go as the property was sold.  They had to be out by Dec 31.  A number of club members helped move stuff.  I'm not really sure what has happened to it all (Jim's son in law was helping I think).  I don't know what if anything was done with the remaining stock.

[Hudsy Wudsy]

5 hours ago, Doc Hubler said:

BTW, here's my latest Hudson, though not doing much to it yet.  A 52 Wasp Hollywood.  Pretty rare car.  If you look carefully at the doors, you'll see that they match the convertibles, but can't easily be converted or used for a coupe/or vice versa.  

As I said, my recollection is that they were able to reuse the doors off of the rusted convertible body.

[Doc Hubler]

Yes, the convertible doors are interchangeable for 2 dr Hardtops, but not 2 door coupes..  

[Buffalowed Bill]

Nice to see you mention Jim Hines. Known Jim for thirty five years, great guy! Jim and his yard are truly locked in a time warp. People come and people go but nothing changes at Jim's yard. Jim is not getting any younger though. I just wonder how many of those great southern Idaho, or Montana yards for that matter, will long survive. 

[Xander Wildeisen]

I always thought the Hollywood was a mix of cloth and vinyl on the inside. I have had two Hollywood hard tops, but both were 52 Hornets. Did not know the Wasp was all cloth. If any one gets to this part of the country, they should stop by Vintage Auto (Jim Hines) he has a ton of parts in the buildings. And parts that have been locked up and boarded in, that have not been seen for a long time. I would hate to see all that stuff just get scrapped. Great picture of the 52 Hornet club coupe. I think the 52 Hornet club coupes are one of Hudson's best looking cars. When looking at the two pictures above, it is funny to see how many people replace the trim on the 51-53 cars, with the trim from the 48-50 cars. I wonder if a lot of people even notice it. The trim on the very bottom of the door and fenders. The Hollywood has the correct painted trim, the club coupe has the incorrect earlier stainless trim. The correct trim is just stamped steel and gets destroyed from rust and removal. Why Hudson made that change, I do not know. When restoring one you would have to paint that trim in place on the car. No way you could hammer on the trim after it has been painted. And you can see the difference in the drip rails on the two cars, and why the sun visor bracket fits the curved drip rail better.    

[8E45E]

More Hudson photos:

 

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?65186-Orphan-of-the-Day-1953-Hudson-Wasp-Hollywood

 

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?49573-Orphan-of-the-Day-03-15-1954-Hudson-Hornet

 

 

[Doc Hubler]

Xander,

 

I always assumed the reason for the painted "trim" at the bottom of the doors, etc along top of the rockers was the way the rockers were built.  THe way they connect to the front feders requires some trim to cover the bolts or they would be exposed.  Tacky.  Thus the trim line must be carried all the way to the back, even though it serves no other useful purpose.  It was cheaper to use painted steel which they did starting in 1951, and used through 1953.  All 48-50 Hudsons, including Pacemakers had shiny trim (eyebrow, stainless steel) in those places before those years.  Of course, in 1954, Hudson changed the rockers for the final years and they were welded in place instead of removeable.  So that eliminated any need for that type of trim.

 

In the links above, the Red Wasp Hollywood is a Super Wasp.  The famous Super Six name was used through the 1951 model year, and was on the longer wheelbase (only Pacemakers had the shorter wheelbase in 50-51).  Then, the Super Six name was dropped for 1952, and the Wasp took it's place, and on the shorter Pacemaker wheelbase.  The difference between the 52 Pacemaker and Wasp?  The engines -- Pacemaker got the 232, while the Wasp had the venerable 262.  Also Wasp had a little nicer interior, etc.  The 52 Pacemaker had the triangle struts eliminated from the grille, so the grilles looked like the 1953 Hudson grille lineup.  Sales of Pacemakers in 1952 were very poor (only around 7500 cars), and the name was dropped for 1953.  For 1953, what was the Pacemaker became the Wasp (232 engine), and the Wasp of 1952 became the Super Wasp (again with 262 engine).  Confusing, but Hudson decided to go with the Insecta class nomenclature across the board (the Commodore was also dropped after 1952),  Sales continued to slide of course, and within 1.5 years, Hudson was no more an independent car company, and became the Hash for 55-57.  

 

Here's a couple of pictures of my 1950 Pacemaker Deluxe.  1950 was the only year they had this fabric dash design, and that was only for Pacemakers.  The Commodores were leathergrain dashes, while Supers were painted in 1950.  This Pacemaker actually has a 1950 Super Six engine in it (262) with the original "500" Pacemaker head giving it a little more compression.  A good power combo for this car. That was done by John Soneff back in the 1970s. 

[Hudsy Wudsy]

Your Pacemaker's dash looks so much better with Deluxe steering wheel. The standard one was so very plain. I'm sure that you guys are right that they transformed a Hollywood into a convert. I'm getting old and don't always realize that my memory plays tricks on me.

[smithbrother]

I have grown to really like these cars.

 

I didn't always, Dad being a Buick dealer was my reason.  Dad would say, "IT'S THE ONLY CAR YOU STEP DOWN TO GET IN, AND FALL, TO GET OUT".

 

He also would say, "IF YOU DON'T DRIVE A BUICK, YOU ARE THE SCUM OF THE EARTH",. He didn't believe such, but he loved humor.  Another comment was when a customer would drive in the lot, he would often tell me, " DALE, HERE COMES ANOTHER SUCKER, I MEAN A CUSTOMER, then would say, "I ALWAYS GET THAT CONFUSED", and laugh.

 

I miss my parents,

 

Dale in Indy

 

 

 

[Doc Hubler]

Pacemaker Deluxe came standard with the fancier Commodore steering wheel.  THe car is painted Texas Tan, a really nice color for the time. The regular Pacemakers were plain Jane pull straps on doors and not armrests.  THe upholstery was not fancy either.