1926 Hudson Brougham

[AaJu]

Hello!

I’ve started a restoration with this Hudson. There isn’t any motor or axcels left. Also the body is just totally empty shield. What is seen on those pictures, there’s all. As far as I know, it hasn’t been moved since World War II. I live in Finland so the car has even been in the war; it has some bullet holes left. After the war it just have been in the barn. Because of that, there isn’t ant documents or titles left. I got a help with indentifying manufacturing year which is 1926. Any other information of this, however, would be great. I have a huge work ahead; because I don’t have any titles left even, I have to go Finnish National Archive to find it. Because of that, all the information I can have in advance would be great. There is every single title from 1920 to 1970 at the archive so the amount of paper will be huge. 
Many thanks to you all in advance!

-Aatu

[Xander Wildeisen]

https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/pts/d/murrieta-hudson-parts-hood-fender/7185183511.html

[AaJu]

Thanks for that link. Question about the engine numbers. Does anyone know how was the engine numbers running on those days? 

[Xander Wildeisen]

Are you asking about firing order? Or a stamped/cast engine number? 

[AaJu]

Cast engine number. I noticed that some of the cars have been registered with their engine number rather than VIN number here in Finland in the 1920’s. 

[Xander Wildeisen]

Nice idea, until someone changes the motor. And now has a title that does not match anything. Do not know what you will have to deal with in your area in getting your project titled.

[Jon37]

I am not sure what your question is.  You have no engine, so you can't learn the engine number.  How about the body serial number -- have you found that yet?  (I believe that it may be stamped into the rear spring bracket on the right side (the passenger side, at least in the U.S.!)

[AaJu]

Body serial number I have and with that I’ve managed the production year to 1926.  The point why I would need the cast engine numbers for that era is this: I know how much of Hudsons have brought here in 1926. A few dozen. In Finland there was nine states then. I’ve managed to figure out the state (or two) where the car has been registered. Titles for those days were written by year and reg. number to the book. There also reads when the car is scrapped and what is the body type (for example 4 passenger sedan or 7 passenger sedan). I assume that in 1926 in that state there has been only a few new Hudsons. With engine number I can identify that the car in the papers is from year 1926. 
Registeration nowdays is quite simple. I have the owner history all the way to the 1970’s. Car has all that time been in that condition. Just the long owner history is enough to get it to the traffic. I try to figure out the cars history because I want the original license plate number for that. It is paussible to have here if I have, for excample, an old title where reads that the car has been used specific plate. Old titles also helpos with identifying the history. History is needed when getting a traditional wechile status. 

[paulrhd29nz]

For 1926 there were two series. First start with 672228 to 713809. 
second from 713810 to 749999. 
Hudson built a Brougham body as well as Biddle &Smart. The Biddle & Smart body’s we’re out of Aluminum ( yours appears to be aluminum) The Hudson built body’s are far superior in quality of construction. 
 

Hudson engine numbers mean nothing. They were never in sequence with the body number tag. The date code is the only way to identify the year of the motor. The body tag needs to match the frame numbers stamped in the rear frame horn. 

[AaJu]

Thank you for clear and informative answer. I try to find titles with body number (679520). 

[Borough Essex]

Hello Aatu,

 

Hope you have already found these sites: a) http://hudsonterraplane.com/tech/tech_index.htm; b)https://classiccardatabase.com/prewar-models/car-models-H.php#Hudson  IF the information on this second site is correct, then you are looking for an engine number starting from 372374 onwards. 

 

For what it is worth, I have a 1926 Hudson engine sitting here and the number 269072 is stamped prominently above the front left engine mount, but this is actually a 1925 number I suspect. A number like this MIGHT have been used to register your car when new. The serial number is on the firewall (can't see clearly but yours appears to be there) and you can hope/pray that number was used to register it. Where I am (Victoria, Australia) the engine number was invariably used.

 

It was interesting to read about the system for registering cars in Finland; I was there many times in the 1980s and 1990s and have even ridden in a Hudson north of Helsinki (forget the town).

 

I have a 1925 Hudson project car I am working on. An original drive train for yours is procurable, but would be hard to find in Finland I imagine. 

 

 

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by Borough Essex
added additional information to answer OP's query (see edit history)

[AaJu]

Hello! 
Yep, those pages are familiar for me. I really hope that the registeration at the time is made by VIN, not by motor cast number. It finds out soon, I booked a day to Finnish National Archive.
 

This car is propably the only one left here. The rest are scrapped, left in the woods or digged into the field. I got an original style motor and axcels so technically it’s challenging but doable. Body parts are much harder task. There isn’t anything left in the body, even the woods are mainly disappeared. I’ve started with the frame and now I continue with the body.