The hardtop Chronicles

[58L-Y8]

Indeed, a complete 1942 grille would be difficult to find.   Have you every seen a 1946-'47 Hudson with a pair of yellow fog lights centered in each recess space?

[Xander Wildeisen]

One of the Hudson's in this story.

[58L-Y8]

Yes, that's it, relieves that missing front teeth look...

[Xander Wildeisen]

A pair of fog lights saves the trouble of installing a 42 grill.😆

[auburnseeker]

Is silver/ gray the number one color choice on big boys? I think I have seen more (mine included)  in that color than any other color. 

[Xander Wildeisen]

Owner of that truck painted it the same color as his suburban. Seen a few trucks in that color range. The trucks have become popular lately. Prices for projects have gone up, are they selling? Who knows. I watch for them, have always liked  Hudson trucks.

[Xander Wildeisen]

Digging out pictures for the convertible. Here are some pictures of cars you guys/gals might like, just some original stuff. Going through picture CD's and some pictures were mixed in with others. Some of these cars have nothing to do with me. Just pictures mixed in with others. Will get to the convertible story. The 33 Packard is one of best looking cars I have ever seen.

[Xander Wildeisen]

This 47 coupe, I first saw when I was 17 years old. 31 years ago. I wanted to buy the car, the owner would not sell it to me. He was going to fix it up. I moved to Seattle when I was 19. And while living up there, I tried to buy this convertible from the owner who lived in Portland OR. 26 years ago, he would not sell it at that time. I did purchase another car from him, and my father got a roof off of one of his parts cars, for his 37 Terraplane project he was working on. So I do have history with these two cars going back 31 years. Now fast forward to late 2010 and early 2011. The guy with the 47 coupe. I have known since I was 16 years old, he always had old cars behind his house. Bought and sold a lot of them. He had a surgery and was down for awhile, called me one day to ask if I knew this guy in Portland that had a few cars he wanted to buy. It was the guy with the convertible. He made a deal for a few cars, and we went to the Portland swap meet with three trucks and trailers. While up there, we picked up the cars he bought and brought them back. So now he had even more cars that he would never get to. One of the cars was a 47 Commodore coupe, it was a parts car for the convertible. That car was so badly rusted, I thought the body was going to flip off of the frame when it was strapped down on the trailer. Driving back behind the truck towing that car, you could see the body leaning in every corner. Might have been the electrical wiring holding it down to the frame. He parted that one out and scrapped the rotten body. Nothing was saved off of that coupe but stainless steel trim. That is one of the parts cars. Fast forward to late 2011, and he is faced with down sizing due to health issues. I made a deal to purchase all of his 46-47 stuff. two sedans, two coupes and one convertible. Plus the extra parts. I really only wanted the good coupe, and the convertible. But as a business I had one Hudson truck under construction, another one lined up. And a truck of my own that needed parts. The coupe parts car that you see was bought by the owner of the truck I was working on. He gave what was left to this guy. and I ended up with it. I am the one who took the parts off, and towed it there. Now I am towing it back. I have now bought the two cars that I wanted. It just took 21 years for it to happen. And I might have been the only one who would have bought that convertible, it was in bad shape. One of the sedan parts cars is not pictured.

[Xander Wildeisen]

So the guy I bought all this stuff from, introduces me to his friend who is looking for a Hudson truck. The two of them traveled around looking for one. Found this one in MT for sale. Bought it, and talked to one or two local shops. And brought it out to me. We went for a ride in my truck. He wanted his stretched, but not chopped. He found a parts car, a 47 coupe. Had what pieces he needed. That is one of the parts cars. Sorry for the writing on the car, it was vandalized before he bought it. While this one was being worked one. In came the other truck, you can see it in the pictures. My black shop truck was sold at this same time, to buy back a 52 Hornet convertible I sold years ago. Work was done to the truck, sand blasted to bare metal, and rebuilt. The green truck, is now the silver one. And that is one truck down, and still parts on the coupe parts car for the other trucks coming and the convertible. Truck was shown in the Boise Roadster show, and invited back the next year for a special display section. It would be one of the six cars in the show that year representing my business. And that is when you get hit as a business. The blue truck beside it, is one I also did.

[Xander Wildeisen]

Just some more pictures of original cars. I have a lot of experience with original cars. Just as a business, I focused on the customs. Fun to do for me. But love original cars as well.

[JACK M]

42 minutes ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

It would be one of the six cars in the show that year representing my business. And that is when you get hit as a business. 

 

I guess if you are charging someone to work on their stuff or selling your stuff it is a business.

Having six cars in a show might reinforce that. Unless they are all in your private collection.

Just an observation, is this part of the conspiracy that you talk about?

[Xander Wildeisen]

Conspiracy? That's funny stuff. Had a commercial booth in the show. Booth would have a project, or a personal car. In the show would be a personal car and customers cars. The Conspiracy you speak of, is you will be hit with a pay to play in Idaho. Throw on top of it, what went down in the City of Star. And you will find the police are no help. I know nobody wants to hear it Jack, I found that out very quickly. But I would never be involved in doing to someone, what was done to me. Going through more pictures, just some more original cars.

[58L-Y8]

"...He wanted his stretched, but not chopped. He found a parts car, a 47 coupe. "

 

Clever, lengthening the cab to accommodate the coupe doors.   How much to you have to shorten the box?

[Xander Wildeisen]

Coupe doors are are seven inches longer. Frames have a mounting point for the rear door pillar, when you move the cab back. Very easy to do. Frame can be stretched seven inches, so stock bed can be used. Or seven inches taken out of the bed. Flare on bottom of door needs to be removed, and the lower corner filled in. Also has a 49 dash installed. Next truck will have a new bed made, seven inches shorter. Not chopped as well. Getting to the convertible, pulling out pictures.

[Xander Wildeisen]

[Xander Wildeisen]

The next truck, and the first parts car to be brought to the shop is this one. This truck is to be stretched, not chopped and have a new bed made seven inches shorter. So no frame stretch on this one. This truck is getting a set of 47 two door sedan doors. Same size as coupe doors, but shaped different on the top. Coupe doors have a curve to the door top, two door sedan doors are straight across the top. This gets a drip rail, like the last one did. Trucks did not have drip rails on them. This truck has rust in the floors, kick panels and damaged on the passenger side. Dash is also cut up, with holes drilled into it. With the work to do the stretch, and the repairs. A person can use the front half of the sedan parts car, to take care of all of this. The trucks are a sedan cut off behind the front door. Four door sedan doors will fit the trucks. It is all the same on these cars/trucks. Because some of this stuff is personal, I have to bring out one parts car at a time. And still keep up with the cars you see in the background, 1940 Ford coupe and truck and 59 truck. Those are going in the show. Parts car comes in, pulled apart, cut in half. Unusable chunks off to scrap. Pick up next car. The coupe had been sitting there for about 30+ years. About this same time, My new truck was purchased. Came off of a hog farm in Harper KS. It was a real piece of junk. But I had lots of parts, so I could buy a cheap truck nobody wanted. 

[Xander Wildeisen]

Front half moved to truck frame, two door sedan doors installed. Back half of truck cab cut to fit. Stretch done, repairs avoided. New bed made, truck fitted with nice parts from the parts cars. You can see my new truck in the corner after it has been fitted with parts from all of these cars. So this truck, is now this truck. Stretched in a different way. My truck will get the coupe roof. Stretched in a different way again.

[Xander Wildeisen]

My new truck with parts from donor cars.

[AURktman]

Those are so cool!  

[Xander Wildeisen]

Just more car pictures, getting out convertible pictures.

[Xander Wildeisen]

Once the roof was removed from the coupe being used to repair the convertible. It was used on my truck, to do the stretch. Almost everything from the parts cars were used in repairing/building the cars customers wanted. Want a car restored, that would be done. As a business you can only do what comes in the door. You can see Jaguars in the background, wiring/restoration done on them. Not promoting customs here, just telling a story. This truck was sold. That wraps up the parts cars and trucks. Spread out over a few years. 

[Xander Wildeisen]

On 1/23/2021 at 11:11 AM, JACK M said:

 

I guess if you are charging someone to work on their stuff or selling your stuff it is a business.

Having six cars in a show might reinforce that. Unless they are all in your private collection.

Just an observation, is this part of the conspiracy that you talk about?

Every year I had a party, and invited neighbors and customers. Would park their cars around the property. It was a lot of fun. It was done at a time when you would have to get ready to have stuff done for the coming show. People could go in the shop, had a keg of beer on tap. Everyone could see what was being worked on, have good food, beers and BS. The first three pictures are of the back yard. Everything you see in the background is part of the conspiracy you asked about. All of the land, and homes in the distance, including mine. Was faced with annexation into the city of Star. While on a committee I exposed fraud and racketeering. It stopped a city from doubling in size. In one of the pictures you will see a tan Mustang. About where the front tire is, is where I was on my hands and knees dry heaving with my air way collapsing. Wondering if I could drive to the hospital faster than help could get there. Once emails went out to the local news, it got worse. Here is a news clip on the issue. I have watched a few times, Missed the part about bankrupted fire stations, well reports, buried pipe lines, water systems, threats, intimidation, harassment, gun fire and attempted murder. I do like when the mayor talks about the concern for roads, schools and fire protection. Can go into detail about all of the stories in this conspiracy if you like. Not on any ones side. I ended up in the middle of a very ugly issue. That just about got me killed. This issue is still on going, and I can tell you there are no rights for a person in the State of Idaho when you expose stuff like this. You will have your life destroyed. And nobody stood next to me, nobody.  I stood up for my friends and neighbors. Who to this day, are still being lied to. The State I was born and raised in will drive you out. You could not find a customer that has a bad thing to say about me. Busted my ass to build a business. And doing the right thing, cost me everything. Just trying to find a spot for my business, and start all over again. Love the car industry, stood up for business in it. Making sure they were highlighted for the things they did. Always went the extra mile for people.   https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/growing-idaho/company-backs-out-of-major-star-housing-development-project/277-0f303726-ca40-4d44-9d92-08607fdefa4a#:~:text=STAR%2C Idaho — A proposed housing,Star by nearly 40 percent.

[JACK M]

Yea, development is always controversial.

Interesting that neighbors concerns about traffic, schools, fire and police protection are the primary concerns.

Here in Oregon it would have never gotten that far as we have huge protection on farm lands which would have put the kybosh on a development like this off of the table way early.

I live in the county, but not much more than a stones throw from city limits. There is a canyon and a creek between us and the city that the city doesn't really want to deal with when considering annexing my neighborhood.

However the state mandates small towns to have a twenty year vision with buildable expansion. 

The last time around (a few years ago) they wanted a few square miles around me as well a larger area on the other side of town that is totally empty. 

My area there are small acreages homes and we don't really want the city to take us, so not much buildable acreage around here. Fortunately the whole plan got scrubbed because the area on the other side of town was all farm land and the land use laws doesn't see farm land as buildable.

Even the big family owned farms wont allow family members to build on the homesteads.

So now the answer seems to be allowing mini homes in back yards and those multi level 20 ft. wide row houses inside of the city. Most folks around here moved here because of the small town thing. But the state is demanding that we take on more population.

Back in the sixties we had a governor that discouraged people moving here. I liked him. Now its all grow, grow, grow.

Edited January 25, 2021 by JACK M (see edit history)

[Xander Wildeisen]

Growth and development do not bother me. I was in construction for 15 years. I think it is neat seeing things built. That is why I loved doing the cars, could just go in the shop, turn on the radio and go to work. Have a beer at the end of the day. Spent a lot of time trying to find others trades that did quality work. Found people around my age, and we were building nice cars. Then it all went south. Not sure how your State treats home based businesses. Will have to move somewhere in the county, and work out of a small garage again. And try and build a customer base again. Very sad that none of them will stand up for me. Some of them carry a lot of weight in the Boise area. Does show where people really stand when the sh*t hits the fan. Here you can see the convertible starting to come apart. It was a roach. 

[John S.]

A lot of interesting projects

[Xander Wildeisen]

As the convertible comes apart, chunks are just taken to the scrap yard. Looking at the bottom of the hood, it was like looking up at the stars. You could grab the grill and just pull/twist it off the car. Whole front end was stripped of stainless trim and scrapped. Doors bottoms were gone, and inner structure behind door panels was rusted out about 14 inches up the doors. Doors are set aside, the top part of the doors, latches and window assemblies will be removed. You can start to see what would be involved in replacing rusted areas on this car. The entire floor, front to back would need to be replaced. All of the bolt on sheet metal was scrapped, except for the rear fenders. Some how those are not in bad shape, still have them. What is left of any insulation/carpet is just covering rotten floors. You can see the rear door pillar, and how it bolts to the floor/frame. And you can see how the flare on the outside of the body spot welds to this. This is a power top car, I have all of the power top parts. Rear bottom seat frame was just thrown out it was toast. Back seat frame was used as a pattern, and a new one was made from a seat frame out of the coupe, same with the bottom seat frame. With out all of these parts from coupes and sedans, this convertible would be the biggest money pit a person could ever get involved with. So many things on Hudson's are the same, or slightly different. Only did this because of the extra parts, and a long history with these two cars. Any parts badly rusted could be used as a pattern to modify a part from a coupe or sedan. The convertible body, and the coupe body are the same. You will see it in coming pictures. I could not guess how much a customer would be into this car. Paying to have all of the repairs done, and replacing all of the parts on this car? Do not take on a project like this unless you have a parts car, or you are building a full blown custom. Where you would be removing the entire floors, and cutting away the rear wheel wells for larger tires/suspensions. A lot of parts for these cars are getting hard to find. 

[58L-Y8]

Did the convertible set in a wet environment for decades?  I looks as bad as those postwar convertibles left in junkyards here in the Northeast for two-three decades.  Once the convertible top collapsed, it was all over, upholstery rotted, floors dissolved.

[Xander Wildeisen]

Mother nature in the Pacific Northwest can be hard on cars. This area might even have the market cornered for moss growing on cars. The convertible was owned by a guys family going back into the late 50's early 60's? Was stored in a building that the roof leaked for years. Stuff was stacked around the car. Roof of building must have come down on the car. I had to straighten one of the back curved pieces on the top above the rear quarter window. You can see it was lifting the convertible wooden header off of the windshield frame, on the passenger side. Guessing that is what broke the front bow. Easy fix, did not damage the window. Owner of the car was getting hit by the city. Neighbor, who could not see the cars, turned him in. City came out and put 76 tow tags on his cars, on his property. Had to have them inside buildings, or they would be towed. When I took this picture, he was moving some cars into a building, this was one of them. Car is nice now, a coupe just had to give it's life, to save another. The automotive organ donor. I do not think very many people would have taken on the car. The conversion is easy, but you need a solid coupe. Took it to a two day show. First day in the truck, people talked to me. Second day in the convertible, people stayed away from me. No pretty smiles from the girls on day two.

[Xander Wildeisen]

Here you can see how the convertible front bow/header sat on the windshield frame. The convertible top frame took a hit at some point. When looking at a few 46-47 Hudson convertibles with the top up. It looks like they are missing the metal piece in the center, on top of the wooden bow. It would support the top material in the center. You can see on some of them the convertible top material sagging as it comes over the front bow in the middle. Top fits good now, wooden bow has seen better days. 

[58L-Y8]

Wooden header bows were still a common material prewar, Packard had one with finger joints that is particularly difficult to recreate.

[Xander Wildeisen]

With doors off, front end removed. There is no way the body can be removed in one piece, it would just fall apart. The whole front cowl is the same on the convertibles and the coupes/sedans/trucks, there is no extra braces, or heavier front door jams. All that is needed off of the front half of the car is the windshield frame, and usable bolt on parts. Not wanting to lay on the interior floor to strip the dash of parts. It was easier to cut the cowl in half, and set it aside for now. Remove lower part and front floors, set them in the scrap pile. Upper part of the cowl can be moved around by myself set on the firewall, and bolt on parts removed. This is where the wife (ex) walks in, and really questions what you have bought.

[58L-Y8]

Did Hudson attach plates or gusset to the frame for convertibles?  Or was the frame of heavier gauge steel?

[Xander Wildeisen]

Frames are the same coupe/sedan/truck. Truck frames are longer, with different design/cross members in the back. For the mounting of the bed. Convertible frames are the same as the coupe. They just welded a extension on to the X member, and added four braces in the center of the frame. Will show better pictures coming up. First picture convertible, second picture sedan parts car. You could take a coupe/sedan frame, and turn it into a convertible frame, very easy to do. The convertible frame has my stamped factory vin numbers. They are stamped down the drivers side, on top of the frame rails. Still readable, the frame is in good shape. Mounts for running boards/sill area will have the front ones replaced. The front cross member where the front fender bolt on, is replaced as well, just pitted very bad. Frame is solid, would not have lasted much longer in the Portland environment. I had enough parts to replace anything that was in question.

[Xander Wildeisen]

This is a truck frame, with a front clip on it and 64 Chrysler rear leaf springs. Ford rear end. Truck frames have different running board mounts/brackets. This frame is stretched 7 inches for the cab stretch and stock bed length. Mounting points on frames are the same. So moving a bracket back, to the mounting location for a coupe. Lines up the mounting point for the back of the truck cab on the frame. 46-47 Hudson's are the same in so many ways. Very easy to modify trucks, and dress them up with stuff from the cars. Trucks were very plain.

[Xander Wildeisen]

Here are some good pictures showing the different levels/choices you can make. Truck frame above is painted with POR 15. This frame is powder coated, going under a 57 Chevrolet. Costs more than the POR 15.

[Xander Wildeisen]

This one is smoothed up and painted base coat/clear coat. A lot more than the first two. How much do you want to spend?

[John S.]

Nice work on everything

[Xander Wildeisen]

Art Morrison frame on the 57. Paint on the 59 Chevrolet frame was done by the painter I was using at the time.

[Xander Wildeisen]

With the front half of the convertible removed, and the upper part of the cowl set aside. Condition of the frame can be checked, and the rest of the floors can be removed up to the rear door pillar. Any bolts remaining on the back half of the body, are removed. Back half is just sitting on the frame now. You can get a better look at the difference in the frame. And the extra braces for the convertible. Sweep up the mess. Frame is rolled away from the lift, and set aside. Coupe is now moved over to the lift. Parts are moved to cars/trucks they will go on. Hoods start to go on the wall, where else would you put them. I had to pause customers work, and jam in all of this. Getting through the parts cars, and this convertible as fast as possible. This stuff took over the shop. It did go really fast. A person can get stuff done pretty fast when you have a space to work in. 

[58L-Y8]

As deep as those frame rails are, adding lateral cross-members and a bit of X-member extension was all that was necessary to build a nice, solid convertible.   Its always interesting to see how cars were engineered then.   I have a photo of the interior rear seat area of 1938 Packard Eight convertible sedan where one can see a massive cast brace that secures the rear body tub to the frame.

 

Here's a little reward for showing us the build process:  A '49 Hudson with the Drive-Master apparatus still in place.  It showed at the 2019 Hershey in the HPOF Class.  Quite a contraption, isn't it?

Edited January 28, 2021 by 58L-Y8
Quite a contraption, isn't it? (see edit history)