Ready to come home

Doug has let me know that the Hudson is ready come home. While not everything was able to be done before the budget ran out, he focused on making it a solid reliable driver. Once it gets home there will be a lot of pictures and reacquainting myself with the car, assuming that I can find the time. The twins will be here by Thursday. Now I just need to get a car hauler to call me back. It must be the time of year, I am having a hard time scheduling a ride home for the Hornet.

At a crossroads

The Hudson restoration is at a crossroads, and I do not know what direction it will take, but I am still holding out some hope for a happy ending. 

20 weeks gone

I have spoken to Doug, I have spoken to Russell, and I am moderately hopeful that I will have a car by the end of the month. 

Delivery unknown

There have been a few bumps in the road, leading to uncertainty on delivery. Doug is evaluating options for the woodgrain, I have agreed to going with re-coring the radiator instead of adding a pusher fan,  and some of the work I have asked for is not clear cut, such as dealing with the dual exhaust adapter blocking a control arm grease fitting. 

19 weeks gone

Doug sent me an update with pictures, informing me that the Hudson will be ready this week. While it looks like the colors & fabrics are working well together, the woodgrain is considerably lighter in color than I expected, a close match to the paint color on the outside of the car. 

18 weeks gone

The last communication I received from Doug he told me that the Hudson should be done by tomorrow, but I have heard nothings since. 

17 weeks gone

Another week gone.

16 weeks gone

Woodgrain parts are between Russell and Doug. Doug is waiting on the woodgrain parts before hooking up the electrical and finishing the mechanical work. Hopefully nor more than a couple of weeks to go,  but I am really in the dark.

15 weeks gone

My woodgrained parts should have been delivered by Doug yesterday, but I have not been able to get Russell or Doug let let me know if it actually happened or not. According to Doug, my car is only a couple weeks away from being done. 

Feeling better.

I talked to Doug on the phone today and my confidence is back up. All we needed to do was talk.  It is going to look great.

A nice bit of news from Russell

I received a nice bit of news from Russell today. The parts still have to be clear-coated and buffed, but will be shipping to Wildrick Restoration early next week. I can't wait to see the finished product.

A special thanks to Russell for taking the time to give me an update and send me a picture. 

Thirteen weeks gone

Jan finished the last of the fabric. She sent the bulk of it to Doug for the interior restoration, but had some yarn left over. She wove it together and I will be holding onto it 'just in case' . It has been a pleasure working with her and I am very happy with the final product.

Unfortunately I have not received a reply to my e-mails asking for an update from Doug who is working on my car or Russell who is working on my woodgraining.

Twelve weeks gone

I have received no updates this week. 

Eleven weeks gone

I was able to connect with Doug this week on the phone, talk about progress, and get some pictures. While he has a lot going on, it sounds like I will have my car back in September.

I was also able to connect with Russell, who is doing my woodgraining. The news there was not as good. While the parts have been sanded, primed, and the base coat applied, it seems that the supplier sent Russell the wrong materials to do the leather pattern. He is working on getting the right ink & toner.

I received an e-mail from Jan. She used up the last of the weave and ended up with 1 1/3 yards of fabric that I will keep as a potential backup or fix for some future problem. Pictures Below.

Pictures from Doug:

Pictures from Jan:

Ten weeks gone

It has now been ten weeks since I loaded my Hudson onto the car transporter. I had some good news arrive yesterday. Russell gave me an update on my parts he is woodgraining "...blasted, sanded, primed, sanded,base coat applied.  Base coat for the blue is nearly identical to the color of the primer, just half a shade off.  Ink and Toner are bluer in color. ... Next, the leather-grained pattern gets applied.". No word yet from Doug. 

Nine weeks gone

I spoke to Russell last week about my parts that he is woodgraining. He said that they have been stripped and soon to be in primer. No pictures yet. I am considering oil bath air filters from Doug, but I have not gotten a price yet. I am assuming that no update from Doug means that work on the car has not progressed. When I shipped my Hudson off to Wildrick Restoration nine weeks ago, I really thought that I would get my car back in September, but I am starting to have my doubts. Makes me sad to have lost a whole driving season. 

Eight weeks gone

My Hudson left on June 7th, and today is August 2nd, exactly eight weeks later. I wish I had more to report, but I have heard nothing on the woodgraining or the Hornet itself. I plan to reach out next week again to Doug & Russell in hopes of an update, pictures, and estimated date of completion. 

Seven weeks gone

I have confirmed that my interior parts that need to be wood grained made it to Russell Chilton and that Dr. Doug has the interior stripped out. I am hopeful that I will get some pictures from Russell and Doug in the near future that I can post. I am also looking forward to an update from Doug on the mechanical work I asked for and his thoughts on adding a pusher fan. 

Six weeks gone

This week I have been reading on the Hudson forum about the HET National gathering. My Hudson has been gone 6 weeks. I miss my Hudson. 

Two weeks gone

I shipped out my 52 Hornet two weeks ago. I know it is in good hands with Doug, but I miss it and am looking forward to the day it comes home with a new interior and all tuned up. 

Off to Wildrick Restoration

The car was picked up today for shipment to Wildrick Restoration. I am excited, but nervous also. To get everything done I have to trust the transporter, I have to trust Doug, I have to trust Russel, and I have to trust Jan. That is a lot of trust for me.

Here are some pictures of it being loaded up.

More pictures of the fabric

More pictures from Jan.

May 29th 2011 Hudson Social

On Sunday May 29th 2011 I had the pleasure of hosting a Hudson Social. Five Hudsons and about a dozen people made for a wonderful day. As they caravaned back to the Twin Cities, they even let me lead them from Byron to Pine Island. I was having so much fun I dropped the to back of the line in Pine Island and followed them as far as Zumbro Falls.

Link to full set of pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/mjsandbe/May29th2011HudsonSocial?feat=directlink

Weaving of the fabric.

I was unbelievable lucky to have found Jan. Here is a short video of her weaving the fabric for my 52 Hudson Hornet. 

My artist/weaver in the news

Threads of innovation on display at Rochester-area shows

Good News Spring (except for the weather)

Good news: I was hired by Mayo Clinic and started March 7th.
Good news: The Hudson started up this spring with only a little persuasion, and the whole family took it for a cruise to the Pizza Ranch, about a 60 mile round trip. Very nice!
Good news: We were able to preserve my 'Hudson money' during my unemployment, so the interior restoration; general tune-up/check-up by Dr. Doug is still on.
Good news: My Metro Moulded Parts, Inc. wind window rubber arrived yesterday, the last pieced needed except for fabric
Good news: Jan sent more pictures of progress on the fabric. Scheduled to arrive end of May
Good news: The '52 Hudson Hornet will be shipped to Wildrick Restoration by K&L early June
Good news: I will be hosting a informal classic car burgers & brats social at my home May 20th.

Here are the pictures from Jan. I think it looks great.