Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Good News - Bad News

Good news, I met Bob and wife. Good news, Bob really knows Hudsons and seems to be a genuine and honest person. It makes me realize that I really should have worked harder at connecting with other HET club members, even if they were an hour or two away. Bad news, my Hudson was in worse shape than I realized. Bad news, his analysis of what my local auto-shop did to the exhaust made me feel a bit sick. Good & Bad, meeting a great guy like Bob made me remember the best parts of the HET Club, the people, and a little sad that I sold the Hornet. Good, he said that he or his wife would sell it back to me in the future, so if I can't fight off my Hudson bug I have a reasonable way back in.


My son Tristan Bob with my old Hudson, his new Hudson. 

Monday, April 6, 2015

More details on my 52 Hudson Hornet

In response to questions I have been getting I have more detail on the car.

I drove the car home from Texas when I bought it and I have put many thousands of dollars of work into the car since then. I do think it would be good for another cross country trip. I took it for a drive this spring. Once it warmed up it idled smoothly, went down the road straight, and drove very nicely in city and on the highway. It also stopped well; you can lock the wheels if you try without having to pump the brakes.

Here is a video of the car starting and running and more detail pictures of the car inside and out: https://plus.google.com/photos/118097982033434962283/albums/6134742176003574801

I have reproduction manuals, a hub puller, a couple of sets of keys, other Hudson stuff, and everything I have ever taken off the car (fabric, brake parts, etc). My expectation is that they will go with the car. 

Here are the issues I am aware of with the car - 

Major Issues:
·         Wiring - The headlights, reverse lights, turn signals, and cigarette lighter (good for a GPS) work. The running lights, brake lights, and interior lights do not. They all worked when I bought the car and they still work if I use a patch wire to get them power. My best guess is that when the interior was redone wires got shifted and then started to rub, fray, and break. It may be fixed just replacing a few wires or need to be rewired.

Minor Issues:
·         When the gas is filled to the very top there is a slow seep by the sending unit. You can smell it. I had the gas tank relined a few years ago. 
·         The radio does not work
·         Speedometer is off by about 3-5 miles per hour
·         One of the carbs hisses. I am told this is likely a vacuum leak. It does not seem to be affecting anything.
·         The engine is cold blooded. (need to warm up before running its best)
·         The interior needs a little work. (buttons have popped off the front seat, some of the vinyl on the bottom of the back seat needs to be re-glued  )
·         The heater switch is either not wired right or needs to be replaced. To use the heater I move a vacuum hose to open the valve to the heater core. The fan speed selector works fine.


If you are interested in the mechanical condition of the car, Doug from Wildrick restoration may be your best bet. http://wildrickrestorations.com/ He is the person that redid the interior and went through the mechanicals.  He re-cored the radiator, replaced the brakes (new pads, cylinders, etc), put on a new head and some other stuff. It has been a few years but if anyone with strong Hudson mechanical skills knows my car, it is Doug.  PLEASE DO NOT BOTHER Doug unless you are truly serious about buying the Hudson.