Customs To buy or not to buy (a '51 4-door Hornet)...that is the question

Hello friends,

I've been a European car guy for some time but my roots are in cruise-ins and car shows. Most of all I appreciate any car that is very good at doing whatever it is that the car is supposed to do.

I've been searching around for some old sled for some time that hasn't already had someone else's grubby hands on it. I've come across a '51 4-door hudson hornet. It isn't real clean but it does run and drive. Ultimately I would like to make it a reliable bomber. Something my family can have fun with and I wont have to worry about stranding me.

I'm thinking long term upgrades around reliability and safety, in other words, possibly a flatty, lowered, big brakes, better steering, all that jazz. I know the car will never be worth what I put into it. The specific car in question comes with a heap of spare sheet metal and trim for $4,500 bucks. Not too rusty but certainly worthy of a nickname I saw kicked around here, Crudson.

Any giant red or green flags?

 

Clearly a lot of people scammin the man today. I didn't know this forum had so much daytime action.

 

You will get a lot of 4 door haters say nay.

But I say yay.

Have you seen this one?

A 292, with stock stock brakes and suspension. I vote "cool".





Kind of a take on the Hudson stock cars of the 50's

 

I would buy a hornet. That one is out of my price range but I would buy one and run the stock motor if it has it.

 

If it is really a Hornet you won't have to do anything to have a reliable bomber but keep it stock and be sure everything is working to factory specs. They were one of the best handling and performing cars of the day. They came with a 308 cu in 145HP flathead six, to change to a Ford flathead would be a big step down in performance

 

Me myself like the 4 doors or orphan cars.Bruce.

 

Jay Leno on his 51 Hornet. Note, the only change he made was to 12v and that was only so he could put in air conditioning. He drives his cars everywhere, in this video he comments that the nice thing about the Hornet is that you never have to worry about holding up traffic, if anything they will hold you up.

 

'51 had a 165 HP model Hornet. Weighed 2 3/4 tons. Said so on the glove box door. Drove great, rode great and hauled a$$. Keep it stock and enjoy it.

 

good potential, 4 doors are OK - without seeing it price seems a little pricey

 

Seems a bit high in the price, but I love me a Hudson, even with extra doors. As said, its a great car in stock form, a flatty wouldn't be a good swap if you pulled the stocker out.

Your $$ your call. If you love it, buy it

 

The Hudson body was clearly designed with 4 doors in mind, making it one of the prettier 4 door early 50's cars. Depending on how much extra stuff is with it, you may be able to sell off all the duplicate parts and recoup a lot of your investment. Almost nothing is reproduced for the Hudson so the parts can have a good resale value.

Aluminum heads and dual carbs were available for the Hudson flat 6 engines and they can make very good power.

As for the price, there's just no way of telling without some pictures and a better rundown of what it has and what it needs. It could be overpriced or a screamin' deal at that price depending on the variables.

 

I'm sure no one here will buy it out from under me. Here's the CL ad. https://akroncanton.craigslist.org/cto/6010536059.html

 

In post #1 you said $4500. That would be a really good deal up here in New England for that car, in that condition, running, driving and with a clean title. Looks like it would clean up and be good family cruiser. Here is a site that has a lot of links:

http://www.hudsonrestoration1948-54.com/HUDSON PARTS SOURCES FOR STEPDOWNS.html

Any old car is gonna need tlc as you go.

I'm sure you saw ongoing post from molinellihornet about his 51 Hornet. Lots of pre prep info there.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/new-member-new-car.1038238/

 

Looks really good. If the money is right go for it and have a fun summer!

 

that's one of the few body styles i think looks better in a four door. go for it!

 

I like the Green Hornet

 

Looks to be pretty rust free but if it were me (and I wish to hell it was!) I would definitely be sliding underneath (or better yet, putting it up on a hoist) and checking for rust, especially over the rear end and back to the bumper. Other than that, as previously said, "go for it!". Regards, Dave.

 

Check it for rust, Northern Ohio can be hard on sheetmetal.

 

The price you said sounds better than what is asking. And not close enough to go look.

 

sacksenheim, got to admit.Thats 1 slick lookin car. Bruce.

 

Check the frame closely. These cars utilize a unibody type construction and if the frame is rottted out the cost of repairs is out the roof.

 

I WOULD HAVE TO GO WITH THE TWO DOOR HARDTOP. THIS ACTION WOULD BE DIFFERENT FROM THE TWO DOOR SEDAN WHEREAS THE WINDOW GLASS WOULD EXTEND FARTHER BACK. MAYBE EVEN LOWERING THE TOP AN INCH OR TWO AT THE MOST. KEEP EVERYTHING ELSE THE SAME BUT WITH SAFETY UPGRADES. THE RATIO OF POWER TO WEIGHT TO SIZE, MAKES THESE ONE OF THE BEST STOCK CARS FOR RACING THE ROUND TRACK.

 

Lots of the car not shown in those pics, but it looks nice in what is shown

 

There was a time when the Hudsons Hornets ruled the roost,if that's what you want go for it. HRP

 

Be sure to get under the car and look hard. Find out the trouble spots for them before you commit, not after.

 

Someone with a lot of patience and a good buffer and compounds could bring that paint and chrome back to decent survivor type status, hard to say what it looks like underneath. And "run good" doesn't necessarily mean ready to drive. Does it stop, shift, charge, lights work? Front suspension loose and wandery or tight and straight?

If you can get this car for $4500, and it comes with a bunch of extra parts, and it is fully roadworthy driveable, as in you can drive it home safely, that seems like a real good deal. Sell off extra pieces and very carefully, very thoroghly detail the car and have a nice Hudson for minimal cash.

But if it needs brakes and exhaust and front end work and a clutch and it's rusty underneath and blah blah blah and if the price is actually $6800 then it's way too much.

Did the guy quote you $4500, or is that just what you hope to negotiate him down to? The ad makes it sound like the guy is firm on price, although the ad is very poorly and sparcely worded.

 

The Hudson is arguably one of the most attractive moredoors ever made (at least IMO). I think I've said on here before that I almost prefer them to the Hudson Coupes.

The car in the Ad you posted says $6800 and looks like a CLEAN car to me, coming from New England. If I could have that car for $4500 I'd already have it in my driveway.

This is the car in the Ad. The interior is intact even. This looks like a TLC car with massive potential and a $500 visor you don't have to track down already on it. Clean it up, tune it up, drive it!

 

A four door Hornet is just as cool as any two door car- one of the very few more-doors that this can honestly be said about!

 

I´d be sitting in my car with a trailer following me if this car was in reach...