Hot Rods Heirloom Headache - 28 Hupmobile, Century 6

I think It's perfect, the stock pieces make the car to me, headlights,bumpers,trunk rack.

 

The car looked so good before, I would have been afraid to ruin that, but it looks like you are doing a great job. If the re power makes it more useful to your family, then you have a done a good thing the keep the heirloom relevant instead of collecting dust.

 

The chop is perfect. It's really cool that the car has a documented family history.

 

Wow, lots of planning and creativity. Gonna watch this one!

 

I really like the overall look, the chop is just right. Getting the perfect rear tire to fender look is the next step IMO. Thanks for posting the build photos. Bob

 

I was nervous about the chop but it is just right and preserves the balance. So may chops are overdone and look cartoony.
Just a note here: two Ps in Hupp and one in Hupmobile. Robert Craig Hupp was the founder of the company which he started in 1908 after working for Henry Ford....

 

Nice work, I'll be watching this.

 

I think its kool as hell, some nice work there!

 

The history of the car:

The car was bought new by my great-great grandmother for her son new in '28. The car was from the NY area of Chittenango and when the depression sat in, it forced my great-grandfather south to find work landing him in Birmingham, AL. The car was well cared for being both a priced possesion and one of sentimental value. It was frequently cleaned, stored in a garage, and was 'pops' pride and joy with Sundays often spent driving around Birmingham, and its surrounding area. My grandfather would often take my grandmother out on a date in the Hupp and later my grandmother chuckled after I asked her if they ever used the blinds hanging from the rear windows. The 8 day clock mounted in the rear view mirror measured time in years after its minute hand broke. My guess is that my great-grandfather tried to 'fix' it as I would later find his name engraved there. Moving on to '78 would prove its last year under its own power, for the cracked block was more than would be fixed, leaving her to sit the next 35 years. I was introduced to 'Clara Belle' as my great-grandmother referred to the Hupp, in the summer of '82 at the age of 8. My great-grandmother had passed as well as my grandfather some time before her leaving his portion of an inheritance to be split between my mother, my aunt, and my uncle. My father always like the car and would later tell me stories of how he would often ride around Birmingham with my grandfather in 'Clara Belle' during the time he dated my mother. My mother wouldnt ride in Clara Belle, as she didnt want to be seen in such an old thing. My father took possesion of Clara Belle, loaded her up and moved it to his mothers garage where it sat till the late 80's when my father built his own garage. We were told not to play on the car but found it to be just too inviting with its big steering wheel and suicide rear doors, fueling ones imagination of a by gone era, where tommy guns and bank robbers where the headlines of newspapers. My parents moved in 2006 to a house with less garage space and Clara Belle was given to me to store and soon after was given to me fully. I started tearing her down around 2008 after comtemplating what direction to take with the car. Being this was my first build, I was soon overwhelmed and often I spend time in staring matches with Clara Belle just trying to figure out what to do next. I hope to eventually see her thru. Only time will tell.

 

Family since new would be tough call on if I were going to rod it...but..

There is a pretty long build thread on AACA of a 29 Hupp 4dr. That car was a forgotten-given up resto project when the new owner got it. He did all his own work and it looks new, but he later had to start modding things to be able to drive it on modern roads with higher speeds.

So, both of these old Hupps will get driven, rather than sit in storage forever.


That looks like a LOT of work done so far

 

Not my kind of car, but looks like a great build. Some very nice fabrication work going on there.
I'll be watching. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

 

Thanks for the family history on the car, not many people have a car that has been in the family since new. I know paint is a long way ahead, but what colors are you thinking about? Bob

 

Gotta remember these cars were from a different time and the roads were very crude and the speeds were marginal compared to today's standards.

Having built a car that has a long family history I can appreciate the determination and hard work that the OP has all ready expended with this project.

Restoring the Hup was a option but after the completion it is highly likely the car would be rarely used and after a while it would probably languish in a garage and gather dust.

I this carnation the present owner can make his own history in that car that was purchased so many years ago.

Your right,,it will be used. HRP

 

Make it look like this 31 Essex and no one will know it's a hot rod.

Shhh, (350 sb, fatman front end, mustang rear, coilovers)

 

I was kind of skeptical of the build also when you said chop because long four doors are easily overdone. But you got that chop spot on. Looks a lot better than original, maybe even more classy. Good job.

 

Love the look with the chop - but this brake pedal scares the hell out of me. Might want to rethink that...


The twisting motion on the top of the arm and the pivot will put a lot of stress on it with that large offset.



Everything else looks pretty good.

 

Family camping:

Im thinking gloss black the fenders, semi-gloss dark brown for the body with turqouise pin around the body accents.

I can understand and appreciate the concern. Theres alot of metal there with the pedal and the booster is braced. Ive slammed it simulating a panic stop and it seems to have minimal deflection, however with a lot of things on this car I may rebuild or modify again later.

To all: Thanks for the replies and feedback!

 

Great Build, Great Old Car with Family History. With all of your upgrades I don't think that you can really continue to call this car "Clara Belle"
Considering your screen name (Chickenlegs) I think you might consider "Foghorn Leghorn" for the future.
You really have it together and that is something to "Crow About"
Welcome to the H.A.M.B. Jeff

 

I'm OK with flat and semi-gloss paint jobs, but I don't like the mix of flat and gloss paint side by side. I've seen beautiful cars that tried this, and the contrasting sheen reaaly distracts from an othersise beautiful piece of art. My opinion is entire subjective. I'd welcome more research on this and maybe someone with true taste can tell us if that's OK or why it should be avoided.