Is there such thing as a COOL Hudson Pickup Rod?

Damn - No Dice. I drove by the house today to see if knocking on the door might work better than the endless phone calls - and the For Sale sign was gone.
There was a note tucked under the wiper to a towtruck driver about loading it onto a flatbed and not trying to start it.
Damn. Damn. Double Damn.
Thanks for all the pics and opinions guys and gals, I guess I wasn't fast enough even though the truck sat for less than 24 hours.

 

Aww that sucks.

Keep an eye on the H.E.T. forums and one might pop up again, though. That's where I found the parts truck I'm working with.


Hey John - I agree, those earlier front ends are better looking... have to keep us posted on the Desoto nose! If I ever get off my lazy ass and get to hacking, I'll start posting mockups on mine.

 

Hudsons are very cool and different too.

Just left my mates shop, that has another mate of mines hudson truck in. Its very patina'd. Just old and black on the outside. But pretty damn cool under the hood, hot 302. This thing just flies, looks very damn cool doing it.

So i would buy it, at the drop of a hat.

Good luck with what you decide.

Cheers Roland

 

Bugger just read the last post.

Sorry you missed it.

One will turn up.

Cheers Roland

 

ahh, that sucks!
I always liked those too. There was one bone stock one that used to be in Venice CA...I always loved the way it looked. looks chopped already!

 

Someone local had one out last year. Stock, in black primer. Personally, all I'd change is to drop a Hornet 303 in it and a rear with some better gears. Lower it a little maybe. Not only are they better looking than the Fords, Chevys and Dodges, that long bed makes them look huge - they're as long or longer than a Caddy hearse of the era.

I believe there's two versions, one longer than the other.

 

hudson trucks are the best looking old trucks made. you really want to see rare and i think even better looking, check out the 37 terraplane truck.

 

There just happened to be one at the Hudson Nationals this year:
(click for a larger image)



This is pretty much what I'm trying to make out of what I have. There's a surprising amount of similarities between them that makes it just doable.

 

Well folks,they aint THAT long.Not like hearse.
OLLIN,yore right,they look chopped.
They have the same chassie as the cars but a little bit longer.
I dont think the bed is to long,i like it stock.
And Boozzo,i will post progress pics when i get a new garage.Done some work on it already but no metal work.Just brakes and new motor/trans mounts...

 

Trans...

 

And truck....

 

Some guy is running around Irving Tx with one in primer gray. I saw him last week. Had a GoodGuys sticker in the back window. Any Texans know who that is?

 

Damn John - thanks for rubbing salt in the wound! Have fun. I'd kick myself if I thought it would make a difference, but sometimes you can't move fast enough.

 

John, It looks tough to change the oil filter on your truck.

 

Thanks for the nice words,
I don't think the bed would look right if it was shortened any more than a foot because the front end is really long. I cut six inches out of the rails just behind the X member It was very straight forward and made a clean re assembly. I also heard you can use a sedan frame but I don't know if any other mods are needed. I put a lot of time into the bed. Each stake pocket has about 53 spot welds to drill out = 212 total. I think that was the cleanest way to do it. I don't want to go on for ever but also replaced the front bed panel added sedan fenders to the truck fender stand offs bought a NOS tail gate, new oak. I'll stop here. I'm going to be putting it up for sale in a few weeks and will list it in detail then. Any way watch ebay they pop up now and then.

Joe

 

The paint is called Zero Rust. It is not a primer because it's not porous, it is a paint with a rust converter similar to rustoleum but stronger. It can be applied directly to metal with light surface rust. I mixed black and light grey 50/50. The truck was rust free when I bought it so I put most of my budget into the drive line.

Joe

 

Marcy, your truck is the perfect tail dragger, I love it!

 

Trust me, The 308 was my first choice but dollar for dollar you get WAY more of a small block. And I have no experience with the 308.

 

Another vote for Hudsons being cool as is. The Terraplanes with the little truck bed that rolls out of the trunk are the coolest.

Thanks,
Kurt

 

On a side note, although I did not get the truck, I did drive out to Bumfuk Maine this afternoon to check out a 51 Hornet (Hudsons on the Brain) It was a lot rougher than it looked in the pics (I can blame the snow in the older photos for hiding most of the major defects, like the bottom 6 inches being gone and all) but the 308 was there and I couldn't pass it up. I met some friends recently in the vintage stock car circuit here in Maine, and they say the 308 can be one bad ass little motor, especially with the twin-H intake setup.
So, I gotta figure out a way to pull that monster out of the car (sitting on a dirt hillside at an interesting angle) and meet a cat down in New Hampshire next weekend to purchase his twin-H manifold and carbs.

SO, it doesn't all suck, I just wish I had that truck to drop the 308 in now.

 

I hope you realize what your getting into..HaHa my wife has a 50' Pacemaker coupe and loves the hell out of it. Check out www.uncommonengineering.com

 

You can get a 4 barrel manifold, headers, aluminum head and camshaft from www.cliffordperformance.com or 6=8 Joe

 

I didn't read the whole thread, but My question would be "How can a Hudson truck not be cool?"

 

some pic's

 

If the Hudson is really bad, just wrap a chain around the front, it will pull right apart and you'll get the front clip, motor and all. Plus most of the roof and whatever else doesn't fall off - or just cut the A-posts.

 

Yeah,its a "little" bit tight
The motor is a 250 chevy and trans is a th350.
I had a 308 with hydramatic but i sold it to a hudson freak.
Going to do a kickup in the back and go for leaf springs on the inside of the frame instead of 4-link.
No bags!