I looked at a Hudson today that's cheap. Was on the road not too long ago, but it has some rot - it needs the rear frame rails patched just ahead of the spring perches, one of the rear bumper mounts is weak too. But this doesn't look like any challenge to redo. The lower lip the quarter panel attaches to needs to be repaired also - this looks like something it would be nice if there was a patch piece for. How much of a pain in the *** is it to fix this stuff? Someone else decided it was too much, I guess, given I found it at a junkyard. Outside of that, this thing is pretty solid, I think I'm going to nab it and piece it back together. It needs a lot, but my one friend has a parts car that's split right in half - and has all the parts this thing needs, on the front. I know another guy who digs Hudsons, it might make a nice swap piece for him when he gets something interesting - Anyways, I have until Monday to make up my mind. What bolt pattern does a Hudson use, 5 on ? Thanks -
Both front and rear clips can unbolt. The rust issue is pretty common and should be a relatively easy fix. Somewhere around here I have a diagram of what a Hudson looks like without all the skin...you can see the "unibody" frame components. My Hudson doesn't have an original front clip or rear end, but I do know that the Hudson wheels bolted right up to an 84 Ranger rear end.... 4 door? Here's a photoshop I just did for a friend...Made the car into a 2 door, slight 2" chop...
if you can cut the parts out and find a good piece of metal to weld to you can fix it. as for patch panels I like to take flat metal and hit it with a big stick against a big rock until it looks like the part I need. if it doesn't fit, hit it some more.
Have a look here...http://www.49c8.com/ Go to "Picture Galleries" "Restoration" "Ch***is". Lots of pictures of the rear unibody frame repair. The rims are a Ford/Mopar small 5 lug (5 on 4 1/2?), but with lug bolts, like a VW. Stock rims have an extra hole for the locator pin I think. I've got multi-patern chrome smoothies on mine, they fit fine but the 8" rim in the back is tight with the skirts on.
I would have taken photos but this place doesn't allow you to take in cameras - it's a "you pull it" salvage yard. The car had been in the yard and was actually set aside to be crushed when I spotted it. If it had a bumper on the front I wouldn't hesitate to flat tow it, it was on the road 10 years ago, it just has one tire chewed off the rim - It is a 4dr, deck lid is solid, front doors look good, a little rot to the bottoms of the rears but it comes with two spare doors in it, it needs a dash, a column, a front clip, and a couple windows.. and all the door handles and latches. Nothing I can't get pretty easily. Compared to the hunks of **** I've been dragging out of other yards, this thing is like a new car.
"The rims are a Ford/Mopar small 5 lug (5 on 4 1/2?)" As a Mopar guy, I know what you mean when you say that, but you have to watch what you mean... In their infinite wisdom, Mother Mopar used that ****py 5X4" in the 60's and early 70's on A bodies, so most Chrysler peeps consider that the "small" pattern, with the more common 5X4.5" (which is common with the Fords, and what you're referring to, I bet) being "big" bolt pattern, with the 5X5 truck and van pattern not being considered. Clear as Mud, huh? Oh yeah, if you can, save the thing. They are wayyyyy overbuilt, and make real nice "cruisers". Jay
I've seen what happens to semi-rotted ones when they try to s**** them.. if they sit long enough they will rot apart, but they have to be rotted really bad to not be like a tank. Looks like I have to flat tow this beast to save it... no big deal, the last one I flat towed had a 1971 sticker in it, this should be a piece of cake.
Pretty sure the subframes have to be removed with a cutting torch, as they are welded to the body. The only thing that sounds scary is the part of the frame in front of the spring perch needing repair.
I got a 53 hudson brougham and the front clip is bolted but it is also welded in! The rear subfram really isnt a frame its unit construction or unibody and not easily repaired or patched. If your open to a sugestion you might consider buiding a tubular say maybe 2x3 steel tube frame for the back then u could set it up notched or whatever to run bags or hydraulics. Another tip is the stock hudson gas tank hangs down real lo so ran a 65 mustang tank that is'nt as deep. Good luck with it. LTR Dave
I'd much rather chop a Hudson that put Mercedes lights in it... Typical, everyone always advises not to chop a Hudson. They look better chopped in my opinion...
Well, I went ahead and brought it home. Blew up one tire I was going to take for a spare (don't inflate an old tubeless bias ply to 40 PSI!), but never needed one, and it towed fine - I even got on the highway and went along at 60-65 with it. Looking in my book I see why, shipping weight was 3500 lbs, less motor, trans and nose it's probably closer to 2200 lbs or so. I would have thought these were in the 4000-lb range, go figure. The frame rot isn't a huge deal, some box tube would patch it up. But it needs some ahead of the rear wheels, too, the usual spot where cars rot out where the frame kicks up for the axle. Turns out it's a '48 Super Six (serial begins 481), which explains the NSRA decals in it - and it's already set up for a V8 with the later style GM bolt-through mounts, and auto trans with a crossmember added behind the stock one. The yard I was picking antiques out of, there was one about this year jacked up in the air, if I can grab that I'd have a complete car out of the two. It's missing a bunch of just stupid stuff, like the dash, inside window moldings, and things - then again, I've found some pieces laying on the floor, the driver's door vent was laying there, who knows what else is under the top of the back seat and the two spare doors it came with. I'll probably patch it together and see if someone wants to make a deal on it, but I'm in no hurry. It's nice to find one that even rolls for once, let alone take it down the highway with any speed, the last couple were so bad they had to be dragged off the trailer with a tractor. One more dumb question, I was wondering if there's any later rearends that swap in easy. Looks like it's a tapered axle/press fit drum, and the stock gear ratio is going to be either a 4.11, 4.30, or 4.55:1, not exactly highway friendly. But it's fairly narrow, I haven't measured but the tread is 55 inches or so and the wheels are fairly flat across the front, the rear itself has to be within 2-3 inches of that. Probably a Ford or Mopar would be better to maintain the same wheel bolt pattern all around. Oh yeah, it was dark the time I dropped it off, I only hauled it 120 miles or so, so no photos yet... I did snap one ****py shot of the Sunbeam or whatever it was that they crushed today, though, so I can cry later when someone tells me I could have sold it for $2500 or something.
Ford Ranger. It's only wider by 1/2" (I think). Same bolt pattern. You'll have to mount spring perches yourself. The stock Hudson rear springs aren't parallel to each other, so you'll want to make your own spring perches that keep the leafs mounted at an angle...Or just make em wide enough that the springs will fit....
We are doing a Hudson. It looked really nice with a nice paint job. Seemed a shame to strip it. Boy, when it came back, it was JUNK! The whole inner structure was toast. It isn't going to be cheap to fix.
Is the Ford Ranger like the S10 rear, you can run a V8 with them as long as you're not running say a 455 Olds or some other torque monster? At 3500 lbs, this wouldn't need a monster motor to move it in a hurry anyhow, a 350 or 400 aught to be fine. The truck I towed it with weighs around 5000# and runs a 350 -
I just put an 8'' Ford in my '49. I think it was about 3/4 of an inch wider than the stock rear. The stock wheels still fit fine, just a pain with the lowering blocks. But that comes with the terratory.
I agree with Bob! I would chop it before I put those lights on mine! And yes my '48 will be chopped as well, tha back window looks better laid down a bit.
Heres my 49 super six coupe. I need parts for it so if any of you guys have like extra windshields, backgl***, dash parts, p***enger door, etc.... im in the market. Heres mine barely squeezing onto the trailer. YIKES!!!!
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