1953 Hudson 1/2 Ton PU

Kdancy

For some reason I can't paste the link onto the post body and can on the title?
 recent discussion on stepdown pu. Thought I'd post links to several I have seen listed.
another one
in Fla just the other day but can't find the link. Was listed for well over $100,000.00

http://www.cars-on-line.com/60272.html

iceblade10

What's the deal with these stepdown pickups I keep seeing?  Were they actually made at the factory, like this ad states, or is that a misconception?  They all look different, so I kinda feel like they are homemade "customs" that have somehow turned into "factory prototypes" as the years went by...

PaulButler

Kerry,

I put the link into your post for you. On the post comment box it's the icon that look like a pair of slanted spectacles to insert it in

53jetman

Kerry   -  I tend to believe as I was told by a former engineer from Hudson that only the one prototype pickup was produced by the factory in 1948.  The baloney that is being passed around in recent time of the factory having kits available so dealers could build pickups for their service and parts services is just that.  If you accumulate several of the pics of the so-called factory prototypes and really look them over you will see many differences in the vehicles.  If Hudson would have produced more than one, they would all have had the same design of all elements of the design!

Kdancy

Jerry, several years ago when I was working on Diane Frocks 37 Terraplane PU, someone posted some info that Hudson dealers offered these coversion kits for the 30's models. Thought I saw a sales brochure. ??

Jon B

I thought that the generally agreed-upon story was that individual dealers created StepDown pickups themselves, "back in the day", without any sort of factory parts or instructions.  This would account for the varied details of all the StepDown pickups.  And I too had heard that the factory created but one prototype, which survived.  It still exists to this day.  (The story I heard is that it was rescued from the factory or Administration Building before it was demolished in '59.)  Then, too, a goodly number of these pickups were created in the intervening years since Hudson was discontinued, by various Hudson enthusiasts.

I think that Kerry may be correct about the kit for the '37's, as I had heard that story as well.

50C8DAN

This article from HCC last March about a guy that makes Packard pickups from 50s sedans was interesting.  If you are looking to make a Hudson maybe he could give you a hand!  Only $9K I think is cheap!  https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2016/03/Pickup-a-Packard/3749474.html

Ric West IN

Relating to the ongoing debate regarding step down pick ups, There is an article with pictures of some DEALER BUILT service trucks suggesting that dealers might
 want to build a similar vehicle for their own use. If factory "kits" were available for this purpose,the Service Merchandiser would be where this was advertised.  Have not seen any mention of these "kits" being available.
This article was in the June, 1953 issue.   Available in the online literature made available thanks to Alex Burr.:)  At one time Alex had this complete series available on CD.

"Ric" 

Kdancy

50C8DAN said:

This article from HCC last March about a guy that makes Packard pickups from 50s sedans was interesting.  If you are looking to make a Hudson maybe he could give you a hand!  Only $9K I think is cheap!  https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2016/03/Pickup-a-Packard/3749474.html

That Packard PU is really nice. I'd like to see him do a Hudson stepdown.

50C8DAN

I would too Kerry.  I think it is a great idea.  You can get 50s Packards pretty cheap these days.  I would imagine that a so so Hudson sedan you could get at about the same.

53jetman

Relative to the single Hudson Prototype pickup, built in late 1948,  was serial numbered CM490-1.  The only one built by Hudson to use as a :"gopher" vehicle for the factory to pickup small quantities of hardware needed to continue production on the assembly line