My new purchase... 1952 Hudson Wasp Hollywood...

MonkeyspinnerMonkeyspinner Posts: 34Member
edited February 2020 in HUDSON
Hi, new here and new to owning a Hudson. 
I am in the UK and the car has just arrived at the shippers in San Francisco so I wont see it in the flesh for probably 8 weeks yet. I am really looking forward to the day it arrives as you can imagine! 
I hope that the car is as solid as it looks, I intend on cleaning it up, preserving the bodywork as it is, recommissioning the car mechanically and redtrimming the interior. The car is an Automatic, if I decide to keep it I would like to convert it to 5 speed manual. i would also like to lower the car, probably around 3 inches if possible.
I would appreciate any advice that anyone can give me regarding where is the best place to buy parts for it? mainly brake recommissioning parts, engine service parts etc for a start. 
There is quite a lot of trim parts missing of the interior and exterior but I'm told that most of it is inside the car so no point trying to search for parts until it arrives and i can check. 
Thanks, Tim.

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Comments

  • 29sptphaeton29sptphaeton Posts: 332Member
    The car looks pretty complete Tim. Dale Cooper Hudson Motor Car Company is the go to guy for mechanical parts, he has a web site.   Good Luck with the car, Ed
  • Jon BJon B Posts: 7,192Administrator
    Do join the H-E-T Club if you haven't done so already.  https://www.hetclub.org/ In fact, there are probably some members living in the UK who could be very helpful to you.
  • GlowplugGlowplug Posts: 2,078Expert Adviser
    Love the car!  I sold mine to a member who fully restored it.  Enjoy your car, thanks for sharing.
  • ken1962ken1962 Posts: 297Member
    Hope you enjoy your car. May I ask how much did you pay for it? Personally I'm not game to buy something sight unseen. Cheers ken 

  • MonkeyspinnerMonkeyspinner Posts: 34Member
    Thanks 29sptphaeton, I have found his website. 

    Yes Jon B, I will join...

    Glad you like it Glowplug

    Ken1962, $2200. I have imported well over 60 cars from the states only having seen photos over the last 17 years. I always buy the most original cars I can so I know they have not been botched up to sell. There is always risk involved but I have never been stung and won't be on this one. I can tell that it is rock solid.
    It's a single carb car but also comes with a Twin H Power set up, so that is pretty cool. 
  • 33kc198933kc1989 Posts: 406Senior Contributor
    To all that ship across the pond and follow there dream of old rides I’ll give a tip of my hat.  It looks good in pics and should be a fun ride.  Good stuff.  
  • ValVal Posts: 888Member
    I agree with 33KC, have fun bringing her back to life and please post pics along the way.
  • cchancelcchancel Posts: 157Member
    This link will prove very useful to you:

    NAPA autoparts also carries a fair number of the parts you will want for the brakes, shocks, u-joints (Spicer 5-153X), carrier bearing (Federal 88107-BVV), etc.


    Searching this forum will also provide a wealth of information regarding part numbers.




  • DocHublerDocHubler Posts: 993Expert Adviser
    Hi, I have a 52 Wasp Hollywood also.  Here it is, and it's stock except for the green paint.  It has more rust underneath than I'd like, but there are so few of these around that's just the way it is.  Mine is just a plain 3 spd, no OD, and indeed it originally had no heater either, but someone added a Hudson heater later.  So rather unusual.  What is the serial number on your car?







  • MonkeyspinnerMonkeyspinner Posts: 34Member
    Brilliant links cchancel, Will be very useful I'm sure! Thanks. 

    Your car looks great DocHubler! 

    My vin# is 183722, what is yours? 

    Does anyone know roughly how many Hollywood Wasps still exist? 




  • RichardDRichardD Posts: 723Member
    Here are some short clips on the restoration of a '54 Hudson on Sam's Garage. This will begin again on TV in April and will also be continued on YouTube. It may help with incentive|.
    >>  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sams+garage+hudson
  • DocHublerDocHubler Posts: 993Expert Adviser
    143219 is the number.  I have no idea really how many were produced, but I saw one source the suggested 2000.  I find that number not credible.  It's probably more like 500-600.  Frankly, I think fewer were made than the Hornet series.  Likely more than the Commodore series which was in the death throes for 1952.
  • DocHublerDocHubler Posts: 993Expert Adviser
    What is the paint code for your car?  It's stamped on the top passenger door hinge.

  • MonkeyspinnerMonkeyspinner Posts: 34Member
    DocHubler said:
    What is the paint code for your car?  It's stamped on the top passenger door hinge.

    I don't know until it gets here Is it on a plate or stamped onto the body its self? 

    I think I read somewhere that there was 1320 Wasp Hollywood's made but not sure if that was just in 1952 or over all years and how accurate it is.


  • DocHublerDocHubler Posts: 993Expert Adviser
    Re-read message.  Stamped on door hinge.  Yes, that may be correct for 52-54 total Wasp production.  There just weren't that many.  But we'll probably never know a correct number since all the records were destroyed right after the Hudson Nash merger in 1954.
  • MonkeyspinnerMonkeyspinner Posts: 34Member
    Yeah, I had a look at my photos after asking you where exactly the stamp was and I could just about make it out on one of the photos. So I asked the shipper to take a close photo... Here it is, what do you think it says? I think maybe 121

    Was the Hollywood only produced 52-54?
  • MonkeyspinnerMonkeyspinner Posts: 34Member
    To me it looks like it was Symphony Blue Green with a black roof, but I don't know if that was an option?
  • DocHublerDocHubler Posts: 993Expert Adviser
    Yes, code 121 says Ebony Black over Symphony Blue Green Light .  That's exactly what it is.  

  • DocHublerDocHubler Posts: 993Expert Adviser
    1951 Hollywoods are the rarest as these were produced only in the latter months of 1951, so low production numbers.  Available in Super 6, Commodore 6/8, and Hornet body styles.  The Hornet was probably the most common that year.  In 1952, the Super 6 was replaced with the Wasp, and although the 262 engine was the same, the Wasp was now on the short wheel base platform -- the Pacemaker platform.  The interiors of the Wasp came with nicer interiors, and the more powerful engine.  1952 was the last year of the Pacemaker name.  in 1953, just to be confusing, the 1952 Wasp became the 1953 Super Wasp (with 262 engine), while the former lowest end Pacemaker was renamed the Wasp (with 232 engine).  The 1953 Hollywood came in Super Wasp and Hornet models (the Commodore disappeared at the end of 1952).  As Hudson further contracted, the 1953 Super Wasp and the Hornet were the only Hollywood models for this final year of the true Hudson and stepdown.  Hollywoods were continued into the 55-56-57 model year Hudsons when the end finally came, but only Hornet models for 56-57.
  • DocHublerDocHubler Posts: 993Expert Adviser
    Here's a 52 Wasp Brougham with the same paint scheme.image
  • 50C8DAN50C8DAN Posts: 2,066Senior Contributor
    Although I have a '50C8, it really was odd to me that Hudson kept the Commodore in the lineup after '50 or even '51.  The only real difference between the Hornet and Commodore was the engines available, and some scripts here and there.  I guess they wanted to continue to have some segmentation at the top.
  • MonkeyspinnerMonkeyspinner Posts: 34Member
    50C8DAN said:
    Although I have a '50C8, it really was odd to me that Hudson kept the Commodore in the lineup after '50 or even '51.  The only real difference between the Hornet and Commodore was the engines available, and some scripts here and there.  I guess they wanted to continue to have some segmentation at the top.
    For someone like me that has been into old cars for many years but is new to Hudson, the model range in the early to mid 50's period is baffling... like, really baffling!!!  :D

    Thanks DocHubler, some more great info there! 


  • 50C8DAN50C8DAN Posts: 2,066Senior Contributor
    edited March 2020
    It is probably more confusing for Hudson than a lot of other makes due to moving to new model designations, while others were still being made.  I even sometimes get confused from '51 to '54, Pacemakers, Supers, Commodores, Hornet, Wasp, Super Wasp, Jet Super Jet.....  Which had what body style available...... sedan, special, custom, Hollywood (Hardtop), coupe, 2 door sedan (brougham), convertible....... 
  • 50C8DAN50C8DAN Posts: 2,066Senior Contributor
    Oh I forgot business coupe as another body style!
  • 50C8DAN50C8DAN Posts: 2,066Senior Contributor
    Although I have a '54 Club Coupe, the Brougham body style sure is sharp looking, and I think I like it better than the Club Coupe  Nice lines from front to back.  The sedan shape was the first one designed and they just got it really right.
  • MonkeyspinnerMonkeyspinner Posts: 34Member
    50C8DAN said:
    It is probably more confusing for Hudson than a lot of other makes due to moving to new model designations, while others were still being made.  I even sometimes get confused from '51 to '54, Pacemakers, Supers, Commodores, Hornet, Wasp, Super Wasp, Jet Super Jet.....  Which had what body style available...... sedan, special, custom, Hollywood (Hardtop), coupe, 2 door sedan (brougham), convertible....... 
    Crikey! That's plenty to get confused about! 

  • MonkeyspinnerMonkeyspinner Posts: 34Member
    edited March 2020
    DocHubler said:
    Hi, I have a 52 Wasp Hollywood also.  Here it is, and it's stock except for the green paint.  It has more rust underneath than I'd like, but there are so few of these around that's just the way it is.  Mine is just a plain 3 spd, no OD, and indeed it originally had no heater either, but someone added a Hudson heater later.  So rather unusual.  What is the serial number on your car?


    Have you seats been retrimmed? 

    Also, what colour was the car originally? 
  • DocHublerDocHubler Posts: 993Expert Adviser
    No, those are the original seat fabrics.  In reasonable condition, especially the back seat as expected.  the original color of the car was Boston Ivory over Jefferson Green.  Top was repainted white and the greek is an ugly Kermit green, but all the jambs and trunk area have the origin
    al Jefferson green color.  
  • DocHublerDocHubler Posts: 993Expert Adviser
    Butler's book is really the best source for all the different models.  Business coupes vs club coupes -- the only real difference is that the business coupes had only a single bench seat and the rest of the car was trunk space up to the rear of the front seat.  Club coupes had a rear seat.  Often with little leg room, but good place to put the kids.  So business coupes were always the cheapest and lightest cars.  Here's another source with all the models for postwar cars.  Pre-war had even more levels of cars and the companion makes of the 20s and 30s (Essex and Terraplane).  http://classiccardatabase.com/postwar-models/Hudson.php 
  • MonkeyspinnerMonkeyspinner Posts: 34Member
    edited March 2020
    DocHubler said:
    No, those are the original seat fabrics.  In reasonable condition, especially the back seat as expected.  the original color of the car was Boston Ivory over Jefferson Green.  Top was repainted white and the greek is an ugly Kermit green, but all the jambs and trunk area have the origin
    al Jefferson green color.  
    I wonder if mine had the same colour and style of interior as yours, you can see a bit of the original seat covering at the top of the seat back and a good bit of the door card material, does it look anything like yours?
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