Worth a shot?

2

Comments

  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    BTW the car has OD since it has Supermatic

  • I think he's referring to the wiper arm cables. One, single vacuum motor drives both wipers via that cable system.
  • Yep. That's it.  Clever design.
  • Glowplug
    Glowplug Expert Adviser
    Doclee said:
    While I have your attention, can you tell me what the cable/pulley system on the cowl is for? Looks like aviation stuff. Does this car have flaps?
    The cables drive the windshield wiper blades through the towers mounted a head of the windshield.  The vacuum motor they are connected to drive the pulleys.

  • Hudsy Wudsy
    Hudsy Wudsy Senior Contributor
    edited March 2022
    This was a well optioned car when new. I see a somewhat rare compass, a rare front bumper accessory guard, a day/night mirror, a Supermatic and a dual action fuel pump. You'll notice the Supermatic drive button set on the bottom edge of the dash -- It only has two buttons. I'm not sure, but I believe that means that it had the Drivemaster, but not the vaccum clutch. Does that compute with you guys?
  • Hudsy Wudsy
    Hudsy Wudsy Senior Contributor
    Also, I think '50s were prone to rusting on the hood front because of the large molding that was originally attached there. I've never known why, but Hudson offered different blues at different points throughout the year -- Legion Blue, Rivard Blue, Riviera Blue and Lagoon Blue, not to count the lighter Bali Blue. You can see the Auto Clolor Library:
    1950 Hudson (autocolorlibrary.com) 
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    The vacuum clutch was part of Drivemaster and Supermatic.  Supermatic is Drivemaster that works with OD.  It was kind of a 1 year only option - 1950, although some of the lower models (non Commodore or Hornet) had it as an option in 1951 from what I understand.  This was probably to use up whatever Supermatic inventory remained from '50 since the Hyrdamatics were used from '51 on.

  • Hudsy Wudsy
    Hudsy Wudsy Senior Contributor
    I thought that some of them had three buttons on the lower dash, but now that I think of it, that probably doesn't make sense. Does it?
  • Well, I went ahead an bought the thing. As soon as Jr. gets all the equipment out of the way, I'll get out there an bring it home for a bath, at least. Thanks for all the help.
  • All those hoods rust out if they weren’t kept clean of dirt, plus there wasn’t much for rust protection back then. 
  •  Checking out some more pictures. That looks like a sun visor on the floor. Lools like the mice have been keeping cozy.
  • It's not vintage until it gets a few mouse turds in it. BTW, welcome to the Hudson world. 👍
  • Hudsy Wudsy
    Hudsy Wudsy Senior Contributor
    Geez, I missed the sun visor. As I said before, that was one well-optioned car.
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    I wonder if it has the optional glove box and trunk lights (LOL!).  It also has the front bumper hoop addition.  About the only item not checked was that it is a 6, not an 8 which cost more than the 6.
  • Back bumper looks like it has an addition as well. Seems to be pushed in as it is interfering with the trunk lid.
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    The only other option I do not see is one or two spotlights, which actually I find distracting from the overall stepdown design, but to each his own.
  • Looks like the missing trim is accounted for, too. Also the missing seat foam. I have to agree with you about the spotlights.
  • Hudsy Wudsy
    Hudsy Wudsy Senior Contributor
    I had a '50 C8 sedan that I was hoping to restore when I retired. I accumulated a lot of fun accessories of the years. They included the under seat heater, sun visor, Snap-Up gas electric gas cap. Back-up lights, fog lights, rear seat speaker, spare tire inflator, battery level maintainer, trunk and under hood lights and left and right spot lights. Yes, I know that it would have looked clownish to have installed all of them, but they were fun to collect. When my health became an issue, I sent the car down to Iowa to be restored by someone I met through this forum. I lost nearly $5,000 on the deal. He now is serving a life sentence in Iowa state prison for rape and assault. 
  • Hudsy Wudsy
    Hudsy Wudsy Senior Contributor
    One thing that won't be found in the Hudson is a rear window venetian blind. I think that they were only a '48 and '49 item. I remember the name of the lighted compass, "Hull".
  • onerare39
    onerare39 Expert Adviser, Member
    James P. said:
    I had a '50 C8 sedan that I was hoping to restore when I retired. I accumulated a lot of fun accessories of the years. They included the under seat heater, sun visor, Snap-Up gas electric gas cap. Back-up lights, fog lights, rear seat speaker, spare tire inflator, battery level maintainer, trunk and under hood lights and left and right spot lights. Yes, I know that it would have looked clownish to have installed all of them, but they were fun to collect. When my health became an issue, I sent the car down to Iowa to be restored by someone I met through this forum. I lost nearly $5,000 on the deal. He now is serving a life sentence in Iowa state prison for rape and assault. 
    James,  Were you able to get your car back before they auctioned everything off?
  • Hudsy Wudsy
    Hudsy Wudsy Senior Contributor
    No, I was still quite ill and deeply discouraged. I just let it and two others go in the auction. I'm feeling enough better these days that and I regret it, though. That's why I'm looking for another '50 sedan. It's sort of like starting all over.
  • Hudsy Wudsy
    Hudsy Wudsy Senior Contributor
    The SOB inherited several hundred thousand dollars from an old couple that he and his wife had been aiding. Because he was in prison, he couldn't have access to the money so he set up a trust so his two daughters could get the money. His brother was the administrator of the trust. I reached an agreement for a far reduced settlement with the brother,  but when it came time for the guy in prison to agree, he balked. By not paying me anything, his daughters got a larger piece of the pie. I guess that when you are serving life in prison, there's little need to be honorable. 
  • Hudsy Wudsy
    Hudsy Wudsy Senior Contributor
    So, lastly, while I'm venting, the brother in prison must have gotten furious with the brother who is not in prison for trying to help me out. I can only assume that they quarreled because the brother who was trying to help me stopped returning my phone calls. I imagine that he was told to mind his own business and not to communicate with me anymore.  I'm sorry to unload all of this on you guys. I really am trying tomove beyond it all.
  • BigSky
    BigSky Senior Contributor
    My luck with Hudson’s has been the absolute worst!  Everything that could possibly need fixing or replacing needs it & it’s taken years longer and more $$$ than forecasted.  Don’t EVER look at a Hudson vehicle that isn’t 100% complete because you may be looking for decades & still never find the items!  

    After owning 2 Hudsons, I go in with eyes wide open now.  NEVER expected anything to go easy or that EVERYTHING won’t need fixing… plan on every single thing needing to be fixed & you will still probably end up underestimating all it needs!!!  Btw, both of my Hudsons are still F’n broken & need repairs, basically they break faster than they can be repaired!

    The joy of owning a Hudson….
  • You’ve had bad luck with bad choice of cars. Yes it can be challenging to find some parts and they aren’t fuel efficienct but these cars are durable, solid and very reliable. I’ve been driving them off and on since high school in the 80s. 
  • BigSky
    BigSky Senior Contributor
    Yeah, your right bad choice in cars… however that is my point exactly.  
    In the early 80’s I too drove old 50’s cars & and they were barely 25 years old however now they are 70 years old.  I always laugh when I hear someone say, “it was running when I parked it”!  It was parked for a reason & running too well was never a reason!

    One cannot tell from looking at a car if the inside of the brake lines are rusty, if the master cylinder needs a sleeve or if the wheels cylinders are going to start leaking 3 months into driving it.  Nor can one see the condition of the inside of the engine; valves, guides, bearings, rings, cam thrust washer, timing chain or distributor gear, they are all unknown.  One cannot tell the condition of the wheel bearings or the races or even if the gas tank is full of junk.  Without opening up all of these components or having documented proof one cannot tell.  

    Even with proof, it may not have been done correctly.  For example my 37 coupe had the cam & crank gears upgraded but they didn’t do the clearance work needed for the bolts behind the aluminum cam gear & it had been hitting until I found it & fixed it correctly.  This winter I was so tired of things constantly breaking on my 50’s Hudson sedan I shoved it into the corner.  After a couple weeks off, I decided to tackle the car with the easiest fix, so work began on my 89 Corvette to just replace the fuel injectors.  Long story short…. It wasn’t the easy fix.  I found cam bearings shot at 72k miles because the proper oil changes weren’t done on it by the previous owner(s).  We all know people have been known to cut corners…. which is why I say plan on everything needing redone so you won’t be surprised. 

    Also don’t assume because the car is from an “experts” in the Hudson world that you won’t get shafted just as readily as you would from someone outside the Hudson club.  Unfortunately there are plenty of people who have gotten it royally from both groups.  One needs to do their best to evaluate everything.  If you can’t open things up to determine the actual condition then plan on it needing work & figure that into the cost & your time with it.  Hopefully then one won’t be surprised later.  Finally don’t assume an auto inspection is going to cover everything either, because they don’t.

    Bottom line… buyer beware!
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    I agree with Brian here.  I too have been the victim of poorly done restorations from so called experts in the club.  So one needs to be cautious when buying any vehicle from an unknown source, HETer or not.
  • Anyway, got the old thing home. Holes in front floors and rockers. If weather clears up this weekend, I'll get everything cleaned out, inventory the stuff stored in the trunk and see if the engine will turn over. If so, then I will have to address the brakes and fuel system. If I can get it to run, I might start tire shopping.
  • Doclee
    Doclee Member
    Put the trim back on, got the engine to crank, but no fire yet. Took the bumper extensions off, since they were bent and rusted through. Just got a quote to re-chrome the grille amd bumpers. About $5K for that. Good thing I don't have to pay for the body work. Just going at it a little at a time.
  • I love it, I’d clear coat the car as it is so it doesn’t deteriorate anymore, while you drive, fix and restore and save up for the big stuff, paint body and interior.