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The Challenge
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The Goal
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Contact me at: akcoop@hotmail.com |
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October 1999 Well I started out on this project around 12 years ago, but I got interrupted by college followed by 7 years in the U.S. Navy. Here I am back in my home state and now with a wife and three kids and the project back in my garage. As you may have read on my "Me and my Hudsons" page, my grandfather got me started on Hudsons back when I was about 12 years old. He had that red 1947 Hudson Commodore 8 in his garage as well as a 1929 Ford Model A. We bought a 1950 Commodore 6, also pictured on the "Me and My Hudsons" page. I got some experience working on the cars throughout my teen years which firmly rooted my fascination and respect for the Hudson Motor Company and the cars that it built. My goal is to restore the 1946 Hudson Pickup to original condition and then restore the 1947 Hudson Pickup with a Hudson 308 Twin H Power straight six and overdrive. |
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October 1999 - The doors will need some work. The cab was sandblasted twice. Unfortunately the cab was painted and put outside for a short time, hence the rust. |
October 1999 - The engine is not original. The serial number seems to reflect a 46 sedan. |
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December 1999 Happy Holidays to everyone! It has gotten colder in my garage but I can't complain with the wonderful weather here in the Midwest. I have made progress though. I got a manifold and crankshaft timing gear from a Hudson Club Member in Nebraska so the front of the engine is back together. I am working on the distributor and need to make a gasket for the flapper valve cover to finish off the exhaust manifold. I should be able to have the engine started by the end of January. I will post more pictures after I get the engine all together. |
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January 2000 On December 31, my friend Jack and I got the engine started. I wouldn't idle, but it ran I needed to make adjustments to the carburetor and there was a leak in the the water jacket on the side of the engine. When I bolted it on, one of the washers broke through the already thin flange around the jacket resulting in a healthy leak. Afterwards I removed the carburetor and discovered that I had not seated the flappers on the bottom correctly. That was a quick fix. The water jacket is another story. I brazed the water jacket, and needed to do further repairs before it was ready to be bolted back on. I started the engine again and it ran well except at idle. I did not have a very good fuel set up and I think that contributed to the idleing problems. |
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December 1999 - The engine is almost ready to start. |
December 1999 |
| May 2000 Didn't get much chance to work on the truck February through April. Too cold and too much homework. Finished my masters degree beginning of May which has freed up quite a bit of time. So far in May I have completely removed the entire front end, sandblasted and primered the frame and all associated parts. I am starting at the front and moving my way back down the frame until the entire frame is repainted. In June I hope to get the front end reassembled and functioning. Getting the coil springs off was a little bit of an adventure. I am not looking forward to putting them back on. | |
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Parts that I need:
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Here
is my son's idea of what a Hudson Pickup looks like. I have
been using his detailed plans to make sure that I am restoring the
truck to original specifications.