ClassicCar

Hudson308

One-piece unitized construction. These guys might be onto something...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liHBHLdsEX4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHxpQiOuzWI&feature=related

Aaron D. IL

Chrysler did the first uni-body Airflow and it flopped. Hudson did it successfully and made it popular. Chrysler then did it again. Today all Makes do it. Other makes did a one-piece steel body that gets bolted onto a frame. Lots of makes did that. Hudson had no separate chassis.

66patrick66

The Airflow did not really "flop", as it was built over four model years in Chrysler and DeSoto form. They actually sold fairly well, but considering two things - the Depression and their advanced styling, they were definitely ahead of their time.

53jetman

Also fellows, don't forget Nash. They marketed their first unibody car - the "600" - in I beleive it was 1940 or 1941. Not that it could withstand the same beating a Hudson Monobuilt unit coud, but they were there just the same! Most of them succumed to the rust bug long before Hudson even started to build the Monobuilt bodies. You can't imagine the shock our mechanics showed on their faces upon the first inspection of the new 1955 Hornets & Wasps. They could not beleive the difference in the cinstruction !

hudsontech

66patrick66 wrote:

The Airflow did not really "flop", as it was built over four model years in Chrysler and DeSoto form. They actually sold fairly well, but considering two things - the Depression and their advanced styling, they were definitely ahead of their time.

They also built an Airflow styled truck in, at least, 1938 and 1939. I have an Ertel (sp??) die cast of that one. Nice looking rig.

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

Jay G

Having a 60 dodge Matador the bigest problem with these cars is the crappy or total lack of rust protection. You just look at the car wrong and it rusts.

Lee ODell

hudsontech wrote:

They also built an Airflow styled truck in, at least, 1938 and 1939. I have an Ertel (sp??) die cast of that one. Nice looking rig.

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

I didn't know they made and Airflow truck Alex. I'd like to see one of those. Can you post a picture of your die cast?

Lee

hudsontech

Lee O'Dell wrote:

I didn't know they made and Airflow truck Alex. I'd like to see one of those. Can you post a picture of your die cast?

Lee

Here's the real deal, Lee,

Here - http://tinyurl.com/25535jf

and

Here - http://tinyurl.com/2angqva

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

Lee ODell

Thanks for the pictures Alex. Good looking truck.

On one of the side trips from the National, I think that was the same truck I saw last year at the Ford Museum. I didn't know it was an Airflow truck. I should have read the plaque. I did take a picture of it.

Do you know if they made a pickup?

Have a good day. Lee

Park_W

Jay G wrote:

Having a 60 dodge Matador the bigest problem with these cars is the crappy or total lack of rust protection. You just look at the car wrong and it rusts.

I'm realy surprised to read this. Our first new car was a red '60 Dart Phoenix convertible, which we took to Japan with us in '62. I remember being impressed with the "dip the whole unibody" anti-rust treatment Chrysler did beginning that year, as I monitored any little paint chips that were down to the "bare" body metal. Living within a few hundred yards of the ocean for almost three years, there was never a trace of rust in those chipped places. Now, '57 and '58 ... that was another matter!

66patrick66

Lee O'Dell wrote:

Thanks for the pictures Alex. Good looking truck.

Do you know if they made a pickup?

Have a good day. Lee

No Airflow pickups were ever built by Chrysler.

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