ClassicCar

I am relatively new to this site,but I would like to share some information regarding hood ornament plastic overlay. I have found a guy who makes replacement plastic hood ornaments. He made me one for my 1947 2dr coupe. It is the piece that wraps around the top of the hood ornament. He has made several of them and is looking for more sales for them. If anyone is interested his name is Bill James and he can be reached at 815-291-3541. I think it will fit 1942-47 Hudsons. I hope this information helps some people who may be looking for this piece.

Chuck

Park_W

That's encouraging news, Chuck ... I'm missing one on my '47 C8 sedan. How would you describe the quality of the finished piece? Price?

Browniepetersen

And, how about a nice close up photograph....

Jon B

I'd like to list this item on my Hudson Repro Parts webpage http://www.detailedconcepts.net/Repro_Table.pdf (no charge, of course). Can you please post, or send me, the fellow's e-mail address so I can contact him with some questions? Thanks! Xdetailed@verizon.net, drop the X first!

--Jon

I met this guy at the Iola car show and was very impressed with the wide array of hood ornament plastics that he has produced. He told me that he did not have a mold for my Hudson. When I returned home I sent him an extra metal ornament that I had with a cracked and crazed plastic overlay on it. He produced a mold from that one and is now offering them for sale. He also told me that the factory plastic did not fit very well and he made corrections to it for a much better fit. He is an older gentleman that does this for a hobby and is very quality oriented. My plastic is in the mail to me and I am not even slightly concerned about his quality as I know he will refund my money if I am not satisfied. He winters in Florida and pours many plastics ahead of time and takes them with him to polish and finish them while on vacation. He currently has six Hudson plastics done and as he told me the price will come down quickly if he can sell them.

Chuck

Jon,
I talked with Bill James today and here is his website bj31kars@yahoo.com.He will be glad to chat with you on his hood ornaments. He is about as computor illiterate as I am so he prefers the phone 815-291-3541 but he will communicate with you either way. He also has decided on a price of $60.00 each hoping he can sell several of them.

Chuck

walts garage-53 · walts garage-53 December 2010 Posts: 1,470Platinum Member

Here is the re

Park W wrote:

That's encouraging news, Chuck ... I'm missing one on my '47 C8 sedan. How would you describe the quality of the finished piece? Price?

Here is the reason we lose people that start making parts for Hudsons. They then complain they are not perfect and the guy gives up. Order the parts and the more they sell, the price comes down and the product gets better. We need suppliers, and any parts made is better than none. Buying a new cars is not perfect, but in time it's done. Walt.

Today I received a couple of pictures of my hood ornament plastic from Bill James. I will try to post them with this message even though I don't really know what I am doing. Hopefully you can see the quality he is producing.

Chuck

walts garage-53 · walts garage-53 December 2010 Posts: 1,470Platinum Member

That is a beautiful start, and the more ordered the better. Lets get this guy to keep going and he may start other parts we need. Walt.

Tallent R

I agree with you Walt - I have seen several N.O.S Hudson items with flaws in them,
Roger:ohmy:

Jon B

Can anyone say with absolute certainty whether the plastic insert interchanges amongst the '42, '46 and '47 ornaments? Is the plastic insert only for use on Commodores, or did the entire line of Hudsons have the plastic and chrome ornament?

53jetman

Jon, I'm not sure about the '42 applications. I'm pretty sure the '42 Commodore ornament was completely different from the '46 & '47, but the Super Series may have used something similar to this. This plastic looks great to me for all '46 & '47 Commodores. The '46 & '47 Super Series did not use the plastic addition over the top of the ornament.

VicTor Z

Take a look at the Mascotes from the SCC website, Source: "HET Mascots-Hood Ornaments-Trademarks" by Walt Harris
:whistle: http://socalhet.org/sidebar/mascots/index.htm
VicTor Z

53jetman

You will notice there are no 1942 ornaments shown, and I'm sure they were different from what was used in '46 & '47

Park_W

Chuck, can you describe how the original plastic piece fastened to the metal base? I've never looked at one closely, and I don't see a hole in my base piece that would accommodate the "nub" at the rear of Bill's beautiful plastic "crest". Maybe the piece on my '47 Commodore is from a Super series car, which perhaps doesn't have a hole at the rear of it.

RL Chilton

Although I'm not a '42 expert, I believe, at least on the Comm., that it is similar, but different.

Jon B

Chuck, I've been trying to reach you through the Classiccar messaging system. Could you please contact me at Xdetailed@verison.net (delete the X first)? Thanks!

---Jon B.

Park_W

Finally got into the 40-42 and 46-47 parts books. Picture and parts descriptions indicate 42 is definitely different from '46-47. For the latter, the two ornaments listed are the one for Super series, and the "ornament and crest assembly" for the Commodores. Then it lists the Commodore crest piece as a separate part, but not the lower, chromed base piece (looks like they anticipated that the plastic crests might weather or break readily).

53jetman

Park - I believe the chrome crest is the same for both Super & Commodore and the plastic piece simply snapped over the crest and the nub went into the last hole at the rear of the crest - therefore there would have been a difference in the center molding of the Hood to accept the modified crest with plastic overlay. - Could be wrong, but that is the way I remember it

aminard

Park, there is a knock out hole in the base of the hood ornament before the long hood moulding to accept the plactic overlay.

Allan

Jon B,
I am learning a lot from you guys on these hood ornaments. Apparently the ornament only fits 46-47. Allan is also correct that not all ornaments have the hole in the rear to accept the overly,but if you turn it over there is a knockout on the back end of the ornament that can be removed to accept the overlay. Mine slipped over the front of the ornament and fit through the hole in the rear of it and fastened with a push on clip. I also did not know that the overlays were only used on the commodores,but I guess that is the case. My 47 club coupe was a super six,but I have installed a 308 Twin-H setup in it so I am going to use the hood ornament with the overlay as it is not factory original anyway. I hope to be able to post some pictures of my project as soon as I can figure out how to do it. Jon B you can reach me at pcmcderm@centurytel.net.

Chuck

Park_W

Got the crest piece and have it installed. It's beautifully made and fits perfectly. The little nub at the back end slides right into the knockout hole in the base piece. I found it pretty easy to open up the racetrack oval-shaped knockout ... two closely spaced holes, drilled from the bottom with sharp bit, some masking tape across the chrome at that spot, and backed up with a piece of wood. The chrome didn't have any tendency to chip or flake. With the two holes drilled it's easy to open up the space between them. Photos show the result.

Park_W

Did this reply just to kick last edit back to the top.

LanceB

Looks great Park, and the molding is very nice.

Jim Kilday

Got mine yesterday. I must say that the workmanship is absolutely superb. This gentleman should be crafting other plastic parts as well. He is GOOD.

Jim Kilday

Park W wrote:

Got the crest piece and have it installed. It's beautifully made and fits perfectly. The little nub at the back end slides right into the knockout hole in the base piece. I found it pretty easy to open up the racetrack oval-shaped knockout ... two closely spaced holes, drilled from the bottom with sharp bit, some masking tape across the chrome at that spot, and backed up with a piece of wood. The chrome didn't have any tendency to chip or flake. With the two holes drilled it's easy to open up the space between them. Photos show the result.

Is this strictly a friction fit? If you are replacing an existing plastic piece, why is there a need for the "knockout"? I'm a bit confused and I don't want to screw mine up when I (try to) install it.

faustmb

Glad to see this part is as good as hoped, I will need one someday. It's always good to see more parts available

Park_W

Jim, the original crest did indeed have this "nub" that went into the oval hole at the rear of the base piece, and there was a "push nut" on the underside of the base piece that secured the little nub, thus anchoring the crest. My Commodore was missing the crest when it was restored in 1989, so evidently was fitted with a Super series base piece, which is identical but doesn't have the knockout hole opened up. If the car had its original Commodore series base piece I wouldn't have had to drill out the knockout srea.

aminard

Somewhere in all these threads, I missed the price and the who. Can someone repost that info please?

Thanks,

Allan

Jim Kilday

Price is $60 plus shipping and worth every cent.

xmarinero

This response might be too late...I'm no expert by any means, but when I bought my 46' 4dr, from a second owner, the hood ornament had no plastic attachment on it and the seller assured me the car was as complete as when he had bought it from a relative....perhaps the plastic only goes on a Commodore.

53jetman

Plastic was on the Commodore only

Jerry

skipster

wonder if he would make some 36 terraplane flying hotdogs(or are they carrots?)
there is a bloke on ebay charging $150 for them,which seems a little steep.

Andrew B55

Mine has arrived and fits well. Bill James is a gentleman and pleasure to deal with and has helped us out with a rare, hard to get part.

aminard

I need to order one. Can someone post the contact information here please?

Allan

Allan,
Bill James is the man making these hood ornament overlays and his contact information is as follows; E-mail bj31kars@yahoo.com,cell number 815-291-3541. I am glad that several of you guys have purchased these items from Bill. He is a very skilled craftsman and exceptionally nice fellow to deal with.

Skipster,
I believe Bill already has the hood ornament you are looking for. He showed me the only Hudson ones he had previously made and i think it is the one you are looking for. You should call him.

Chuck

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