ClassicCar

nhp1127

Looks like a nice car for the money.... doesn't say if it runs or not... I assume it does...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1954-HUDSON-SUPER-WASP-HOLLYWOOD-RARE-CAR-LOW-RESERVE-/190627716896?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2c624c1f20

Kdancy

Hudson used the Ultramaic Transmission in 54?

oldhudsons

NO, that was a Packard trans.
Some '54s came with a Borg Warner trans. due to fire in GMs Hydra-matic factory.

oldhudsons

Having now just looked at the photos & description:
1. the 262 engine wasn't a option, it was the only engine a Wasp came with, and NO, a 308 engine was not an option for this short w.b. model
2. if you look at the trans. quadrant in the interior dash photo you can tell it has a Hydramatic, NOT a Borg Warmer or an Ultramatic. There was no choice of trans., it was just which ever trans. the factory had on hand when the car was built. As I recall the GM trans. factory fire was early in '54 which is when some came with the Borg Warner trans. & when Hudson was finally able to get the Hydromatic, that's what was put in - if you ordered a Hudson you could not specify which trans. you wanted.
3. seems odd the owner, a purported long time HETer, wouldn't know this!?!?!?!?

StillOutThere

Not that Wikipedia is the perfect source for history but they probably got the date correct. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydramatic When the supply of transmissions started flowing again, GM took care of their own cars first and thus the independents were most affected during the 1954 model year.

Wiki: "A massive fire that destroyed GM's Hydramatic plant in Livonia, Michigan on August 12, 1953 left the corporation and the three divisions that used this transmission scrambling for other sources of automatic transmissions to complete that year's model year production. As a result, Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs during the downtime were assembled with Buick's Dynaflow transmission, while Pontiacs used Chevrolet's Powerglide, both two-speed torque-converter units. Non-GM makes that bought Hydramatics from the corporation, including Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln division and independent automakers Hudson, Kaiser and Nash, ended up looking for other sources of automatic transmissions as well, with Lincoln using the Borg Warner designed Ford-O-Matic transmission, while other automakers also switched to automatics from Borg-Warner during the downtime."

coverton

"still out there" I too remember the fire and my dad ordering a 54 gm that luckily came from the Buick div with a newer Dynaflow - as I recall those had a variable pitch stator or turbine vanes that stopped that strained sound and lack of git up n go of older models. But never heard of a Hudson with a Dynaflow much less a ultramatic ?

oldhudsons

and I recall the slang terms for such transmission were "Dynaflop", "Powerslide", etc. as were so gutless. "Hydros" were the best if interested in acceleration & there were even co.'s that specialized in making Hydros shift even more, let us say dramatically, like "B & M".
I remember riding in one of my buddies Hudsons with one of those transmissions (he was a "street racer") & it would literally "jar your teeth" when it would shift!

46HudsonPU

nhp1127 wrote:

Looks like a nice car for the money.... doesn't say if it runs or not... I assume it does...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1954-HUDSON-SUPER-WASP-HOLLYWOOD-RARE-CAR-LOW-RESERVE-/190627716896?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2c624c1f20

Hi Neils,
I wouldn't assume... Anyone that goes to that detail in a description and doesn't say 'how well' it drives or runs - usually is really saying something, by omission (i.e., it probably does not run or drive without issues, possibly significant ones).
Take it all in with a 'grain of salt', and be a bit pessimistic - it's always better to be a bit surprised/happy than to be disappointed.

Rick

hudsontech

From an article (google search - gm hydramatic plant fire:

" The first Hydra-Matic unit was produced in a make-shift plant in Detroit in October a mere nine weeks to the day from the date of the fire and GM gallantly sent the first units to Hudson, Kaiser and Nash. The former Kaiser plant was in full Hydra-Matic production by mid-December and remains a key GM automatic transmission facility to this day."

The entire article, with pictures, is here:
http://www.autotran.us/TheGreatHydraMaticFire.html

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN

46HudsonPU

46HudsonPU wrote:

nhp1127 wrote:

Looks like a nice car for the money.... doesn't say if it runs or not... I assume it does...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1954-HUDSON-SUPER-WASP-HOLLYWOOD-RARE-CAR-LOW-RESERVE-/190627716896?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2c624c1f20

Hi Neils,
I wouldn't assume... Anyone that goes to that detail in a description and doesn't say 'how well' it drives or runs - usually is really saying something, by omission (i.e., it probably does not run or drive without issues, possibly significant ones).
Take it all in with a 'grain of salt', and be a bit pessimistic - it's always better to be a bit surprised/happy than to be disappointed.

Rick

From the seller:
The car runs and drives ---- you should really think about tune up work --- decent tires ---- just a general once over before you take it down the road

it has a clear Wisconsin title in my name --- hope that helps --- Doug...ask additional questions if need be.

51hornetA

The one pic of underneath looks pretty rusty to me. Would have a better look at that before I paid. The interior is really nice though.

oldhudsons

I used to have a basic "rule of thumb": don't buy any stepdown from the "Rust Belt" & I never did.
One of my oldest HET buddies lived in Kenosha, Wisc. & each year he'd send me the article from the local paper announcing how many TONS of SALT Kenosha had bought to put on the roads for the coming winter!
When I met him, in the '60s, he owned the '48 C8 Derham limousine that had been built for Mrs. Chapin. I found him a nice '51 C8 sd. Calif. car onto which he intended to put the Derham body - he never got around to it.

Hud1105

In the underbody pic, is it just me or is there a chain rapped around the front rail, probally holding something on?

Tallent R

Looks like a chain and galvanized tunbuckle . I had not seen that , I did see the rotted away drivers side floor and drivers side frame perimiter rail .
Roger

RL Chilton

Tallent R wrote:

Looks like a chain and galvanized tunbuckle . I had not seen that , I did see the rotted away drivers side floor and drivers side frame perimiter rail .
Roger

. . . yeah. Looks like somebody prettied up a mess to me. And I'm usually not the cynical one . . .

russmaas

was this the same car offered for sale at the Pontiac national?

Swampy Meadows

I believe it is. I seem to recall it was on a trailer back by the swap meet.

2manyprojects

the owner sent me some more photos not on his ad. very very rusty,frame rails bad edge of fenders where they bolt to the inner fenders in the engine bay real rusty,bottoms of doors bad on the underside to bad for such a rare car

essexcoupe3131

is that water coming in to the hood lining at the rear window on 1 of the pics?

54SuperWasp

When I saw the car,at first I had a good impression but, some details, broken window, rubber near that window that would not hold, the underneath with holes, that chain holding I don't know what...This told me it needed a lot. My car is in Quebec ( Canada) but originated from California and it shows. When I bought it, the Twin-H appealed to me first. Yes, it's a sedan, but I like a sedan. I always had sedan cars. Yes, it needs total restoration but, look at the 2 pictures from the underneath. I just rubbed the metal a little with oooo steel wool, and the result was amazing. Since I have no experience at all, I prefer to begin with a car like this that I don't have to do any soldering, no floors to repair etc. Since I paid only $2500, it goes better with my budget. I know I will have to put a lot of money into it, but this car is a challenge for me. I'm sure I made the good choice for me. Michel P.S. Should begin to work on it around the month of march.

bobdriveshudson

Nice, like the way your metal is holding up. Not that well here. Bob P

Tallent R

Yes - Yours is not even dirty underneath ! !Good Deal !
Roger

ClassicCar

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

We'd love to hear from you! info@classiccar.com