It was always going to be a Hudson

by  Bill Buys WOULD any of today’s teenage schoolboys know how to jack up a car? Or how to drop the driveshaft, take out a gearbox and fit ...

by  Bill Buys

WOULD any of today’s teenage schoolboys know how to jack up a car?

Or how to drop the driveshaft, take out a gearbox and fit a new clutch?

A clutch? What could that be? 

One in a million might be able to do it -- but even that’s a long shot.

However, back in 1956, when Warren Henderson was a 15-year-old in the US, his older brother was serving in the Navy in Maine and asked his dad to find a suitable first car for him.

Young Warren had seen plenty of admirable cars in his life. 

His dad had once owned a 1932 Nash Lafayette big six, then a ’38 Dodge four-door sedan, a ’40 Buick Special sedan, a 1953 Pontiac station wagon and had just bought his first new car: a 1956 Pontiac station wagon.

And his uncle George owned a 1934 Hudson Terraplane coupe.

What his dad found for his brother was a 1940 Hudson sedan, in beautiful black paint, and it shone like a mirror.

"It was the most beautiful car I had ever seen," Warren said.

"It was a low mileage car and dad got it for a good price.

"The interior was every bit as nice as any living room I had ever seen, and the back seat was more comfortable than any couch I ever sat on. 

"The only problem was it needed a new oil bath cork clutch, which meant dropping the drive tube and pulling the transmission to get at it. 

"Oh, did I forget to say that I was no mechanic? 

"I was working alone, and this was the first car I was going to work on. 

"My 'garage' was an open field across the road from our house. 

"My lift would be the Hudson’s bumper jack and my jack stands were stones from a nearby stone wall (Hey! I was 15 remember). 

"So, with no knowledge -- don’t ask me how I managed to accomplish this -- because even to this day I do not know. 

Somehow, using a Motor's Auto Repair manual, working afternoons after high school, I managed to get the transmission out, install the new clutch and get the car back together running like new. 

"I can say that only because my brother Paul never had a complaint about how it ran.

"Ever since that day I have always wanted a vintage 1940s Hudson, and after over 35 years in the classic car hobby, I finally bought one -- the car of my dreams a 1942 Hudson Six Traveler three-passenger coupe. 

"I find the ‘42s better looking than even the 1940s, with their new grille and side trim. 

"I believe mine was built around the end of October or early November in 1941.

"It is a matching numbers car and has all its trim pieces chrome plated or bright medal, something that they did not carry through for the remainder of the model year. 

"The six-cylinder Hudson was by far the most often chosen engine option for the 1942, of which only 40,661 were produced. 

"Any 1942 model car is quite rare, the ‘blackout’ models even more so.

 "Only 5396 1942 Hudsons were built during WWII and the “blackout models” were the cars built on and after January 1, 1942. 

"My Hudson looks and drives the exact same way as the day it left the dealership. 

"It has had a recent total restoration, unfortunately the dealership did not have any documentation as to when or who had done the work."

Hudson was a technical leader of the 1930-1940 era.

Braking, often a problem of cars of that time, was not an issue with Hudson’s Double-Safe system, a longstanding tradition of retaining a backup mechanical system linked to the brake pedal, in the event of a hydraulic failure. 

Wagner Electric invented a dual-cylinder brake system in 1960. This system has a dual master cylinder separating front and rear hydraulic lines. If one line developed a leak, the other line could still work. 

Double-Safe was especially welcome in vehicles with single-reservoir master cylinders, as all Hudsons were.

World War II significantly curtailed Hudson's 1942 model year production as the company, like other carmakers, shifted to manufacturing war materials like aircraft parts, naval engines and anti-aircraft guns.

 The "blackout" or "victory" models, produced after January 1, 1942, had restrictions on chrome and stainless steel trim. 

Warren’s coupe is a superb example of classic style and engineering of a bygone time.

But it draws 10 times more stares than any of today’s lookalikemobiles -- and no, it has no braking problems and has not needed a cork clutch replacement.

The 1942 Hudson Six Coupe featured a 2.9-litre straight-six flathead engine with a 7.25:1 compression ratio, producing 68kW.

It had a 116-inch wheelbase and was available as a three-passenger coupe or a club coupe, also known as a two-door coupe.

It cost between US $1035 and $1490 when it was first sold, depending on body style and options chosen. 

 

 

1942 Hudson Six Traveler three-passenger coupe.

 

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