Tuesday, February 13, 2018

52 Hudson: Top chop Part 2

Having used up a fair bit of putty getting the roof line just right, I think it's all looking good and is just needing the rear quarter window frames tidied up. (The slight dip in the roofline just behind the door posts has been fixed since the picture was taken).





Next is the engine which was apparently painted gold. Ugh. But anyway I went for it, in the interests of accuracy, using a Detail Master distributor kit to liven it up. I'm going to leave the big red air filter canisters off it, and will look for velocity stacks from the stash once I am home.



The kit is very detailed and the molds, being new, are nice and clean. Everything fits, so far, and there have been some pleasant surprises such as the vacuum advance unit on the distributor. I'll probably cut this off and glue it to the side of the Detail Master unit, which also needs paint on the cap.



A mockup shows the potential. The velocity stacks, if I can find a long enough pair, may just poke through the hood; it'll have to be subtle, though.



Finally the stance can be sorted out in the rear by means of a spacer block between the axle and leaf springs; in the front it will depend on whether I want a nose-up stance or something flatter. Definitely it needs to be dragging its butt.



I think I want less white wall showing at the rear, which will require carving a groove in the chassis frame rails that wrap over the axle. The front looks nice here, but once I've dropped the rear to where I want it, I may change my mind.



That big curvaceous rump is just about right. There will also be a pair of sidepipes peeking out the passenger side, and it is easy to picture it on a warm summer evening, burbling down Main Street on the way to the drive-in for a burger and a sundae.

There won't be much more progress until I am moved back in to my newly-renovated home and the workshop is set up, because spray painting is not really possible where I am camping out. Once I do move back in, the priority will be the kitchen and other living areas, so I am afraid the workshop may not get set up right away. The Hudson will therefore join the LN 8000 and the 356 on the back burner for now.

Stay tuned!

Sunday, February 11, 2018

52 Hudson: Top chop

There is nothing like spending a nice, quiet, snowy Sunday morning hacking the roof off a Hudson.



A decent assortment of implements includes photo-etched blades from Model Car Garage, and a fine two edged blade in a holder which I believe I got at The Hobby Centre in Ottawa.

The cut was about 1" at scale through the windshield posts, tapering to a 3" chop at the C-pillar. The tilt of the roof, and the amount of the chop, meant that the roof really needed to be lengthened. This required bringing out the big 54 tpi blade.



In the end the stretch required was about 6.25" at scale.



The gap got built up with 1/4" strip, in this case using a shallow C-channel because that was what I had on hand. The remaining channel section will get filled with 0.030" strip which I will pick up tomorrow at Hobby Junction in suburban Montreal.



In theory, I should also widen the roof with an opening tapered towards the rear, to allow for the deeper chop at the back. (I think I can bend the windshield and door posts sufficiently to fake it). Plan B will be to build up the lower edge of the C-pillar with styrene stock, and use the opportunity to take off the drip rails.



Progress is being made. As with everything I have built over the last while, painting will be a problem until I move back into my place and set up the workshop again. So the puttying and sanding will continue, possibly with the odd bit of primer on days when I can open the window, but final painting will have to wait.

Saturday, February 10, 2018

52 Hudson: Body mods

Before getting up the nerve to start cutting the roof off, I've spent some time dechroming and smoothing the body.



The chromed rocker panels are gone, as are the door and trunk handles. The little range-finder ornaments on the fender tops have also been cut off. I've decided to leave the long chrome strip ending in the little rocket on, as it breaks up the slab side nicely, and the little rocket is cute.







The rear roll pan has been filled in, and just needs a bit of smoothing. Next will be some halfround stock to extend the fender cap from the gas cap door and downwards. A tidy little taillight will need to be designed to fit in there. The spare parts bin may come in handy. 

I am also looking at simple little bumper overiders front and rear, and a clean grille. First I'll need to dechrome the existing bits, which will require sourcing some Easy-Off.

Yes, I am procrastinating before taking the saw to the roof.

Monday, February 5, 2018

'52 Hudson Hornet: planning

What a perfect car for a chop! It's got that '49 Merc shape to it, but cleaner. The moldings on the rocker panels will have to go; so will the little range finders on the tops of the front fenders. The long trim piece from the rocket above the front fender to the rear bumper may also need to go, although the line does break up the slab side nicely. Front and rear bumpers will need some work. But the shape is there.



I'm of two minds about the top. Option #1 is to move the roof down and forward, lengthening the rear deck (and maybe even shortening the roof to eliminate the rear seat as in the second picture below).





Option #2 is to keep the windscreen roughly where it is, but tilt the roof back into the rear deck.



And yes, I am aware of the Jimmy Flintstone pickup body for this. I think I'll stick to the club coupe format.

No matter what else happens, getting it to drag its tail will be critical.

As an aside, I passed on this 1949 model, offered for only $12,500 by the side of the road in Watkins Glen in 2014. It didn't look street legal to me...