DOC

CLICK HERE to read my blog about owning and driving "Doc"

I've been searching for the right Hudson Hornet coupe for almost 5 years.  Finally "Doc" showed up on eBay and was just the car I've been looking for.  I love the pale yellow color, and I like the period-correct sunvisor and Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels.  The car even has the little under-dash chrome Kleenex box holder (Detroit, listen up!).

Doc is a 1951 model.  This first-year Hornet did not originally come with the  the "Twin H" dual carb configuration.  However, upgrading the engine to the dual carb configuration is a common and acceptable upgrade (albeit doesn't help the already dismal gas mileage!).  I'm told that the engine in this car originally came from a 1954 Hornet.

I was told by the previous owner that Doc was restored by Bill Albright, a well-known and respected Hudson authority (recently deceased as of late 2009), who held the distinction of owning the very last Hudson dealership in the US!  Click here for an interesting video on Bill Albright.  Sure enough, recently, I had to remove the driver-side door panel for a quick repair, and there hidden on the inner door was written, with a magic marker: "Bill Albright 1-1-01":

Hudsons were extraordinary vehicles for their time.  Their celebrated "step-down" design incorporated the strength of a traditional separate frame into a partial unibody structure, creating a low passenger seating profile and low center of gravity.  They handled well, and had huge power for the era.  The Twin-H engines produced over 200 HP in some versions.  This 6 cylinder engine was the largest produced during this era.

As a result, a NASCAR driver named Marshall Teague won the National NASCAR championship in a stock Hudson for three years running in 1951-52-53.

Fall, 2010:  Finally, Doc has an air conditioner!

Click the image above to view my documentation of the A/C installation

Click below to View or Print actual life-size templates for the compressor mounting brackets

Top Plate

Vertical Plate

Cross Section Views