Southern California HET Chapter

The Chapter Bookshelf

There are a number of books and reference materials available that are of interest to HET members.   If you have some favorite books, let the Web Master know so that we can pass on the information.

•  Best Damn Garage in Town by Smokey Yunick.  An excellent book with a complete chapter on the Fabulous Hudson Hornet.

• “Fun at work, Hudson Style” by Harry F. Kraus, Sr. (HET store) – “Harry was inside the Hudson plant through it all. Harry stuffed seats in the upholstery department, worked with the engineers in the electrical department, and did such odd jobs as rewiring a custom Hudson sports car built for Lou Fageol.  His story of the wash rack operator who forgot that this car had no top will strike a chord in anyone who has worked in a large organization.  Harry’s warm, funny and insightful observations of life and work make this trip through mid-twentieth century industrial

•  "Roy D. Chapin – The Man behind the Hudson Motor Car Company" (Amazon) - “Hudson Motor Company’s talented and charismatic founder Roy D. Chapin died before his historical significance was recognized, relegating him to undeserved obscurity.  Fortunately J. C. Long, who knew Chapin well, wrote a privately printed biography in 1945.  The reissue of this long unavailable book is good news for automotive historians.”

                                        —Barry Dressel, manager of DaimlerChrysler’s Walter P. Chrysler Museum

• “Helen and the Hudson Hornet” (Amazon) - The object of Helen's affection is an old, broken-down Hudson Hornet marooned in her parents' garage.  Helen is intrigued by its smoky interior and the grin of its wide chrome grille.  Most of all, she loves sitting behind the wheel and "driving" to the places of her imagination.  But one day, her parents sell the aqua-and-yellow antique to a stranger.  Helen spends months mourning her friend.  Fortunately, on a dizzily lovely spring morning, the car's new owner brings it back for a visit.  Helen sees her beloved Hornet in its restored glory and finally goes for a real and thrilling ride in it.

• "The Hemmings Motor News Book of Hudsons" (HET Store) - A thorough examination of 13 of the great models that made Hudson famous.  From the Sport Phaeton and Super Six of the Roaring Twenties to the Hornet Special, Jet, and Super Six of the postwar era, each model featured comes complete with an in-depth drive Report, competitor comparisons, specification list, and historical review.  As a bonus, there is a complete specification list of all Hudson engines, 1910 to 1957, and a year-by-year breakdown of model-year production.  Plus, there’s an in-depth listing of clubs, parts suppliers, restoration shops, and repair specialists.

• "Ultimate Auto Detailing Projects" -  It’s never been easier to make your car look its absolute best! Ultimate Auto Detailing Projects will be your most powerful detailing tool, giving you the direction and common-sense advice you need to keep your vehicle looking new from top to bottom.  Full color photography and a practical, project- by-project approach makes this the most useful detailing book ever published.  Each project is accompanied by a table explaining exactly what the job requires in terms of time, skill, tools or products, and expense.  By breaking the task into bite-sized pieces, you’ll find it easy to maintain your vehicle in the midst of your busy life.  From washing and waxing, to wheel and tire care, to engine bay and interior refurbishing, not a surface is left uncovered in Ultimate Auto Detailing Projects.

• "The Classic Car Restorer’s Handbook" is designed to help avoid of skinned knuckles, costly mistakes, boxes of leftover parts and an expensive hunk of scrap iron.  It covers what the factory manual doesn’t tell you—information that can come only from firsthand experience.  General sections offer advice and step-by-step techniques on all facets of restoring a classic, from engine rebuilding to detailing.  Restorers are given an insider’s view on how to: find a good machine shop, perform a successful engine rebuild, solve overheating problems, apply paint, replace upholstery, repair fuel tanks, overhaul brakes, rebuild carburetors, make gaskets, clean chrome trim, refurbish license plates, rejuvenate antique radios, prepare a vehicle for long term storage and much more. All information is general enough to be used by any hands-on restorer, regardless of car make or model year.  In addition, much of the information in this book will help maintain a vintage automobile that has already been fully restored.

• "Auto Detailing - The Professional Way" - This book will guide you step-by-step to keep your car looking new, inside and out.  IIn addition to explanations and instructions for every detailing job you might need to maintain your car’s appearance, suggested products, materials and approximate times are provided for each job.  An appendix lists products by job and automotive recommendations.

• "Hudson Performance Portfolio” (ebay)

  128 pages with 11 full color pages.  Road tests, new model introductions and updates, drive reports, a consumer analysis, and model specifications.

• “Automotive Detailing” by Don Taylor (Borders)

  

  “..a system of car care designed …… to extend its life and protect its finish from the elements.”

• “Walt’s Garage – Hudson Tech Tips” by Walt Mordenti (mmordenti@aol.com)

  A series of Walt’s articles originally found in the WTN.  Numerous priceless tips, techniques and advice from a long-time Hudson mechanic that has done it all.  It will save you time, money and maybe your car.   Additional advice from Walt is only an email away.

• “The History of Hudson” by Don Butler (eBay).

A classic on the history of the Hudson Automobile. It is the standard by which other Hudson histories are compared.

• “How to Restore Your Collector Car” by Tom Brownell (Borders).

  “Using his automotive knowledge and restoration expertise, author Tom Brownell removes the mystery from auto restoration and gives you the confidence to successfully tackle projects from the most difficult to the most rewarding.   Brownell goes to great lengths to describe the materials, tools, and parts needed to get the job done correctly and on a budget.

  Excellent step-by-step instructions cover all the major areas of restoration in an easy-to-understand, easy-to-use format.  Procedures and new techniques included in this all-color how-to guide are: Disassembly, derusting, and degreasing; Sandblasting, welding, and metal repair; Engine rebuilding; Brake system rebuilding; Electrics and wiring; Convertible top and upholstery replacement; Priming and painting; Plating and buffing….”

   

• “Hudson Automobiles 1934-1957 Photo Archive” by Byron Olsen (found on ebay & Amazon).

  “….one of the foremost saviors of automotive history from within the industry itself, John Conde of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.  John worked many years in the Public Relations Department of Nash and later American Motors, and became the unofficial historian of these companies and their predecessors, including Hudson.  He has written a number of books and articles on automotive history.  Of equal importntance, John has been instrumental in saving thousands of pages of auto industry corporate records and photos that might otherwise have been thrown away.  As a long time member of the Society of Automotive Historians and a Trustee of the National Automotive History Collection, John Conde has probably done more than all but a few to capture and preserve the documentation of the history of the American automobile.”  

  “Most of the photographs in this book are originally from the company files of the Hudson Motor Car Co.,…”

   

• ‘Hudson – The Postwar Years’ by Richard M. Langworth (eBay). 

"Hudson’s remarkable racing history is pursued in a grand way. Author Richard M. Langworth portrays the colorful personalities of Marshall Teague, Herb Thomas and many others who, with their mighty Hornets, contributed to Hudson’s stock car dominance between 1952 and 1954. Included, too, are descriptive chapters about the extraordinary Step-down, the compact Jet, the Nash-built Hudsons of 1955-1957 and the still-born Italia, a stunning show car never put into mass production."

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Revised: May 05, 2008

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