Well, let me tell ya ’bout this 1947 Hudson pickup truck. It ain’t somethin’ ya see every day, that’s for sure. Folks call it a “classic,” I just call it an old workhorse.
Now, I heard tell these trucks, they got a real history. They say Hudson, they didn’t just make cars, they made these here pickups too. And back then, in ’47, this truck was somethin’ special. Strong, they say, and could haul a good load. Folks used ’em for everythin’. Farms, businesses, you name it. They was useful, dependable, that’s what mattered.
Some folks now, they like to fix these old trucks up. Make ’em all shiny and new lookin’. I seen pictures, bright green paint, fancy wheels. They call ’em “hot rods” I think. Heck, I even heard of someone puttin’ in a whole different motor and transmission, somethin’ called a “351W” and automatic. Sounds powerful, I guess, but not like the original, I reckon.
- They say these trucks is rare. Don’t see many around no more.
- Fixin’ one up, that’s a big job, I hear. Gotta find parts, and that ain’t always easy.
- But when you get it runnin’, it’s somethin’ to be proud of. A real piece of history, they say.
One fella was talkin’ about fixin’ up the frame, said he was gonna make it “100% original.” That’s a lot of work, I tell ya. He was talkin’ ’bout powder coat this and chassis that, sounded complicated. But if he wants it original, he wants it original. More power to him.
Then there’s another thing you gotta think about, and that’s the gas tank. If a truck’s been sittin’ a long time, well, that gas ain’t no good. You gotta clean it all out, maybe get a new tank altogether. Some folks, they want to keep it all original, but sometimes you gotta just get it workin’, even if it ain’t exactly how it was back in ’47. That’s what that fella meant by “modernization versus restoration” I guess. Sounds fancy, but it just means makin’ it run good or makin’ it look old-timey.
The parts, now, that’s another story. Seems like some folks know where to find ’em. There’s a place out in California, they say, called “K Gap,” sells rubber parts. And other parts, you can find them here and there, if you know where to look. Takes some doin’, though. Ain’t like goin’ to the store and buyin’ somethin’ new.
This 1947 Hudson pickup truck, it ain’t just metal and wheels. It’s a story. A story of hard work, of gettin’ things done. A story of a time when things were simpler, maybe. And even now, all these years later, folks still care about these old trucks. They fix ‘em up, they drive ‘em, they keep the story alive.
I heard someone say it was a “real gem.” I guess that’s one way to put it. Me? I just see a good, strong truck. A truck that’s seen a lot, and still got a lot of life left in it, if you treat it right.
From what I gather, Hudson, they made these pickups for quite a while, from 1926 all the way to 1947. And they called them different names sometimes, Essex, Dover, Terraplane, depends on the year I guess. But they was all workhorses, all meant to get the job done. And this 1947 model, well, it was one of the last, and maybe one of the best.
So, if you ever see a 1947 Hudson pickup truck, take a good look. It ain’t just an old truck. It’s a piece of history, rollin’ down the road.
