We often hear that it’s becoming so expensive, sometimes too expensive, to jump into the old car hobby. Cars like this 1953 Hudson Super Jet bring it all back to earth again. This example is posted on Craigslist in Santa Cruz, California with an asking price of just $2,400.
This upright little car looks almost like a 1954 Ford with a few of its features and it looks fairly stodgy compared to Hudson’s other low-slung models, made more for men wearing hats than for NASCAR. Speaking of that, Hudson was the only make that was really committed to racing so both Hudson’s champion driver and the founder of NASCAR attended the December 1952 debut of the Jet in New York City.
The seller says that this car has “No major rust. It has lots of bubbles on the hood and a few other places. Floor has one hole about 4×4″. Rockers and door bottoms are good.” This could be a great way for someone to jump into the old car hobby for not much money. A Hudson Super Jet would sure stand out from a car made by the big-three at most car shows. Hagerty is at $4,800 for a #4 fair condition Super Jet, this could be a good one if a person didn’t have a lot of shipping expense to get it home.
Yes, this car has four doors and an automatic. The four doors are easy to overlook for me, but the Hydra-Matic transmission needs a bit of help. They say that the “automatic transmission only engages reverse no matter what gear selection it is in.” Does anyone have an idea what might be causing that? The interior looks good, they say that the “Headliner is original and has no rips or tears” and the “door locks including trunk and glove compartment work. All windows roll up and down and all wing windows work.”
This car is not only reasonably-priced, it has the optional Twin-H intake! Sure, the 202 cubic-inch flathead-six only makes 114 hp even with the Twin-H system, but it has to be one of the coolest looking engines to be produced in the 1950s. Have any of you owned a Hudson Jet or Super Jet? How about the price on this one?
Great find! 2400 bucks. I have seen Pinto’s and Vega’s on here for more than that. Get the tranny working and head to the car shows. It will be the only one there like it.
I always wanted to build one of these with the big Twin-H six under the hood. A couple of guys used to race a Jet on the Salt with a hot Twin-H 308 powering it.
There was a restorable Jet for sale in Auckland around five years ago, but lack of space prevented me from buying it.
Hope this one finds a loving home.
This car gonna be flipped faster than grandma’s pancakes. I guess I ate my words that all BF postings are overpriced. Something not right. These were actually pretty fast cars for the day. V8’s, for regular cars, were just around the corner, and I bet plenty of pre-55 Chevy owners got dusted by, what was it? A Hudson?? Sadly, Jets never took off( pun intended) spelled doom for Hudson. The following year they became AMC. If it’s legit, best deal to come through in a long time.Flip city,,,
A good example of “design by committee” – the proportions seem a little out of whack, but I always liked these. Often referred to as “the car that killed Hudson.”
Ad was posted 13 days ago, hard to believe it’s still available!
Sure presents nicely, chrome beautiful etc. Fix the rust and the tranny. There are guys out there that will take the tranny job on. Start by asking your local tranny shop. Like one of the guys said you will be the only one at a show. Got a face only a mother could love!! Fun car for sure.
Good luck to the new owner!!!
Boy I like this and makes me think of my first “barn find” in 1979 at 15 years the old. The very old lady next to my friend had a red and white sedan in the garage….maybe a 54 Hornet? No continental kit but looked just like the rear on this one. She was 90+ and it hadn’t been driven in at least 20 years (100 to a 15 year old). I’d peek through the garage window and could see the dust sitting on top and imagine pooling my gas station, lawn cutting, kennel job, paper boy money together to make an offer. Parents said no license, no car. She died before I got the chance. I realize more and that the cars with memorable connections are the only ones I should pursue.
Just the car I’d love to own at a great entry level price. As always, it’s in California and I’m in Northern Michigan!
I bought a 53 Hudson Jet near San Bernardino, CA in about 1971 for $25 or $35 dollars. Most of the engine parts were in the trunk, including one piston with a hole in it. For $5 I got a replacement piston and for probably much less than $100 worth of new rings, bearings, gaskets and such from JC Whitney, my brother-in-law and I got it running. It had a 3 speed overdrive transmission. I found a twin-H set up for it, too. In the 1990s my brother-in-law still had the car at his home in eastern Washington state when his house and several cars including the Jet were destroyed by fire. The automatic transmission in the Craiglist car is a GM dual range hydramatic and is easily repaired. I recently had the hydramatic in my 51 Pontiac rebuilt. Oh yes, my brother-in-law and I passed on a running Hudson Jet with a 308 Hornet engine installed shortly after we got our Jet running. Probably could of had it for $100 or $200 dollars. I recall that the firewall was set back about 6″ or so for the Hornet engine to fit. (I do still have my first car, when I was 15 from 1963–a 1954 Hudson Hornet.)
Super ice shape and for the money as well. I sold one of the a year ago solid body and running smoking engine a non twin H and nowhere as nice as this for 2400.00, As Gary says it is the old reliable GM Hydramatic and should be able to find an old time Automatic repairman retired somewhere to get it going or probably find a trans. since these were used in a number of cars in early 50’s not sure if this same as the Olds but possibly so and Lincoln Div. of Ford used these in the Lincoln’s in 53-54 for a while when they had a fire in their facikity and could not furnish the one they came out with. The 2drs are pretty scarce in the 53-54 Jets more 4 doors around both years.Some nice accsy’s on this car. Hope the new owner good luck and I have a pretty hard to find pair of Factory inside Fender skirts would love to place for someone needing them
Possible that the transmission valve body plugged up? These trans were super rugged, can’t fathom that the little Hudson engine wore it out.
This is a great looking car wished I could, but I can’t! Hope the new owner fixes it and enjoys this ride! Hopefully it won’t go to a flipper, but that’s only hope!
Google charlietranny.com for replacement or rebuild kits including cases.
GM used these in trucks and Pontiac, Caddy, Buick and Olds till mid 50’s.
Only hard work is getting them out of car, my 51 must of weighed a ton.
Innards disc still available but internal
fluid bodies did change a wee bit .
Streight forward rebuild
Interesting side note on GM trannys for Buick????¿¿¿ was that Rolls Royce and Bently tried and eventually did use, with but one minor hangup.
Rolls being perfectionist tore each of initial orders down and thought clutch plates too rough so machined them smooth, damn things just sat and slipped afterwards.
Wether above was urban legend I know not, but Rolls was never one to admit mistakes.
If unit has sat too long tranny fluid could be varnish or the fluid transfer block cracked when started up.
A good pressure and feeler guages and mic a must on these rebuilds.
Give Charie a try if still going; believe he is in SW.
Rolls Royce used GM’s Hydramatic 4 speed, thus the non-shifting with the smooth clutch plates. Buick’s Dynaflow had a low gear (to 45 mph) with drive position being a no gear direct drive. Thus no shifting gears on Dynaflow. H-M was also used by Nash (1950-1957), Hudson (1951-1957), Lincoln (1949-1954), Willys (1953-1955), and Kaiser-Frazer (1950-1955).
Dynaflow was used in Oldsmobile and Cadillac briefly after the H-M factory burned down in mid-1953 while Pontiac used Powerglide. Buicks never used H-M. H-M lasted until the early 1960’s and was replaced by Turbo Hydramatic.
The first 1954 Hudsons used Studebaker’s Detroit Gear automatic – 3 speeds (Low was 1st and Drive 2nd and 3rd) with locking torque converter. When H-M production got going at Willow Run Hudson went back to H-M.
All the other non-GM makes that used H-M used up their supplies of H-M and stopped production. Their 1954 productions started when H-M was again available.
is the 53 jet still available?
is the jet still available???? noone emailed me back. please respond. clifford lewis 205-3103830 hosea132004@yahoo.com