Rare House Car Project: 1950 Hudson Camper
Hudson Motor Car Co. was one of the few independent automakers to last into the 1950s. They merged with Nash-Kelvinator in 1954 to form American Motors and the nameplate would soon disappear. The seller’s car may be a 1950 Hudson Commodore (but it could be another model as well) that was once a 4-door sedan converted into a “house car” – much like a pickup with a camper on the back. How does T.J. find interesting tips like this for us?
We’re told this “house car” was very well built, but by whom and when? Given the overall condition of the vehicle, it looks to have been sitting for many years and rust has started to consume the body – plus the house part looks as though it may have sprung a leak at some point. There is no mention of the vehicle’s running condition, but the flat tires and low stance in the rear suggest that hasn’t happened in recent years.
The Hudson Commodores were spacious, roomy cars, and it looks as though the camper part was grafted on behind the front bench seat, with the back seating area and trunk having been eliminated. We’re guessing there’s an inline-6 under the hood, and we’re told it’s paired with an automatic transmission (did Hudson have one in 1950?).
Those looking to do a restoration will have their time and budget cut out for themselves. And if you did take care of things in a tidy manner, is this really a vehicle that you’d want to take to a modern campground? It is likely it has few modern conveniences, and would electric power have to come from a generator? Whichever route you take, this project camper is in Visalia, California, and is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $8,500 OBO.
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Comments
If I had the time, the money, the necessary skills, a place to keep it and an understanding wife, I’d be on this faster than a rat up a drainpipe!
I’m 73 and this is the first time I heard the term “house car”. Was this home built, maybe from plans, or was this some sort of conversion company? It looks like something some Shinoob made on the rez, If it’s your thing and you got nothing better to do and a fat checkbook knock yourself out. Otherwise I just see parting it out for a handful of items. Knock a zero off, and only if you don’t have to tow it far.
Ditto. The only pause for me mechanically is that tranny.
3-on-the-tree manual transmission as evidenced by the clutch pedal.
Don’t anyone tell Ian R about this, he’ll be looking for another project
Take what few usable Hudson parts there are left on this monstrosity and send the rest to the crusher.
Just one way in and that is between the seats? One could make it look like a snail.
Ha ha ha ha,,excuse me a sec, good heavens, I love it! Let’s see, not sure where else you will find this stuff, except here. So, a Hudson sedan with what appears to be a home made camper. I’ve never seen a camper with a curved bottom like that and access to about 3 million rivets. Worked at one of Cal. aerospace companies, maybe? ‘Nother box of rivets, Fred?” It really is hideous, and only shows to go, Freds intuitiveness to create such a thing, I’d be afraid to drive it and I drove some junk with 80,000 pounds on. Looks horribly unstable, but shows to what lengths people were willing to go to enjoy the great outdoors and I bet when originally done, it was a heck of an adventure.
My Dad’s best friend had a ’55 Cadillac hearse that they mounted a camper shell on. Took it on his honeymoon. Painted pink, too!
Hey, it takes a heap o’ living to make a hearse a home.
Remember Harold’s XKE hearse conversion in “Harold and Maude”? Over the cliff!!!
I do not see any entrance door, so I assume inhabitants of this strange vehicle are supposed to crawl from the front seats to enter the living area
The stories this Hudson could tell!
Well this is interesting, I would like to Tinker with it to get it running and driving and cruise hot August nights with a 4sale sign but I think at $8500 bucks I would be taking a big loss. Might be able to recoup some from selling off Hudson parts and scrap metal. Maybe sell off what’s left of the cabinets as shop shelves.
$8500? And not one word about how insane that number is? I can’t even begin to put a price on it, but if I had to, I would honestly say about $500.
Maybe they forgot the decimal point.
I think that was in the movie Mad Max
More like an Ed Wood knockoff. I’m surprised there aren’t more comments on price. I think the price is so out of line that no one can believe it.
Cobwebs are a nice touch.
Tops of the spark plugs are clean, though.
I think it’s unique enough, someone would fix it up and use. I have no problem not having all the modern amenities that new $250-500k coaches have. My 1945 Flxible Clipper, that was converted in 1959, has all I need except a 32′ enclosed trailer to pull.
I’ll forward this to a friend that raced a Huson.
Looks like it was dragged out of a lake.
This is a ’48 or ’49. Grill work changed noticeably in ’50, followed by the “frown” grill on the models in ’51. The tranny might have an factory overdrive option but these pictures don’t show enough.
This project is only for someone who has deep pockets and nothing else to do.
OMG… what a POS. This is crusher-bait!
Porky’s (1981) featured a pink ’52 Hudson Hornet. Time for a sequel with a rollin luv shack.
Think of it. Once upon a time some guy put all his time and talent in this worn out 48-9 Hudson to make this. ……. I don’t want him coming anywhere near my car with a wrench. Egad.
Hudson!