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"Green Hornet"
'48 Hudson Commodore Coupe

How it was built

Show Pictures     Trophies

An exceptional custom car and show winner that was built to owners specification. 

The ’48 Hudson was totally rebuilt, unique parts manufactured, and customized to the extreme. Special fabrications, stainless steel, chrome, special exhausts, exotic electrical work and an incredible paint job make this a true work of art that must be seen.

The construction required considerable research and locating or fabricating parts that were not available. Assembly and disassembly was done a number of times to fit parts and do more customization as the owner refined the vision of his dream car.

Look for this car at some of the car shows. Check out our craftsmanship. Give us a call.

Original Body

• Project Car - '48 Hudson Commodore Coupe
• Found in Arizona with very little rust

Body Modified and Roof Chopped

• Chopping roof 3 ", cutting our braced back window opening
• Rear window will lay down, full size
• Top removed - notice internal bracing
• Piller leaned forward
• Fitting front room posts
• Pieces tack welded
• Gary splicing & leaning piller, 2 ends to retain mould lines.
• Welding completed on roof
• View of orginal unibody frame all epoxy primed before welding on quarter panels
• Hood hinges modified extended braces 
• '49 Chev quarter panels sectioned in to original grill opening and exash shroud
• All metal body changes started
• Custom tail lamp opening.  Rounded truck corners & bumper openings. SS part sectioned
• '49 Merc type grill mouth being formed
• 3R tail lamp on roof.  LED lights
• Custom made electric fuel filler lid
• Making new floor license plate opening
• Narrowing and lowering fenders and head lamps
• Trial fit Desoto grill and start of front panel and frenched head lamps
• Hood body mould center narrowed, flattened and filled
• Merc mouth is mostly handmade - developing lower pans
• Front pan cavities for bumpers
• Most welding completed
• Stainless steel exhausts and body modifications
• Leading front opening
• Leading lower bumper enclosures
• Forming lower fender exaust cooling grill
• Building front header extensions to new Camaro rad
• Complete custom built floor, tunnel and seat mountings
• Dash extensions formed on doors and door inside mouldings
• Laying up custom dash, retaining duel original glove boxes
• Dash machined rings mounted in frame.  Visible machine rings mounted on changing angles for drivers view of guages

Frame Suspension and Lower Structure

• Floor openings showing 4 link mounting cross members and boxed C'd frame
• Inside view of new firewall and floor
• Custom built frame front end and firewall grafted to original unitized Hudson frame
• Fabricated Pontiac Bonnyville trunk hinge braces

Body Work and Prep'd for Coatings

• All metal cleaned bare, ready for coating
• Front end spritz coated, trial fit of fenders, hood, etc.
• After coats of sikens spritz
• Epoxy primed for the very best protection
• After second total long blocking
• Color primer coats applied
• '52 Ford frenched headlights, compressed Desoto grill with hand made mounting bar

Fabricate Headers, Exhaust, Fuel Tank, Rad

• Start of hand made stainless steel headers
• Exhaust down piping custom made side muffler system
• Finish welding stainless headers
• Headers and exhaust system completed and polished
• Steering shaft with swivel floor brace and rubber anti-vibration unit
• Building fuel tank.  Aluminum with inside pump for TR1 engine
• Custom built dual fan cooling adapted to rad

Stainless and Air Craft Lines

• Air conditioning and heater lines plumbed.  Hidden under fender to keep firewall clean.
• Stainless heater lines.  Note outlet welded to reverse Corvette waterpump inlet
• Completed air conditioning and heater lines
• Note all lines and custom made hold down bracket
• Notice nitrous port injectors

Paint Final Coatings

• On hoist with plastic tent around, 2 men spraying epoxy primer
• Unibody frame and floor, now painted and clear coated
• Installing painted doors
• Body ready for final color
• Dash after painting and gauges (V DO) installed
• Dash painted
• Base coats applied
• Clear coats applied
• Front fender unit painted and cleared

Polishing Ports for Assembly

• Polishing custom made stainless steel bracket
• Triple coppered show chrome by Allbrite
• Only the finest detailing - is done at Egberts
• Engine parts after polishing ready to install
• Polished and chromed parts ready to install

Electrical Wiring

• Engine now completed
• Some of the extensive wiring required for this project
• Another sub panel and computer on right

Ghost Flames. Mask Painting and Stripes

• Gerard lags out flame design
• Special masking out tape used against painted edge.   Tony, Greg & Gerard
• Finally ready to spray
• Special light effected (holographic) paint used very lightly to achieve a beautiful conservative ghost flame
• Renowed pin striper from Portland, Mitch Kim, pinstriping the flames and other areas of car in our shop
• After pinstriping many coast fo clear applied

Trunk Mechanical and Misc.

• Trunk showing mechanical front and sides before covers are installed
• Power trunk pull down latch (GM), interior lamps, power lift on the right to lift the car to change tires.
• Dual special brake bosters with all stainless steel lines
• Nitrous tank, fire extinguisher, Optima battery
• Covering transmission in with a towel to avoid scratches during installation. Brian & Doug
• Bob with the '48 Hudson owner, Theo, firing engine for the first time
• Injectors ugly throttle shaft assemblies covered by custom built covers
• Custom curved side door glass being bent in a glass kiln
• Can set built for '48 Hudson

Finished Car 

• Side view finished '48 Hudson Coupe
• Rear and side view of '48 Hudson
• Pictures can't capture the effect of the holographic flames.   Note original Hudson script and original Halobrand wheels
• Side grills give glimpse of rear wheel
• All LED lamps are very brilliant when on, SS paint, rear bumpers and custom rolled pan
• Pinstripes show up under the right light and custom side mirrors.  Exhaust system should not be touched as it gets very hot
• In Phoenix car show
• Interor by Chuck used 16 hides of leather