A 1940 Hudson got our attention at an early summer car show because the extinct domestic car brand is not a common sight in 2025, particularly an 85-year-old version.
The car in question was owned by James Moorish, a retired mechanic and millwright, and he has been its owner since 1979.
Jim Sutherland
The car was in very rough shape when James bought it and required major work to bring the Hudson back from the dead. Its original engine was locked up because a faulty main bearing wiped out the block, according to James.
The Hudson’s body showed signs of severe rust and required complicated metal fabrication because parts for the small builder are not available, consequently James had a series of major challenges ahead of him. The restoration process would take over forty years before the 1940 Hudson was ready for the road.
James had a basic game plan: upgrade the engineering in the Hudson and retain its original body style. He did make subtle exterior alterations such as removing the drip rails, replacing the original door hinges with hidden hinges, and hiding the gas cap. In short, James wanted to smooth out his Hudson’s lines with his custom changes and not radically alter its appearance.
However, James chose a different path with the rest of his project because he replaced the original engine with a 350 Chevy small block hooked up to a 700 R-4 automatic transmission that sends power to a Ford 9-inch rear end.
James also swapped out the Hudson’s original front end for a Mustang II version that shaved 350 lbs off the car and provided a big boost in its handling performance, according to him.
He added a big grocery list of creature comfort features to make life behind the wheel more comfortable for James. The list includes air conditioning, power steering, tilt steering column, digital gauges and power brakes to help make trips easier on him over the long haul.
As mentioned earlier, James wanted to stay as true as possible to his 1940 Hudson’s original features and spent 20 years searching for a replacement bar for his car’s front grille, as well as a rear license plate light lens for the car. The process was not easy because very few 1940 Hudson parts are even available, so James was forced to buy an entire trunk and front grille to get the small pieces.
Additionally, his search took place before today’s world where car guys connect via the internet and find rare parts easier than James could locate them during a bygone era. James chose an interesting blend of old and new for his resto mod Hudson, and he was willing to invest both time and money to achieve his goal.
The net result was a very stylish 1940 Hudson resto mod with all the right features to make a comfortable, reliable and safe journey every time James hits the road.
Even better, he chose to retain his car’s cool retro style during the resto mod process.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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