1933 essex terraplane. John Dillinger's favorite car

[FrankWest]

As ford collectors
what do you guys think of this car? Kind of boxey looking?
http://www.thomasironworks.com/Hudson/History.htm
Seems like it would be very hard to get parts for essex/Hudsons?

[John R]

Contact the Hudson, Essex Terraplane club for more info. https://www.hetclub.org/

[FrankWest]

I want to know what ford collectors think of essex/hudson cars.
I am sure the hudson collectors think they are the best.
Besides they won't answer any questions until I join their club.

[Zeke3]

I like Hudson cars up until about 1954. The styling of the 1933 Essex Terraplane is more boxy than Ford's of the same period, which could be interpreted to be more stately or elegant.

I visited the Hudson museum in Shipshewana, IN a few years ago and it was a great collection. Sadly, it was closed and the cars were auctioned off.

[FrankWest]

Good observation. Boxey does look more formal, less sporty. The 1933/34 ford design make it look like it is speeding even when standing still.

[Viv W]

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The Terraplanes were nice looking cars, but after rebuilding a 36 cabriolet, I don't ever want to work on another one. Semi finished pistons that you have to
have cam ground, then pegged piston rings, a fluid clutch and that semi electric gearbox. Also the one I did was a RHD car, so you could not get to the distributor very easily. One of the hardest cars I have ever worked on and finding spares is not easy.

[FrankWest]

WOW, good to know. Thank you so much for sharing.
When I was looking for a 1933 I found many Chevy's that looked almost like the ford but for half the price. I was tempted, but then realized the availability of parts ford ford and not chevy's and also heard that chevy's of that time frame had axles that often broke, such that collectors would trying to buy replacement axles just in cast. WE are so fortunate with the fords.

by the way, Didn\t often get to talk with someone from Zimbabwe, how are things there?

[petehoovie]

[ursus]

When I was in college back in the early '70s there was a fellow student with a '33 Essex Terraplane coupe that he had driven the 800 miles from his home in California. The car was completely original and handled the long drive without trouble. Having fiddled with the quirky Chevrolets of that era, I was amazed that such an exotic car could be somebody's daily driver. He parked it in the lot with all the student cars and treated it like any other old car. At the end of the year it went back to California and I never saw it again.

[Bulligen]

As hard as it is to compare, driving a 33 Essex in 1970 is like me driving my 1980 Dodge van now! There was a guy at my Jr college in 1972 that drove a 40 Merc coupe everyday and another that drove a 52 Cadillac his grandmother had given him.

[tubman]

A guy I went to college with in the very early sixties drove his '38 Chevrolet coupe to school. I rode with him alternate weeks and would drive my '52 Ford the in between weeks. It was about 40 miles round trip each day.

[FrankWest]

There are many interesting cars out there, but we are not all like Jay Leno that can just purchase everything we like. Most of us are lucky enough to be able to own ONE antique car.

[Emmit51]

I'm a bit younger, but my 51 ford was my daily driver to college in the 80s. Got a lot of attention, also by campus police who took offense to the blue dot taillights. I had a set of regular red lenses I'd swap in to take care of the fix-it tickets.

[mhsprecher]

When I was in college in the early 70's a guy drove his Model A pickup as his DD. My DD in those days was a 56 Chevy. Older than what most folks had, but was okay for me. At around the same time I took it half way across the country. No problems except for my butt, which was very sore from that darned seat.

[Marvin/TN]

It was an Essex model Terraplane for 32 and 33, in 34 it became just Terraplane and went out of production in 1937. After 37 Hudson took what remaining parts and designed a 38 Hudson. I did a 1937 Utitily sedan Terraplane for a customer. It was was one of 10 known to exist and only one of 6 that was driveable. So they are pretty rare and I am sure the
parts are as well. But they make a neat looking car when finished.

[tubman]

Two things that come to mind whenever Terraplanes are mentioned. The first is that they were also the favorite car of Amelia Earhart, and second was their memorable sales slogan from 1933: "On the sea that's aquaplaning, in the air that's aeroplaning, but on the land, in the traffic, on the hills, hot diggity dog, THAT'S TERRAPLANING"

[FrankWest]

supposedly the 33 terraplane had very high HP 94 ratio to its weight. Maybe Dillinger thought this would give him a getaway advantage. He used it only once and it was shot up but he got away and dumpted it. They usually stole the cars for their bank jobs. Looked for 8 cylinder cars.

photo courtesy of http://www.thomasironworks.com/Hudson/History.htm[/url]

[petehoovie]

[FrankWest]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YXCjPgktQM

[rotorwrench]

The Essex/Terraplane was a lower cost line of cars for Hudson to sell. As such, they were a simpler car to manufacture than the Hudsons but used some of the higher end Hudson components. The Terraplane bodies were even used for pickups later on in the 30s. Eventually, Hudson dropped the line entirely but it really helped them survive the depression years. I liked the Terraplane pickups better than the cars.

The Hudson Hornets were really nice cars but they were starting to get outdated. The 1951 convertible was my favorite of all the Hudson cars.

[Marvin/TN]

I have a framed Print of the 37 Terraplane I did for my customer with his 37 in an original Terraplane AD of a beach location, wooden speed boat out in the water, a shadow of an airplane on the beach, and his car as it is now, I also have a couple of T shirts with the same Pic on them, pretty cool T/Shirts. I would post a PIC of it but have never been able to post PICs on Ford Barn. I think my T-Shirts are two of about 7 or 8 that were made

[V8COOPMAN]

Send your picture to: [email protected] and I'll post it for you. DD

[Ol' Ron]

My Mother had an Essex, back when she married mu Dad. He had a Chrysler 66, but it got stolen. When he got it back it had bullet holes in it. The roaring 20's.

[tubman]

Originally Posted by Marvin/TN

I have a framed Print of the 37 Terraplane I did for my customer with his 37 in an original Terraplane AD of a beach location, wooden speed boat out in the water, a shadow of an airplane on the beach, and his car as it is now, I also have a couple of T shirts with the same Pic on them, pretty cool T/Shirts. I would post a PIC of it but have never been able to post PICs on Ford Barn. I think my T-Shirts are two of about 7 or 8 that were made

Obviously a tribute to their 1933 slogan. The contemporary ads were composed the same way.

[Darrell S]

In 42 or 43 we had an Essex, not sure of the year, sitting next to our garage that needed tires and a battery. My Dad couldn't get either so he sold it for 5 bucks. We went until 46 without a car. Much different times than now.

[rotorwrench]

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Batteries & tires were hard to get during the war, even if you had the money.

[big job]

First look at that picture I thought 1933, 34 Plymouth Dodge; look at the cowel to the
back. My thought says, 'Briggs Body Co.' all over.

[rotorwrench]

Briggs did build bodies for Hudson that were used on their lower cost models (Essex/Terraplane) as well as Hudson body development. They built a lot of bodies for Chrysler Corp while they were leasing the old Ford Highland Park facility. They also built stuff for Packard, Studebaker, Graham, and others. With Lebaron design, they were involved in a lot of development projects for most of the survivors of the depression era.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

The Essex/Terraplane was a lower cost line of cars for Hudson to sell. As such, they were a simpler car to manufacture than the Hudsons but used some of the higher end Hudson components. The Terraplane bodies were even used for pickups later on in the 30s. Eventually, Hudson dropped the line entirely but it really helped them survive the depression years. I liked the Terraplane pickups better than the cars.

The Hudson Hornets were really nice cars but they were starting to get outdated. The 1951 convertible was my favorite of all the Hudson cars.

My Grandfather was a Motor engineer/ mechanic in the Thirties and he HATED the Essex range. Called them Sloppy Sixes and said they were a nightmare to work on which was required frequently. Mind you he also disliked Japanese cars in the early 50's so if alive to day would be somewhat distressed by the number of japanesse cars on the road.

[cas3]

here's one for ya frank https://www.ebay.com/itm/1933-Hudson...c:g:EAMAAOSwOb

[gdmn852]

Hudson used chromium nickel blocks much harder than cast iron that everyone else had,The Terraplanes were to compete in the lower price field.Parts would be much harder to find than a Ford.From what I have read in the book Public Enemy and also online research they would buy cars for a job ,A 1932 Studebaker still exists from one of the bank robbery . I had a chance to drive a 34 Terraplane it was comparable to Fords of that era.

[FrankWest]

Originally Posted by gdmn852

Hudson used chromium nickel blocks much harder than cast iron that everyone else had,The Terraplanes were to compete in the lower price field.Parts would be much harder to find than a Ford.From what I have read in the book Public Enemy and also online research they would buy cars for a job ,A 1932 Studebaker still exists from one of the bank robbery . I had a chance to drive a 34 Terraplane it was comparable to Fords of that era.

it is true, with the consideration of scarcity of parts and the similarities to the 1933 ford buying a terraplane today seems like a foolish idea.
It must have been nice back in 1933 when all these cars and dealers were available, but then there was no money...It is always something.