Magic Bullet: 1950 Hudson Pacemaker

1950 Hudson Pacemaker $1100

This old Hudson satisfies two long held desires of ours: to own a Hudson, and to build a rat-rod.

When you think about collecting cars at its very core, it's about getting admission into different groups of enthusiasts. We'd love to have an interesting car to hang out with the the retro-gearhead, rockabilly crowd. This one fits the bill.

Maybe why Hudsons appeal to us is the high belt line, slab styled flanks and narrow glass. It seems very European. The cars appear chopped from the factory. Add to it that the car is a "step down"- meaning the floorboards are nestled in between the frame rails- and you have that ever-so-cool ergonomic.

We love the surface rust on this thing and wouldn't change a thing. We might even take more of the paint off and patina the car with a mild acid wash in spots. Faded door livery of some sort might be cool. The fact that it currently runs is no small feat, even if it just means that it can move on and off a trailer until it is thoroughly vetted.

Luckily the cars trim seems complete. The bumpers, grill and headlight trim seem intact. We would repaint the steel wheels and add new rubber, then go through the cars mechanical systems to make it a solid driver. Exhaust, brakes, suspension, charging system and drivetrain would need to be bulletproof. If the engine doesn't pan out, we have a 4-cam Maserati 4.9 motor that would be a trick combination.

But the best thing about having it would be not having to worry about scratching the paint. There is room in the garage for something like that.