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Am getting together what equipment I believe is & will be necessary for work the 'frame-off' of my Hudson, and thought it would make a good (although probably well used) topic of discussion.

My current focus is on obtaining an air compressor, although this discussion need not be limited to this single piece of equipment...

Any thoughts - single stage, two stage, max. pressure, CFM, etc.?

Any manufacturers, models etc., to be avoided?

I know that this decision is contingent upon the intended use, but I've seen quite a few 'threads' (this and other sites) where the person in question is replacing their current compressor, mainly because it can't "get the job done", and would rather buy one that is adequate (or more than adequate)the first time.

Anyone have thoughts, recommendations on this, or any other 'potential' or 'essential' piece of equipment or tools - or tools that aren't needed/should be avoided?

I've been in body shops for years and have mostly used 5-10 horse 220v 2 stage compressors.

Being low on space at home I opted for a 110v 5hp 30 gal Upright compressor I got a my local Home depot for around 200.00

It works - but only adequately. It will run near continuously for doing things such as grinding, sanding or using an air blower. It will run a 1/2 impact no problem as well as 3/8 impacts and rachets. I wouldn't paint or primer anything even after putting a filter inline - runs too much and generates too much water. I ended up making this "stil" looking thing with copper tubing to cool and condensate moisture in the lines and that has helped.

Personally If I had the room and 220v wiring I would get an upright 220v 5hp with at least a 40gal or bigger tank. An airline drier is nice also (HarborFrieght.Com) and make sure you get some good moisture traps as well.

I've been doing a lot of work at my home trying to get the bulk of the fabrication done at home before it goes to the body shop to get primered. These tools are in my mind 'gotta haves' if you are going to be doing any of the sheet metal/fabrication work.

Compressor of course ($200-2500.00)

1 - 4 1/2" Electric grinder with Metal Cuttoff wheels and Metal Grinding Discs (I have found the electric grinders have no loss of RPM -as air operated ones do, so I use my air grinders only when I need multi-speed pinpoint control) ($50.00)

1 Set sheet metal shrinker/strecher - Buy a set rather than 1 with replaceable jaws. a. With this tool you can make replacement parts for lots of areas with edges and compound curves - fix lower edges of quarter panels and quarter extensions (specifically the step-down ones)(180.00 on eBay)

1 - Full face shield for grinding/whatever. Can't say enough about this! a couple of trips to the eye doctor to get metal dug outta your eye will more than pay for this safety piece of equipment.(20.00)

1 - Mig welder. I have found that if you are welding sheet metal the 110v mig welders running .023-.024 wire to work the best. If you are needing to weld anything above 3/16" you need a 220v running .030 better. (650.100 Miller 135 with tank) (Personally - If I had to do it again I would spend another 600.00 and get a 110v Tig Welder)

1 - Sheet metal Bead Roller - If you have to make any patch panels for the floor boards or trunk you will want one of these bad boys (or something similar) to run ribs in the metal to approximate the original ones.

There are 2 other pieces of equipment I wish I had time space and money for...

1 - Sheet metal brake/shear/roller - bend cut and roll sheet metal (500-100.00)
1 - English Wheel - ever see what one of these things can do! You can make almost anything you need (500-3500.00)

I could probably keep going but other than your basic hand tools and wrenches this short list will allow you to do a lot of work yourself.

I have 2 single stage compressors. The first one I bought probably 15 years ago. It is a 3 horse 12 gallon and will handle most light work fairly well. About 2 years ago I got tired of the 3 horse not being able to run an impact wrench continually without having to wait for it to build up pressure so I bought a 6 horse 33 gallon. This does everything that I can ask. I don't paint so single stage were all that I needed. Both are Sears Craftsmen and I haven't had any trouble with either of them, but I think that any good quality compressor is fine and if you buy one from Sears, Home Depot, Lowe's, TSC, etc you can be pretty sure that they will stand behind it. The CFM and pressure depend on what you tools are intending to use. My problem is that I got addicted to air tools and have several different size impact wrenches, several different size rachets, a couple of blow guns, a spark plug cleaner, drills, cut off tool, a couple of nailers, grinders etc. I use both of my compressors regularly and it is now one of those "what would I do without this" tools.

First off."What tools to avoid"? AVOID "CHEAP" ONES! It's far better to pay double, for a good tool that gets the job done, than a cheap one that breaks, or worse yet, gets you hurt! That said, here's 3 kits I've used a lot over the years.
1. An Impact Screwdriver Set. Especially great for getting the doors off their hinges.
2. Hydraulic Flaring Tool Set. Now you can make your own fuel lines, transmission lines, and even the "double flared" brake lines. Strong enough for stainless steel lines!
3. Front End Service Kit. Takes apart those tie-rods, without damage.

Attached Images

	Impact Driver Set (Custom).jpg (30.7 KB, 114 views)
	Hydraulic Flaring Tool Kit (Custom).jpg (31.9 KB, 135 views)
	Front End Service Kit (Custom).jpg (27.3 KB, 127 views)

220v 5HP air compressor is a must. The bigger the tank the better so you're not cycling as much. I run a 50 gallon one. WKitchens is 100% right, stay away from the 'cheap' ones, you'll regret it with bashed knuckles, etc.

220v MIG welder with the gas kit. There are a lot of less expensive ones out there but don't have the kit. It makes all the difference in the world. Also, the 220v has a better cycle percentage and doesn't use as much electricity.

Bead blaster. I've got one of the cabinet type that holds intakes, heads, wheels, etc really well. It wasn't really expensive and it really makes a difference with scale, rust and old paint.

Drill Press. Don't skimp on this one. Get the best that you can afford as the 'cheap' ones are not accurate usually in how they drill. Once you have one, you'll wonder what you did before...

Good vise and steel workbench. I can't emphasize this enough. Nothings more frustrating than chasing something all over the place because you can't keep ahold of it. Steel workbenches are just a personal choice, you can't gouge up one like one of wood. If you're going to build it, build it at a height that is comfortable for you. There's nothing worse than working on a bench that is too short! I'm 6'3" so my bench is taller than the commercially available ones just for that reason.

Quality 7" electric grinder. Can't say enough about how you'll use this baby. The little ones are ok but if you're going to do any fabrication, you'll want the big one.

Quality 1/2" electric drill. Again, see above note for the grinder.

3/8" and 1/2" socket sets, both in 12 point and 6 point deep well and shallow well. A 3/4" socket set is helpful in some cases.

If you're going to do anything mechanical, get a good quality torque wrench. They are indespensable if you're going to build your engine.

Sorry the list is long, these items will get you started. There are a lot of other great 'goodies' to add as well. Besides hand tools, I also have a 10" metal lathe in my shop that has been handy at times. You never know when you need to fabricate something.

Back To Hudsons is right-on about the height of a workbench. I like mine to be 40" tall. That height is easier on my back. Other tools: a nut driver set, a good 3 1/2 ton floor jack and a good set of steel jack stands, a 6 ton bottle jack, a reciprocating saw, a hack saw, a belt sander and a set of saw horses (build them yourself, you'll be surprised how handy they are).

46HudsonPU - Looks like we've spent er.. suggested about 20 grand so far on tools for you.

Everyone has a preference on price and quality of tools so I don't want to ruffle too many feathers but here goes some more of my personal opinions

• Body Hammers and Dollies - Snap-On or Eastwood Only - they arey expensive but you get what you pay for.
• Spend Money on tools according to the amount of use they get - why spend 1000.00 on a tool to use once a year? (unless you make your living with those tools)
• Sometimes paying more for the Warranty and Replacement can make all the difference (What happens if your welder goes down - does it get replaced or warranted locally?).
• Useful Links to tool sellers I have bought from
  
  Eastwood Tools - more high end tools, full restoration supplies.
  
  Harbor Freight Tools - lower cost tool alternatives. I've been mostly satisfied with what I have purchased from them to date
  
  ebay - do you really need a link for this one? - I bought a shrinker/strecher combo set on ebay - they had the best price.
  

I can tell you that so far in my restoration I have spent more on the tools to do the work than I have on the car or parts yet!

Of course all of the tools I keep will be used on my next project...

Have to echo everyones advice on buying good tools. The way I see it a $200 rachet that lasts 40 years is a pretty good value. My Dad was a mechanic and drilled it into me about buying quality. I still have his complete toolkit and some of the tools are 40+ years old and in perfect condition. Buy them slowly and only buy what you need for the job at hand and buy quality. I know I speak for most of us when we get in the tool store we temporarily lose 100 IQ points and try to buy everything in sight.

My big thing right now is outfitting my garage with all the period diagnostic and service equipment. I have the original Hydramatic service kit. The full Carter service kit. I have a 1967 Snap-on full engine diagnosis station that is in pristine condition. I tune my baby on that and she runs like a top. When I got the scope it came with the tune up guides for all the oldies plus the garage diagnosis sheets 5 pads full. So when I do my scope tune-ups I fill in the sheet and charge myself $50 ...ah makes me feel like I'm getting my value. Slowly but surely I am getting all the Kent Moore service tools for Hudsons. My goal is to have my garage look like a Hudson dealership from 1954. Its fun for me and it just confirms my wifes suspicions that I am a nut.... :-)

Howdy
Here's what happened to me today. I have my '50 Pacemaker up on 4 jackstands in the back yard, with the front cap off and the motor/trans out. The city code enforcer condemned it and gave me 5 days to get the "eyesore" removed from the property. Seems that "the code" says that you cannot have unlicensed/inoperable vehicled anywhere on your property. I was planning to pour a slab next week and put one of those 2-car metal buildings up to house the Hudson. I have a six foot wood fence around my property, and nobody but a nosy busy-body can even see in the yard!
So, also plan to include a totally enclosed, lockable building to house your Hudson, or the city will try to force you to scrap it
Billy

Billy... Check with the SEMA folks ...

http://www.sema.org/main/semaorghome...MAorg/HomePage

...when Sam Jackson (our own WTN Editor) was VP of that organization he lead many a fight to keep such laws from being enacted. Probably not much you can do after the cow has escaped the barn. But, being fore armed with what to do may help keep the zoning from becoming more stringent.

Unfortunately most folks are apathetic and or TOO BUSY to attend the city meetings where zoning ordinances are hammered out. Most code changes occur without much public comment or input. Accountable city, county, state and federal government officials are a thing of the past. If your neighbor does not like you or has some sort of vendetta attitude and you are an antique car person ... you had better equip yourself with a thick shield and a watchdogs senses. In the state of Texas ... there are already laws on the books that allow the removal of inoperative vehicles from private property. In some communities in Texas, private propery wench bending can bring you a stiff fine, and potentially jail time if you continue after being warned.

Billy is providing good warning to the rest of us who read this chat ... being happy as a clam is great thought process ... unfortunately, like for the clam, a grub hook will cause lots of havoc in your day ... zoning officials have many grub hooks to use ... look out or you too will be in the stew like Billy!

__________________
Ken Cates
Waco, Texas

Ken Cates' STEPDOWN RESTORATION WEBSITE