RIDE-CT – Classic Cars Celebrating Classic Cars in Connecticut
HARWINTON, CT – It was a roadside Halloween display unlike any other. Harwinton resident John Birden used a 1935 Hudson Terraplane to be the centerpiece of a spooky display last month near the end of his driveway. RIDE-CT spotted the old car passing his house one day, returned and got the details behind it as well as a five-year update on his 2019 Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle.
“This started out as a joke with my niece. She loves Halloween and I said, ‘Geez, we should take the old Hudson and put it out front,’” he said.
“It’s actually the first year for the metal roof. If you look at it, it has a full metal roof; not a cloth insert on it. The car actually starts, and runs, and drives,” said Birden, who “…found it in Torrington in the woods, believe it or not. A guy that I’d boughten cars from over the years, I went to visit him and I saw it. It was packed way in the back and I said I had to have it. It’s just too cool looking to leave there and rot away.
The Terraplane isn’t registered, and he’s not tempted to take it out on the road “’cause it has no brakes. I just drive it in the yard.” It has a flathead six cylinder engine with a three-speed transmission with floor shifter.
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The car is a future project. “My plans are someday to put a V8 in it and drive it a little bit more, but too many other projects right now going so right now it’s just a play toy for the yard.”
The Halloween display garnered attention in the weeks before Halloween.
“Quite a few people stoppin’, slowin’ down. Lotta slow downs. We get quite a few people stoppin’ and taking pictures, which is neat. That makes me feel good that people are appreciating it as we do,” Birden said.
Here’s a YouTube video on the display and on Birden’s LiveWire:
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(Photos by Bud Wilkinson)
