I generally do not like the term ‘Rat Rod,’ as it’s usually applied to cars the owners of which are simply too lazy to wash. However, at a Cars & Coffee event this past weekend, I ran into an incongruous Essex Super Six hot rod that not only deserves that appellation, but could be its dictionary definition. It was also among the coolest cars at the meet.

The Essex was built between 1918 and 1932, as a division of the Hudson Motor Company. The cars were intended to offer a lower-cost entry brand for Hudson but of course the Great Depression killed off such smaller makes leaving only the big dogs like Ford and Chevy. This Super Six comes from long before that however, owing to its body color and horizontal bar grille. The upright two-light coupe body has been dropped and the patina’d paint looks to have been given a good wiping with kerosene to bring out a bit of a shine. Also, who doesn’t like Moons from before there were Moons?

Out in the back the trunk is capped with a wood-ribbed luggage rack, set over the spring-latch secured lid. One of the cool features of this rod is its level of old school authenticity, what with its skinny bias plies and overall clapped together demeanor. 

That extends under the hood where the SBC is capped with an air filter cobbled up from a circular saw blade and parts from an old screen door. Of course you can bet that ubiquitous eight pumps out more usable power than did the car’s original Hudson flathead six.

On the inside, things go a little bit wonky as I don’t know if those seats – as comfortable as they may be – look appropriate in light of the rest of the car. The rest of the severely upright passenger compartment is filled with an odd mix of old and new, but that four spoke steering wheel is totally  da’ bomb.

I’m sorry that I was unable to locate the owner of this cool ride so I could ask more details about it, but it was such an awesome, and oddball rod that I think that pictures alone are worth sharing.

Images ©2014 Hooniverse/Robert Emslie, All Rights Reserved.