Anybody ever build up a Hudson?

I found an old beaten up rusty 49 Commodore 8 two door sitting by a barn near by, and I have been harder than a woodpeckers lips for the thing ever since. Before I go and rescue this poor thing, is there anyone who has worked on one, or knows any problems that I should be looking out for. She is a straight eight and looks sinister as all get out. I am in love with the thing, so I wont tell you that she has been sitting for about 30 years now. Anyway thanks for your help. I figured an MC-5 reference as a screen name was pretty slick and appropriate.

F-Hudsons

 

the straight 8 ****s,you can ask Ratboy about that.

 

check this thread out about one built in australia, might open an eye or two.

http://www.ozrodders.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=2569&highlight=hudson

 

Thats one pretty Hudson. I would be interested in hearing whats wrong with the straight 8. My only other build was a Dodge Challenger (long gone now R.I.P), but I always loved 50's metal better anyway. Not to offend, but I would rather suffer through a ****py straigh 8 than have a me too small block chevy in the front. (Now an old hemi even a desoto version would be nice)

 

there's a guy here who has one,DeHudso.
my brother's Hudson has a '53 303 Oldsmobile.
the I-8 is the same basic design from 1934 ( ) it has splasher rod bearings ( ) and is expensive to rebuild,given the meager performance.
HOWEVER,you can still find decent 308 I-6 Hudson engines,and get serious HP out of them. check out www.uncommonengineering.com

 

I have a 49 Commodore 8 swapped over to a 308 I-6, twin carbs,header,
and aluminum Clifford head with the stock 3sp/OD that drives great.

Do your homework though, check www.Cl***icCar.com in the forums for
Hudson, lotta good info and links. Rust is NOT your friend in a step-down
Hudson as this is a very early attempt at unibody construction,but on the plus
side the rear quarters unbolt and allow great access to the rust demons.

About the stick, Hudson uses a wet clutch that has the clutch disc full
of round holes in which corks are placed. Amazingly enough these clutches
seem to work fine (mine does) who woulda thunk it a cork clutch...

I'm gonna try and post a pic.= puter retard

 

OK lets try this... hmmm. thats friggen HUGE!

 

Sure, there are a few of us here who are Hudson fans.

Mine has a 460 out of a Lincoln in it...

 

I have one as well, a '53 Hornet 4 door sedan. Sorry but it has an SBC infestation under the hood. I will second the "beware the rust demons" statement. Mine is from Nevada so thankfully has not a hint of rust, but boy when you lay under it you can just tell becouse of the way its built, a little road salt + moisture + time = no more Hudson. Don't get me wrong, its a strong unibody, mabie overbuilt. I can lift up one whole side with a floor jack and it won't sag and the doors still open and close fine. There is a guy with a great website tracking the repairs and mods to his '49 Commodore Eight, http://www.49c8.com. Its definitely worth a look.

 

I'm a huge hud fan - I had the cahnce to have a nice one - along with my dodge - but couldn't afford both - So it want to a friend - JD on the forums here. Mr57 had the car.

I personally think Huds have more potential than Mercs. A lot less of them around - and the great body line in them is just killer. very straight cars.

 

Here's the Hudson owned by two friend's of mine. I'm more or less in charge of the "cosmetics" and right now the plan is to go with a totally new look. I'll let you know when I'm done.
This is the car I have alot of very good race parts ( slicks, wheels, blowers, rears, trans, etc...all in good shape, we just moved up from them )from that I was going to put up for sale here and was stopped because I was too new to the site. In a short while I will repost them.


www.hotrodhuson.com

 

A friend of mine is building a 29 Es*** roadster with a Hudson 308 engine. It's back burner right now while he fights with cancer. He's doing better but a long way from crawling around in the garage. Here are some pics as of last fall.

 

Hudsons are pretty neat cars. Heres a couple pictures from a thread a while ago.

 

i fixed your link http://www.hotrodhudson.com/

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Here's one from the Road Agents show a couple weeks ago.

 

Don't know what part of NY you're from, but this wekend is a great antique car show in Macungie, Pa. Hudson is the feature car, should be lots to look at if you are interested. Macungie is on rt. 100 close to Allentown.

 

I love hudsons...the 2 and 4 doors. IMHO, they were higher than Cadillac in thier time. Very luxurious, cl***y and full of character. On top of that, they already look chopped.

Ill own one someday..

I'd trade my Fordor shoebox for one if I could.

 

around here theres the legend of "the hudson kid".

 

Nothing's finer than a hudson with a large displacement eight or six to propel it down the road. Comfortable crusing!

I get by with a 341 DeSoto hemi.
Yorgatron with a Rocket 303
and hudsoncustom with a 460

My dad should be running with a 7X copy, clifford headers, clifford head, edmunds 2x2 and a 700R4 in a month or two. We'd like to get it done for billetproof, all in a 1951 broughm.

 

Ditch the straight 8 and get a 302 flat six. I ran the flat six in my Hudson for years without any problems.