DeHudso, Yorgatron, HudsonCustom and other Hudson-ites... DeHuso, I saw your thread on the exhaust you ran on you Hudson, really nice work! I was interested in how you and others (with swapped motors) did your motor mounts an what clearance you got with the oil pan an the cross member, how you delt with it, ect.. I'm doin' a SBC (yawn) in a '49 super 6, I've got a pretty good idea how I want to do it but just want to see how you guys (and others) have approched it before I get started. Any help an pref pics would be greatly appreciated. HudsonCustom; still happy with that Explorer rearend? It a limited slip? -HL
My Wifes 50' pacemaker has a 350 combo on a camaro clip, I think about 74'. The distributor is pretty much on the fire wall other wise fits good. The car handles like a camaro also. I just installed a 327/ m-21 in my 46 Hudson p/u. I used the biscuit mounts with universal hardware and cut it to fit. both cars have just enough oil pan clearance. Both cars are lowered . I would rather have the stock front clip in the pacemaker. Hudrodz
Hey Hudrodz, appreciate the help. I was plannin on using the original clip. I talked to a older couple who make most of the KKOA events around here (OKla) in their '49 all the way from Georgia, he told me he once clipped his, seems like with a Camero frontend. Drove it a couple of years then put the old Hudson front end back on, he liked the way it handled with the Hudson frontend better. I had kindo decided to use the original frontend. I was looking for other ideas for motor mounts, ect. I've already got mine made just not welded in, wanted to see what's been done out there before I get going. -HL
The original frontend is a great piece, I'm amazed at how well they handle and how easy they are to steer given they are not power steering. That being said, I've seen some chevy swaps that require the bending of the center link downward to clear the oil pan - DON'T do that! It messes with the steering geometry just a little, but worst of all it places the centerlink in harm's way below the crossmember. I run the original super sixes, so I don't get into these kinds of issues Just curious, what kind of original transmission did you have? I've got a '49 Super Six Coupe and would kinda like to run an Overdrive ******. Hud
I'm at work now, but when I get home I can take some pix of how the SBC is mounted in mine. ('53 Hornet) I bought it as an unfinished project and the engine-trans was in already. I don't think the centerlink was bent to clear. The motor was out of a Chevy P/U, so it should be a standard SBC oil pan. One of the reasons I bought the car was the nice clean job he did installing the engine. I'll try and get those pix up later tonight.
I wish mine had a factory clip in it. I bought it from a guy who was "pro-streeting" it, and it had a camaro clip in it. Unfortunately, the clip was in crooked by more than 3/4 of an inch!!! I am running a Ford motor in mine and have a early 80's full size Ford clip in it (lincoln) now. I'll have to take some pics when I get home...
You don't need to be worrying about that right now, young man!!! I'll take it off your hands for free. Kill your neighbors across the street yet?
In fact, I've got 2 '49 Hudsons a 2d Brougham (sedan) an a 4d, both super 6 cars. The 4d had a engine an ****** but got put in a '48 coupe of a friend of mine, before I found the 2d. The 2d was minus an engine when I got it but the gearbox was still in it. Way back in the winter I put it in the back of my pickup for extra weight on an icy day, there it still sits. MoreDoor: I would appreciate the pics. HudsonCustom: Cool, I would like to see 'em. JK: Appreciate the offer, maybe an even swap for the Merc, that is once you get the brakes straightened out. Nope, I didn't have to kill them the cops ran them off. Remind me to tell you the story next time I see you. Thanx guys! -HL
Nope, or least, don't feel dead. Been workin' on my stuff, lurkin' some, just not loggin' much 'puter time lately. -HL
Thanks. Mine was pretty straightforward. We yanked the stock engine and the motor mounts that were rivited to the frame. Next we set up a centerline for the car. I believe it was the center of the windshield down to the bumper or grille support somewhere. Then we swung the engine and transmisison in there and realized that some m***aging was needed. First off was the centerpoint steering. We heated that up with the torch and whacked the **** out of it until it came down enough to fit the stock pan in there. Probably should have notched the pan and left the steering geometry alone, but what the hell it works fo now. If I ever yank it out to clean everything up, a stock centerpoint arm will be going on there along with a notched pan. The next snaggle was the transmission pan hitting the stock crossmember where the stock transmisison attached to. We sectioned about 2" out of it to get some clearance in between the pan and the crossmember. The stock hudson linkage works just fine for changing gears on the 700R4. Heck I even left the clutch pedal in there so when parked it looks stock from the inside. I used mounts available from www.hothemiheads.com I believe they were the universal ones. We trimmed them to fit inbetween the bulges in the frame rails where the spring pocket is. The engine has about 2" to the firewall and plenty of room up front! lemme find some pics I can put up for ya.
HardLuck, Here 'ya go man...see if these are any help in planning the swap. There needs to be a few more Hudsons running arround.
Here are some picture of a guy that I met on www.cl***icar.com, putting a SBC in his '49 four door. It might give you some ideas of how to do it. http://home.comcast.net/~dehudso/wkitchens1.jpg http://home.comcast.net/~dehudso/wkitchens2.jpg http://home.comcast.net/~dehudso/wkitchens3.jpg http://home.comcast.net/~dehudso/wkitchens4.jpg http://home.comcast.net/~dehudso/wkitchens5.jpg http://home.comcast.net/~dehudso/wkitchens6.jpg http://home.comcast.net/~dehudso/wkitchens7.jpg http://home.comcast.net/~dehudso/wkitchens8.jpg
Thanx a bunch guys, exactly what I was after. I had already mocked up the engine and ******, have made the motor mounts in the '49 4d before the city, so politely asked me to remove it from my property or it would be towed. Then I found the 2d a few months later. Guess they did me a favor? DeHudso: Appreciate the help. You use the universal "tube type" motor mount? I had though about that but decided to go ahead and fab my own, kindo like what MoreDoor shows in his pics. also, the links to the pics you've posted I've seen before. Very nice job. But the car looks like the car the couple from Georgia I was talking about earlier. I had thought about a cradle mount like that but decided against it. MoreDoor: What you've got is pretty much what I came up with, just hadn't boxed it across the top, think I will now. I think mine will be setting up 'bout an 1" or so higher than what yours is, may do a little more checking first. You pretty much "knotched" the crossmember the same way I did on the 4d and planned to do to the 2d (was kindo hoping there would be some way not to do this if absolutly possible, guess not). I had recapped it and had planned on runnin' a piece of 2" x 1/8" angle across (v side down) and welding it to reinforce where you bolted your bar. You happy with the way yours turned out? Would you change anything, or the way you did it? Crossmember reinfored enough with the bar? Thanx again for the help guys. -HL
I hacked up the universal tube mount to use as a transmission crossmember. I should have been more clear. I used these mounts:
HL... I don't want to take credit for somone elses work. The guy I bought the car from did the fabrication work for the engine/trans. He put a lot of time and $$ into the car, all new upholstery, paint, engine/trans. Then just got burnt out on the whole project and wanted his garage back. (mabie the **** tapes I found under the front seat had somthing to do with it?) Got it for a good price, I was not even thinking about a new project at the time, just seemed like a deal too good to p*** up. So I brought it home. I think the center crossmember is more than up to the task as is. Its still boxed with the same gauge steel as the bottom plate, just don't show well in the pix. If you weld yours in where mine is bolted, how will you get the trans out if it takes a dump? As far as changes I would like to change the way the rearmost crossmember is done. the frame brackets have the gussets going up, so the weld has all the weight pulling on it. Should be ok for now, I just need to get the car on the road first. If it works out well I would like to swap the TH350 for a 200r4 O/D trans and it will need a new rear crossmember anyway. Now I just need to get a driveshaft made (two piece w/center bearing) do all the wiring, the plumbing, fire the engine to see if it even runs, get an exhaust system under it, update the brakes and take care of the hundred or so things that will pop up on the first drive arround the block. What are your plans for the driveshaft and rearend? I've heard that the 48-51 rears are easy to break, and the 52-54's (Dana?) while not great, are a somewhat stronger.
I had to pull mine out through the removable floor. I just muscled and leveraged it out. Wasn't very pretty. I wanted to try the Hyrdamatic crossmember that bolts in, instead of my welded in place one. Never got around to it though.
DeHudSo: Cool idea, on the motor mounts. HudsonCustom: ...uh..wow...(neat)...but, uh, wow... ...this is the reason I'm askin'. I hadn't noticed but he cut your crossmember and bolted it back in, never accured to me to do that, but now... you got me thinkin', not sure I want to do it any other way. As far as gettin' a busted ****** out, I was thinkin' like DeHudso said, up through the floor, but TH350's are a tad bit bigger than the little Hudson 3 speeds. I like your/(or who's ever else's) idea it was better. OD ******, would like to, but now I've got a TH350 an that's what going in. I do have a 700R but it's a Pon/Buick/Olds for the '56 Olds and the 455 but that's another car and another day. Now you doing a two piece drive shaft? I've got a '60 Chevy daily and that two piece drive shaft gave me endles fits until I finally got it right. (Ask a few guys around here how many times I changed out the carrier bearing) I was going to try to go one piece drive shaft if all possible, but that's a little ways off, for now. As far a rearends go, HudsonCustom said he was using a early '90's Ford Explorer on his stepdown, right width and 5 on 4.5" bolt pattern, was looking into that but have not done anything just yet. We'll talk brakes later. Yea, I've got lots to do to get this one on the road... ...but Hudson's are just too damn cool, (already chopped, look more like a Merc than a Merc and not to mention came out in '48. ) besides, you just don't see a Hudson everyday. -HL
I think you may find a two piece is needed due to the low clearance in the driveshaft tunnel under the back seat. Made even worse if you put some blocks under the rear axle to lower the beast. I never had any problems with the carrier bearings in the '62 and '63 Impalas I had in High School. Beat them like dogs and they never broke. I guess the fact that they were only 16-17 year old cars at the time helped. Amen. Have you checked out this guys site yet? http://www.49C8.com Tons of pictures of his build on a '49.
I saw Hudson swaps, and I thought whooo cool site. I have a early hudson well really a 37 Terraplane with a 340 mopar engine and dr. train. Hope you dont mind me dropping in on your thread, I think Hudsons make neat rides, saw some realy great looking customs.
Welcome TerraRodder, but where are the pics? I love '36 an '37 Hudsons. MoreDoor: I kindo' figured in the end I would have to go with a two piece, guess just in denile. I had seen that link, I think from the Cl***ic Car Hudson board, he's doin' some really nice work, gets me fired up. -HL
That guy looks to be doing some real good work. It's nicce to see someone sticking with a project like that.
Man, I think Homeboy gets more done in 3 hours than I do in a month! High quality work too. That will be a cool ride when its done. (I see he went the weld in route on that center crossmember.) That poor 'ol Hud sure had alot of rust, eh?
Very nice work and all that on a 4 door. but he had a better start (less rust) on his than I got on both of mine. The door hinges sure look familiar, though, I just finished fabbing and welding up one that rusted clean through. Sure hope it's labor of love on his part. -HL
Hard luck I know its not a stepdown but its my 37 Terraplane [hudson]. Its back to my buddys garage to get the front handles and hinges removed.
Very nice! Just goes to prove not all cool Hudsons are stepdowns. ...but my favorite part of the '36-'37 has to be the grill. Here's mine right after I drug it home last year... ...and a buddy got a hold of a piece of chalk. -HL
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