Just bought a 1951 Hudson Hornet 2 door club coupe ( came from South Dakota , no motor or tranny ).... Its in pretty good shape and 100 % compleat and straight with a few rust holes in the bottom of the front fenders and above the rear wheels but nothing to serious. The floors seem to be solid..... I want to hot rod it since the motor and tranny are gone... Do I need to do a front clip or a Heidts ? I'm thinking a 350 with a 700r4 and a ford 9 in. with disks..... Nothing custom no air ride or drop............. Any suggestions would be great and some pictures of other 51s would also be helpfull................. Big Dan
I hate to be the bastard that says it, but the search will lead you to tons of bitchin' rides. Just type in Hudson, and you're on the road to bliss.
Hudsons don't need chops and drops to be KOOL! Well, maybe the little Jets would be an exception. Enjoy the different side of the street!
It ain't that hard to find, or build, a 308 twin-H power Hornet motor. The only suggestion I would make is to bolt in a 53-54 Hudson Dana 40 rearend, which can be had in as low as a 3.08 ratio. Some have found that an early 60's Ford Fairlane 8-inch will bolt in with no mods even though the stock Hudson spring pads are angled a bit, which allows for more possible ratios and a little bit newer rear brakes.
I just salvaged a 308 out of a 51 Hornet (there wasn't much else left there, so don't worry) and plan on building that gem up. I'm in the process of buying a twin-h manifold from another HAMBer. Neat old engines with tons of early Nascar history, with the Twin-H they get around 170+ horses, and I've heard with a ground cam and some other speed goodies you could be looking at 208 horsepower. That's nothing to sneeze at for a straight 6 that's virtually stock. Besides - they're awfully sexy all gussied up in shiny paint. Way more interesting than a 350.
Here is my 53. 3" chop, nosed and decked, shave handles, rounded hood, 56 Chevy headlights and 53 Pontiac grill. 455/400 Buick combination with the front hubs converted for disc brakes. The rest of the suspension is stock and the stock gauges are hooked up. People are always asking me what year my Merc is so I finally got a personalized plate 8NOMERC. I didn't do the work on it, I don't have that kind of talent it was bought this way. Good luck with yours.
You need one of these... And a 3 sp w/OD. This'n just went 2800 miles to the Hot Rod Cinematic and back with 4.56 gears(about 3.20 with OD) and will run 70 plus allday long. Thinking 4.11s next time and she'll really have some legs. Great driving/riding/handling ride. Even the wet clutch and cork disc works great. Watch for rust on the outside frame rails(outboard of the tires) but even with some rust issues the rear quarters unbolt off the car providing easy access. You'll want to check in here for fellow Hudsonites, pieces, and advice. Enjoy. http://www.classiccar.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13
Good, that leaves me out! Seriously, these have some unique quirks with the uni-body so if anything is rusty once you get to tearing it apart, have someone who knows Hudsons look at it or read up on them before you start.
Grandpa had a '54 wasp. Wanna say he had a chevelle sub-frame and the car rode beautifully. He had a 327 with a 700r4. They don't need a chop. I remember one year at the Street Machine Nats in Tampa the announcer for the cruise had no idea what to call it. all we heard was "it's a merc..o it's a shoebox no...." finall we yelled to him "It's a Hudson." They make beautiful mild Kustoms.
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