Going to look at a Hudson big boy, any pointers?

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Congrats - pretty cool unit.  I actually prefer the pass body styles of that series to the later step downs although they are pretty cool also.

[Hudsy Wudsy]

The 968s Carter carbs are correct for the two carb set up and the intake manifold is the later AMC one for '55-'56. That intake manifold differed from the earlier one by employing an internal balance tube, rather than the external one used previously. I have always assumed that change and the somewhat smaller air cleaners were simply about the engine fitting in the smaller space available under the hood of '55 and '56 cars. It seems likely that the prior owner paid for a complete, matched Twin H set up, rather than piecing one together out of scraps like some of us have been known to do. I asked about whether it had overdrive or not to see if I could guess whether it had a 9" clutch or a 10" one. Overdrive equipped cars came with a 10" clutch while standard transmission cars came with the 9" one. Upgrading to the 10" one was apparently a minimal charge. I know that I've come across basic three speed cars with 10" clutches. It really doesn't matter much. A 9" one would be just fine in any event. How does the clutch feel to you? Also, how accurate is speedo? There are some options for speedo driven gears.

[auburnseeker]

Around the yard the clutch feels really good.  I haven't been able to get it out on the road as it was out of registration when I bought it so we only yard drove it.   Unfortunately the brake fluid is contaminated with water so I'll have to pull atleast one wheel to get an idea if it has lead to any corrosion in the brakes or if I can get away with just a flush and fill.  

The note in the glovebox said the gas and temperature gauge were not accurate when it was sold to the family I bought it from in 1992.  Hopefully the speedo is right as they didn't make a notation of that.  I won't know until it's on the road though.

[Hudsy Wudsy]

It just occurred to me that the original 212 ci engine might have had a 10" clutch on it just because of it being in a truck--a bigger one at that. I think it's fair to assume that someone who put such nice work into this beauty would probably have installed the larger clutch, even if they didn't have one on hand when they mated the engine to the original trans.

Edited August 3, 2016 by Hudsy Wudsy (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

I was thinking the truck would have probably had a bigger clutch especially being a 3/4 ton.  Lets hope.  I've been working on it a tad (mostly cleanup) but I have alot of irons in the fire right now (including Kid duty at the moment).  Hopefully I can have it on the road before the end of summer. 

Edited August 3, 2016 by auburnseeker (see edit history)

[Hudsy Wudsy]

Geez, now that you bought that one, a fantastic opportunity shows up. Look what you missed!

 

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/belleville/1946-custom-hudson-street-rod-truck/1186995048?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

 

[Dandy Dave]

Very Cool. May you have many Happy and trouble free miles with it once you get the Bugs worked out. Dandy Dave! 

[auburnseeker]

I don't think I missed much with that truck.  yuk.  Purple on top of that.  Ironically I couldn't even find the price for what he wanted for the thing.  I did see he wasted 58G personalizing it.  Kind of reminds me of the Woody thread I started. 

[Matt Harwood]

Great truck! I've always thought these were the most handsome pickups ever built. Enjoy it!

[Hudsy Wudsy]

1 hour ago, auburnseeker said:

I don't think I missed much with that truck.  yuk.  Purple on top of that.  Ironically I couldn't even find the price for what he wanted for the thing.  I did see he wasted 58G personalizing it.  Kind of reminds me of the Woody thread I started. 

Speaking of that Olds woody, take a look at this:

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/trenton-on/1951-flatbed-hauler/1186795483?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

 

It's deja vu all over again!

[Restorer32]

Still kicking myself for not buying one I was offered a few years ago.

[Matt Harwood]

1 hour ago, Hudsy Wudsy said:

Speaking of that Olds woody, take a look at this:

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/trenton-on/1951-flatbed-hauler/1186795483?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

 

It's deja vu all over again!

 

$40,000?!?

 

 

 

[JACK M]

The COE looks way better in those colors than the woody.

[Hudsy Wudsy]

Xander, not to disparage the looks of the post war pickups, but I've always found '40 and '41 front ends quite handsome. Do you know if they can be swapped?

[auburnseeker]

I actually like the prewar Hudsons as well,  but I'm still happy settling for a postwar.  None of them are ugly.  

Maybe the COE was built to haul the Olds. 

[DLynskey]

In the 1970's a friend in WV had a prewar pickup with a postwar front clip. It had a Cadillac engine and hydramatic and was his daily driver. He drove it each year to the Indy 500 and had all the stickers on it to prove it.

 

Don

[Xander Wildeisen]

Are you asking if a 46-47 front end can be put on a 40-41? Or the other way around? Hudson trucks for the most part are a car with a truck bed. 1940 body styles changed in 1941. And with some changes in 1942-47. Hudson had a habit of changing things in a way that they could still use up stuff. Truck doors are just the front door from a sedan with the 41 design. The doors on a 46-47 car just have a flare out on the bottom. Remove that and you have a 1941 door. If you cut a truck cab in half behind the door, move the cab back seven inches. And remove the rear door jam mounting bracket from the frame. And move it back seven inches, you will see a mounting spot for it on the frame. That spot is for the mounting of the rear pillar for a coupe. Add coupe doors, fill in the roof and floor. And you just stretched a truck. Putting a different front end on would be easy, if it fit or not, there are so many extra parts out there from different cars. Mixing front ends on trucks can really give some plain trucks a good look.  

[Hudsy Wudsy]

I was asking whether a '40 or '41 front end could be bolted on to a post war truck.

[Larry Schramm]

19 hours ago, Hudsy Wudsy said:

Speaking of that Olds woody, take a look at this:

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/trenton-on/1951-flatbed-hauler/1186795483?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

 

It's deja vu all over again!

 

I think those cab over trucks of those years were the best looking work trucks.

[Xander Wildeisen]

If I was to guess, a 41 front end might bolt on a post war truck. Not so sure on the 40 front end, do to the different body where the front sheet metal bolts up. I have never owned a 1940-41 Hudson.

[Xander Wildeisen]

great parts, or build/restore a truck.    https://sandiego.craigslist.org/ssd/cto/5716842165.html

[Rusty_OToole]

On 2016-08-04 at 6:34 AM, Larry Schramm said:

 

I think those cab over trucks of those years were the best looking work trucks.

$40,000 Loonies so only $30,000 in real money.

[60FlatTop]

Those Hudsons are good drivers and reliable. The only real fault, and you will experience it soon after purchase, is those hood supports, both front or rear opening. They are right in the way for the simplest service you want to perform and fender covers keep falling off.

It sounds like a small thing, but wait until you experience it.

Bernie

[Hudsy Wudsy]

16 hours ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

great parts, or build/restore a truck.    https://sandiego.craigslist.org/ssd/cto/5716842165.html

Here's some more here in Minneapolis:

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/cto/5698401454.html

[Hudsy Wudsy]

For what it's worth, here are some pictures of an original '46 or ''47 engine which your truck would have had in it when new. I think 212 ci, if I recall right:

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/pts/5713523964.html

[Xander Wildeisen]

Yes they came with a 212, I have not seen one in a long time. Very different looking then the 262. Forgot just how different they are. It will be tough to find a buyer for the motor. Even people who do a restoration throw in a newer step down engine, and get away from the splash style oiling system.  

[auburnseeker]

Sounds like the old 235 VS 216 Chevy Debate.  Seems the Chevy engines are cosmetically a whole lot similar.  

I like the upgrade and the fact it has a twin H on it doesn't hurt none either. 

[Hudsy Wudsy]

Yeah, Twin H, full pressure oiling and fifty more cubic inches make it a great upgrade.

[60FlatTop]

Wow! 212 cubic inches. Who would have thought that would be the 2016-17 GM engine standard size. And broadcast as the power plant for the earthshaking new Cadillac XT5.  310 HP.... at.... ummm...5,000 RPM.

I'd take the Hudson. I wouldn't want that 200 inch GM screaming under my feet for 100,000 miles. Probably would only use one head gasket, too.

 

Bernie

[Hudsy Wudsy]

I forgot to ask if your engine came with an aluminum head. The 262 ci engine came with an aluminum head and intake manifold standard in '48 and optional in '49 and later. The '48 - '50 engines are somewhat narrower than the '51 and later. If you come across someone selling a head or head gasket for a "wide block" they would be referring to a '51 or later. The oil pan and gasket are wider on the later engines, too, if I recall right. Other than the head and pan, I think everything is interchangeable. When the 308 engine came out in '51, Hudson began casting displacement size numbers on the cylinder heads. 308 for the Hornets, 262 for the Super, Commodore and Wasp models and 232 for the Pacemaker engine. If you came across a head that had the numbers 262 on the top, it would have come on a latter, thus wider, engine. The aluminum head gave a small increase in HP and it wasn't as prone to blowing head gaskets as the Hornet 308 ci engine, but I think that most Hudson guys see it as a dress up item as much as anything. BTW, the Wasp and Hornet models weren't named after menacing flying insects. They were named after two distinguished WWII Naval aircraft carriers.

Edited August 7, 2016 by Hudsy Wudsy (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

I always thought they were named after insects.  I was wondering why they picked those names.  Makes alot of sense now.  I'll have to pass that info.  along. I'm pretty sure it's an iron head.  I'll have to check today. 

[auburnseeker]

Will a 53 Hornet steering wheel fit the column in a 46-47 Pickup?  If so can the horn button wire still be used so that the horn ring will still actuate it. I found a beautiful 53 Hornet wheel I'm considering swapping in as the original truck wheel has alot of cracks and the horn button/ bezel have alot of corrosion. 

[Xander Wildeisen]

I think the steering wheel will fit. The 53 wheel will have turn signal pins in the back that would cancel the turn signals. Not sure if those need to be removed? I have seen the newer wheels in the trucks, not sure if they had to do some thing to get them to fit? If you are looking for a better wheel, the steering wheel out of the 46-47 Commodore looks nicer. I always thought the 51-54 wheels looked a little out of place in the older Hudsons. The 48-49 wheels would look good, But they are harder to find. I will see what wheels I have, and look at the radios. 

[auburnseeker]

21 minutes ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

I think the steering wheel will fit. The 53 wheel will have turn signal pins in the back that would cancel the turn signals. Not sure if those need to be removed? I have seen the newer wheels in the trucks, not sure if they had to do some thing to get them to fit? If you are looking for a better wheel, the steering wheel out of the 46-47 Commodore looks nicer. I always thought the 51-54 wheels looked a little out of place in the older Hudsons. The 48-49 wheels would look good, But they are harder to find. I will see what wheels I have, and look at the radios. 

Thanks.  There is a nice wheel in maroon going on ebay today that is complete,  that's why I was wondering at what I thought was a reasonable price as it already ran through with no bids once. 

There is a pretty nice Probably non functional radio as well.  Missing the knobs or it has incorrect ones,  but I have some pretty close NOS matches to Hudson knobs I could substitute.  I have the dash looking pretty nice and want to get rid of that out of place late model radio. 

[auburnseeker]

Ironically here is a picture of a 47 with the same wheel I was thinking of in the same colors as my truck. 

[Hudsy Wudsy]

2 hours ago, auburnseeker said:

I always thought they were named after insects.  I was wondering why they picked those names.  Makes alot of sense now.  I'll have to pass that info.  along. I'm pretty sure it's an iron head.  I'll have to check today. 

I'm glad Xander had some thoughts on the steering wheel subject. I've never had anything but "Step-Down" Hudsons, so I wouldn't be any help. If you don't have to modify it the newer steering wheel it can always be sold later if you find another one that you prefer. I've always thought that the Wasp and Hornet names sounded cheap and silly, but I suppose that in the post war time period they had recognition and value. I'm betting that didn't last long though.

Edited August 7, 2016 by Hudsy Wudsy (see edit history)

[Xander Wildeisen]

In your picture you will see the turn signal set up is also from a step down. That is used to work with the wheel. Not sure what you have in your truck, you might want to find a step down set up as well. You can also see in your picture, over the dash and out the window. The air deflector or shield on top of the radiator. And not sure if the picture is showing a truck, but the gauge clusters are from a car. Cars had the silver or gold fish lure back ground. Truck had just a plain bone colored back ground. You can also put some Commodore dash trim on your truck. 

[auburnseeker]

I actually do have a step down signal switch at my shop that I bought to resell some time ago and never got to it.  I could use it with this wheel if I go that route.  Right now it just has the old aftermarket style switch on it. 

[auburnseeker]

I also have passenger car dash trim inserts in my truck now. 

[Xander Wildeisen]

Here are a few shots of my 47 Hudson truck cab. I just finished painting it, and I am getting ready to start the wood grain on the dash and garnish rails. The colors started off as 46-47 Packard two tone colors. They were then tinted A little. The cab has been chopped three inches and stretched seven. You can see the pictures of the truck in another post to get an idea of what it will look like.