Ever have to chase your Hudson??
HornetSpecial
Expert Adviser
I was having some starter problems so I replaced it with another. When done I started it from under the hood. I have a 51 that has starter button on the inner fender well. I had put the car in reverse when I parked it. Yep you guessed it. The new starter worked fine, and the next thing I knew I was chasing the Hollywood down the drive way. I am too old for that sort of work out. Is it supposed to start in reverse?? Oh yes I did catch it before any damage was done to the car. As for me I am still shaking!!!;)
Paul
Paul
0
Comments
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Will it start in gear?? Oh, yeah. They didn't have lockouts on most cars back then. Couple of cars I remember, like Buick, had the starter button under the clutch pedal - theory was you'd press the clutch pedal down to start the car so it wouldn't take off on you. Only problem with that idea was if you weren't thinking you'd let the clutch pedal off when the car started and forget it was in gear. Interesting result - if you were lucky the car would (1) stall out before it went thru the back garage wall or (2) car wouldn't hit anything that was in front or in back of you.
Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN0 -
I had a friend that was standing in from of a car when it started in gear. He was watching as someone was using a remote starter to start the car. The car pinned him to the wall. It crippled him and he indured pain for the rest of his life.
Lee0 -
I never had to chase a Hudson, but I did have to chase a Chevy. When in high school I bought a 35 Chevy Standard Coupe for $50 dollar from a wrecking yard.
I got permission from my auto shop teacher, Mr Chilton, to bring it to auto shop and get it running. I hooked up a tow bar that clamped to the front bumper of the Chevy.behind my 40 Ply. When I made a left turn from my street onto the main road, the center part of the front bumper of the Chevy snapped off. The Chevy continued its left turn. I got out quickly chasing it as it is heading toward the curb. I grabed the steering wheel and door dragging my feet as it bounced over the curb heading toward a house. Luckily it came to a stop before hitting the house. No one got hurt except my pride a little.
Got it to class a little late. Got it running and my teacher even let me paint the Chevy and my 40 Ply 2 dr sedan in the school shop.
One happy ending. Lee0 -
The '51 Hydramatic transmisions have a lockout which limits starting to neutral. If your car is so equipped and started the setting needs to be adjusted. Walt-LA0
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I like those stater solenoids with the stater button built in.0
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Walt-LA wrote:The '51 Hydramatic transmisions have a lockout which limits starting to neutral. If your car is so equipped and started the setting needs to be adjusted. Walt-LA
Walt is correct - I'd forgotten the hydramatics did have a lockout.
Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN0 -
The Trans has a starter lock out but when you pushed the button on the starter solenoid you bypassed the switch. NEVER use the button on the solenoid unless the car is in Neutral or Park.
Bob Hickson0 -
Over the years I have heard horror stories from Hudson people who have pushed the button on the starter soleniod and the car started while in gear. It has not kept me from doing it though! Maybe now?
John0 -
The button on the solenoid is just a big dumb button, it don't know nuffin about safety lockouts etc, all it does is connect power from the battery to the starter motor.
The button doesn't know or care if the ignition is on or the car is in gear, its job is just to crank over the engine.
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Then there is the other side of the coin.... My 50 Caddy has the same Hydromatic as my 53 Hornet ( single range mechanical reverse however). My wife came home one day with it, and forgeting what she was driving, upon exiting the car, she slapped the selector up into PARK. Oops... no PARK. Fortunately, I was near by and considerably younger. Off I went and caught the car as it rolled away. We must remember what we are driving. At least our Hudsons are pretty close to modern. I always pull the parking brake if I intend to turn the engine. BTW, Paul, did the car start ? or just jump back and roll? The key would need to be ON (run) for the car to actually start . Ron0
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Bob,
Bingo! It is a dumb button so the operator must supply the brains at all times.
F0 -
Hi Ron,
Yes the car started when I was under the hood pushing the button on the solenoid. It started down the drive way with me under hood. I had to jump out and run to drivers door to shut her down. Someone must of had the key on inside car. Someone meaning me !! The neutral safety switch was not adjusted yet, Live and learn.0 -
My 1942 Hudson had a set up where you had to depress the clutch before hitting the starter button I disconnected that because it was a pain in the rear when you wanted to work on the engine.0
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I had a similar incident years ago with a TEA Fergusson tractor. The gearshift starter was not working so had to crank. Yes it was in gear, fired and nearly crushed me between it and a hay baler! Something you never forget.0
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Huddy 42, does your 42 have drivemaster?.
Hornet special-Paul, I started laughing when I pictured you running down the drive LOL. I know it's not really funny-BUT,... glad nothing bad happened!0 -
I thought it funny when I stopped the car. I think that was what gave me high blood pressure,Well live and learn. I thought you had to have the ignition on to start it from under the hood with solenoid button. Did not know neutral safety switch was in wrong position.0
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Had to chase a 1955 Pontiac with hydramatic that I had one time. Parking gear was reverse. I drove into my driveway, which had a definite upslope, put it in reverse and went into the house. Looked out the window a few minutes later and the car was merrily rolling down the driveway, across the street where it came to rest against a telephone pole!!! Went to bring it back into the drive way and was surprised to see it still in reverse. Maybe Gremlins????
Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN0 -
I've used the starter button on the solenoid to move one of my Hudson's that wasn't running in gear. Not good for the starter or safe for me but I had no one around to help me move that heavy car at the time. Kinda stupid really. But I sure like having the solenoid button for testing and diagnosing problems under the hood.0
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No Hudson incidents with me but I did have my left rear wheel pass me up while driving down a grade from Yucca Valley CA towards Palm Springs. I was driving a 63 Studebaker Avanati with 63 vintage real knock off mag wheels. Did not damage the wheel or the fiberglass body and I was lucky the wheel veered to the right and stopped against the hill or it could have rolled for a long way. My wife never trusted that car again after that.0
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Hmmmmmm. Clever. I'll have to try that one.
F0 -
Hows, that song go Chrs - I'm going down the road feeling bad, my wheel just passed my cab!!! LOL0
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