First start of our 54 hornet

duncan

Today I started our Hornet for the first time with the gas tank hooked up to the fuel pump.It took off after some primming of carbs. It still needs carbs set and timming set. Then I will see if the hydra matic trans works.Runs very good before needing the adjustments. HURAY. Hudsonly Ray

rambos_ride

Congratulations!

Pics or it didn't happen!

4Hud

Good stuff Ray. Great progress the last while for ya! Bob

Browniepetersen

Way to go Ray,

Hudson Grandpa

Heres a pic of Rays Hollywood.

onerare39

Great news Ray, do you think that you will get it on the road sometime soon?

John

RL Chilton

That's great, Ray! Congratulations, she's gonna be a beauty!

54Hollywood

Congratulations Ray. For some reason, I kinda like that color combination too. Have a Happy 4th!

Tim in WI.

duncan

Thanks for the encouragement . It has been a long time doing this car. Thanks Hudson Grampa for posting a picture of our car. I am waiting on a small amount of interior that needs to be finished and also all of the ss is waiting to be pollished. The back window needs to be installed then ss bows and 2inch alluminum moulding that goes on edge of headliner to install and moulding around windshield to install. Thanks Hudsonly Ray

duncan

The bumpers also are rechromed

duncan

I had a sad time this afternoon. I started the hudson to see if the tranny would work. I had the car idleing to fast but cannot figure how to slow it down. Anyway the car started to move forward I could not stop the car and it run into the bench. Ny shop vac scuffed the right front fender some and pusheg both fenders back enough so now the doors catch fenders. I didnt have enough oil in the tranny.Would that cause this to happen. Why is this happeninhg to me I have so many health issues. What do I do now. Ray

[Deleted User]

There was a comment earlier about the Hydramatic . One indication you are low on oil is if car lurch's forward on start-up.
Roger

J Spencer

Man that's a real bummer1 Having said that , that's what the parking brake is for especially considering that tranny doesn't have "Park" like others. Do hope the damage isn't to severe.

Jim Spencer

duncan

No the damage is not to bad front right fender has some scrape from plastic shop vac and center of rad suport is bent in a tad. Have to loosen all front fender bolts and pull fenders ahead a tad I hope that will cure my stupidity. Always ask the wife for help. Hudsonly Ray
PS thanks for the thoutful posts. Ray

SuperDave

Hang in there Ray. Nothing worth doing is easy.. (Something I have learned over the last 73 years..)
I went through a really rough time over my eight.. Then a much older friend of mine had a similar problems with his 31 Chevrolet. Helping him get through the mechanical problems was only part of the process.. Keeping his attitude and moral up was the big challenge... Unlike the human body,,, mechanical things can be fixed...Just keep working on it.

Val

Way to go Ray! Keep at it my friend!

Browniepetersen

I have always wanted one of those cars that you just get in and drive the day you get it. My 54 was a dream. A tad bit of dirt here and there but solid as a rock. Sat in the California sun for 35 years. Got it home and with some minor mechanical it was ready to go. First time it started up some wires under the hood started to smoke/burn. Next time it was under the hood. Yep, new wire harness before the fun starts. As I started pulling things out to get to the harness stuff the seats, door panels ect. came apart in my hands--looks like a waste of time not to do a full restoration inside the car--so much for "they are only original once." But, the good thing is that I will not have to paint it right away. A long way to go Ray, to say "stuff happens" but all is not lost--we love this stuff.....

bent metal

Well I'm glad you didn't get hurt when the car jumped forward! I'm always reminding my son to never stand in front of the car when some one is trying to start it, or turning it over. That is one reason why.

Don't let that little mishap get you down. Straighten up the fenders and grill and keep going. Think of it this way, "She is ready to get out there on the road.". You can barely keep her caged up in the garage.

duncan

Why does the car junp ahead when the transmition is low.I thought I had enough oil in the tranny it was anout 1 1/2 inches above the full mark. I went back to look at the car and only 3 scrapes and readjust front fenders and fix small dent in rad support.Thanks very much for the concern I appreciate this. Very Hudsonly Ray

RL Chilton

Don't despair, Ray. About 10 years ago, a fellow club member was loosening his beloved Hudson convertible on the trailer and it rolled forward and crushed and killed him. Count your blessings! At least you are not hurt. It can always be worse. And everything that got scuffed can be fixed.

I always do what Ken does whenever a tranny gets altered/repaired/re-built/installed for first time: set parking brake, chock the wheels before testing, and when possible, don't do your test in the garage.

duncan

No I didn't get hurt. That was good . Ray

SuperDave

A rule I follow after a near miss year ago.... I now put the rear wheels up on jack stands and block the front ones. And OUT of the garage!

MikeWA

Glad you didn't get hurt, that's the main thing. "Stuff" can be fixed, human beings not so much.

If its any consolation, a lot of us learned something from your experience- I had no idea such a thing was possible, and will file the info away for future reference.

dougson

What can go wrong you say? I started a fire under the gas tank, allowed the car to roll off the lift at about three feet above the ground, scratched the new paint the first time I closed the hood, had a water hose burst (just missing my face), two lifters replaced, brake booster failure, .... I know there's more...

Chris Smith

Well Ray, A Saint Christopher medallion may be a good investment.

duncan

Thats a good idea Chris. DougsonThat would realy make me cry more than I did. As of next week our good friend that is helping us financly is going to come to our place and take the Hudson to his shop to finish putting it together.I told him what happened and he said bring it to his place. And I jacked up the back wheels so no more accidents. Thank to all for the words of enceragement. Very Hudsonly Ray

duncan

My friend come over tonight and we started the hudson with back wheels on jack stands but the engine backfires some times and said I need to readjust valves. But runs good otherwise. The front carb seems to be hissing when being turned over with starter. Ray