Drivetrain Options for 1937 Hudson 8

50ClubCoupe

I just picked up the '37 Hudson 8 coupe that was on CL and it's missing the drivetrain. I have a fellow has offered his 6 cylinder driveline from his '36 Terraplane but I can't find any information regarding fitment and interchange. I did see one thread where Geoff mentioned the 8 cylinder fitments but will this 6 cylinder fit without too many modifications? If this '36 won't work then I'll probably head a different direction all together with the power plant. It would be great if my spare 262 would be a viable option too but I'm guessing that would take a lot of modification.

50C8DAN

Why not just put a H8 in it. My guess is almost all the H8s from 35 on would fit. The '36 Terraplane drive train might work but it is on the low power end from what the car came with.

Jon B

It's quite possible that a H8 up to '52 will fit, along with its transmission. Carl Weber has a postwar H8 and transmission in his '35 cv and the transmission (which is a Borg Warner I believe) even has a floor shift lever. That B-W transmission was used in a number of marques including Studebaker pickups with floor shifters, thus the ability to fit the floor shift lever. Just the B-W 3-speed will fit, though; the B-W overdrive trans. is too tight against the X-frame. (Please correct me on all of this, if I'm wrong, Carl!)

50ClubCoupe

I'd love to put an H8 in it but I need to find one first.  Currently my options are the '36 Terraplane 6, my '50 262 with twin H or I find some other non-Hudson traditional hot rod motor (Mercury, Lincoln, etc.) and modify the car to fit it.  The '36 drive train is the front runner right now because the price is right and it will allow me to move the car around with ease.  I was hoping it would drop right in without any mods.

I'll start a post in the wanted section for an 8 cylinder and see if anyone has one available.

50C8DAN

With all the noise on Facebook I guess a post there might be a good idea as well for your H8.  There probably are a number of them out there.  

50C8DAN

I thought I remembered some 8s for sale.  

http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=343819936

53jetman

Dan,  Your 262 would fit in the Hudson 8 Chassis, using the same front mounting points for the '37 thru '47 front engine mount holes.  This along with a late ('52 to '54) transmission, and you are ready to roll !

50ClubCoupe

Jerry - The mounting points in my '37 frame are much more narrow than the mounting plate on my 262 motor.  Do I just swap the plate from the motor for an earlier one? And when you say '52-'54 tranny are you referring to an automatic so I don't have to mess with floor/column shift adaptations?

53jetman

Scott  -  I'm not sure about the front engine plate, however, I've been told that the 262 would fit the 37 Hudson Eight Chassis by using the same front mounting points on the frame with the '37 thru '47 front engine mounts.   The '52 thru '54 trans. I was referring to was the manual two lever transmission.

50ClubCoupe

Thanks  Jerry - I found the attached dimensions of my '37 frame and it lists the mounting point spacing at 16 15/32" but my '50 262 plate holes are just about 20" c-to-c. Maybe I'm missing something on my frame that provides for the additional distance?

Jon B

It looks like there are two mounting locations on that drawing -- one for the eight, and one for the six-cylinder engine.

If so, maybe you could consider a Jet engine (if indeed you could find one), because I've been told that a Jet will fit very nicely into a late thirties Terraplane or "112".  If indeed the Jet engine has the same footprint and mounting hole location as the 212cid six that originally went into the '37 Hudson Six and Terraplane, it might be a prime candidate.  (Of course, that presupposes that your frame has a second pair of mounting brackets already in place). 

Here's a Jet with Twin H, for sale: http://www.parts-vehicle.com/detail/complete-engines/1954-Hudson-Jet-Twin-H-202-Complete-Engine_111838982555.html#

RichardD

Scott, I asked the guy who is selling the Jet twin-H engine what the mount holes measured and he said: 19.5" or so side to side.
That for your info !!

50ClubCoupe

Thanks Richard, that's just about the same as the front mount on the 262.  So it would seem that the Jet, 262 (wide and narrow) and the 308, and presumably the 48-52 254 all have the same mounting hole distance on the front plate. I suppose I'll have to remeasure my car or see if anyone with a '30s x-frame can confirm the distance.  Thank you all very much for the help!