looking for recommendations 1940 hudson
Jennrich827
Member
in Street Rods
I have a 1940 Hudson. we are wanting to replace the front and rear end. any one have any recommendations? were replacing the original Hudson motor and transmission with a 350 small block.
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Comments
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Please save the motor and tranny as the rest of us are looking for that stuff. If it's the model 44 eight, there are only half a dozen of them left.0
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I think this one has the 175 cid, 6-cylinder engine
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its a 6cyl0
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leave it alone !!
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great idea getting rid of the old anchor and updateing the drive train.
Whats the wheel base on the 40?
40s are not unibody like steepdowns are they?0 -
wheelbase is 114 inches... the paper work I found online says it should be 113.0
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You could always do a chassis swap and get an updated suspension and motor all at the same time with simple body mount fabrication. I did a search yesterday for another member on here and found a first generation Blazer would be a good candidate. It's your car so do as you please. Though it is always extremely helpful to put up anything you're pulling off your car onto here so someone else can either rebuild or reuse it.
V/R
Ryan0 -
No chassis swap. Before you know it won't be finished and you will have a turd. I'd leave alone or just motor and rearend swap.0
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I see these unfinished projects all the time. Owner gets in over their head and the project is left to rot into the bin of history. Keep it simple and within your ability. Don't let other "dreamers" lead you into a forever project that won't work as well as what you started with.
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Kdancy nailed it.0
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Kdancy nailed it !!!0
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I agree with Kdancy, a chassis swap is a massive a lot of work and plenty of people get burnt out on the project. I see that on all projects though, not necessarily just chassis swaps. Was just trying to provide an alternative route, wasn't attempting to lead anyone into a "forever project" as you said.
V/R,
Ryan
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I was told if we didn't swap chassis it would be a really bumpy ride and we wouldn't be able to drive faster than 45 mph.0
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So who told you these "Alternative facts"???0
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YIKES! Who is giving you advice?
(I regularly cruise all day at 60mph in my '37 T, with its "primitive" chassis!)
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I drive my '38 and '47 70mph (both overdrive on 3X5 with 4:11 rear) with no problems.0
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As you can see from the last two posts someone is giving you some bad advice. We have a lot of modified 30's/40's Hudson's running around with SBC and 10" ford rear ends. As a matter of fact, most of the hot rods on the road today use this combination. You need to get with some Hudson folks that have done this swap and take some notes. A regional or national meet would be the perfect place to do this--look one up in your area or join us in San Diego the last week of august and see your project under construction and in action.... We have a lot of Hudson's that attend during the process.
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All the above advice is great but no one has asked you what you want to do with the car. What do you want to use the car for? Cruising around with stretches longer that 30 min on the freeway at speeds above 60mph...... go the modification route, new engine and drive train. You will be happier. If you are cruising around town go stock. I have a 37 straight 8 and there is no way it can do freeway speeds without blowing up (no overdrive). I have a 46 pickup that I added and overdrive and tall tires to. It will go 60 for short periods of time but is not real happy. 50 - 55 is much more to its liking. So really consider what you are going to use the car for. I have a 53 hornet with a stroked 308. It loves to go fast all day long...... The vintage coach guys got it up to 97 the other day while tuning it and I think there was more left in it. It really pulls but it also has a triple weber setup.
Jay
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An example of "Bad Advice" above! We have driven a 46 Pickup continuously at Interstate speeds for over 200 miles at a time with the original 3 X 5 six cylinder with overdrive transmission and a 4.11 rear end. All the truck would say was "lets go some more - I really like this". The trouble with most of you young bucks is you start dreaming of modifications that can be done at large sums of money, and you don't even try the car or truck in it's original form before jumping to conclusions of what must be done. Pardon me, but I just get wound up on this subject and am concerned that before long nobody will be enjoying HUDSONS and there will not be any original examples left for people to admire and enjoy driving. These cars do not suffer from the inadequacies of the comparably aged Ford, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Chrysler, Kaiser or Nash models of the same comparable age. Hudsons were built to travel and give those inside the car a great traveling experience. As for the 308 ci Hornet, I have a '54 that dearly loves to run - in fact it will do an honest clocked 112 MPH in stock form without any help from exotic aftermarket equipment - so there again what is the need to butcher the originality of the car just to say "look what I've added to this old car" ! ! ! I'll get off of my soap box now.
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Well said Jerry. Cheap advice from armchair wannabe's. None of them ever turned a wrench on an origional Hudson. BTW It takes a real man to restore a car. Anyone can cut one up0
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AMEN, Well said, Jerry and Lance. Each time I read these type of comments, my blood pressure rises. The 4.11 rear is best for use with overdrive if you wist to cruise at + 70.0
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Well from the young bucks stand point
I say if you own the car its yours to do with what you like. Its you who has to drive it and enjoy it.
It can take a lot of cash to restore or to modify.
Having done both I can tell you its much harder to modify properly. Instead of just ordering XYZ part from a site or from a collector as you follow the manual you need to do math & do the research to make sure it fits and will work with everything else.
If you live in a country with strict rules on modification then the degree of work man ship has to be much higher than just restoration.0 -
Your money, your car, your choice. Personally I like the original stuff. Drives just fine and its a lot of fun. Maybe I cant go 80 on the freeway but how many Hudson's are on the freeways these days. My 39 is fine just the way she was built. But I did add an overdrive trans.0
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Val, just interested, what overdrive did you fit to your '39? My Jet has 4.1 rear + o/d, and will happily do 70 m.p.h. all day, which is higher than the allowable here.
Geoff0 -
Geoff, I am not sure other than it is a 1950 single lever O/D. I know some modifications to the frame had to be made. Minor I think. If you email Doug Wildrick or catch up with him on the club forum he can give you more detail maybe as they are the ones who suggested I go with the O/D and told me what type to get. I got it from the president of my local chapter.0
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hello there,
i must comment on this as i also have a 1940 hudson coupe ... the car was in bad shape when i found it in a junkyard with a tree growing through the floor and out the side window ... my plan was to modify the car into a hot rod ... 35 years later, the car has gone through various changes (v8 chevy, 400 auto trans, ford 9" rearend) but the front end suspension was retained due to its' design and very nice handleing characteristics ... i did install a manual rack and new column because of slop in the multiple tierods and bell crank steering design of the original ... i have tried to keep the exterior as original as possible altho' i did "suicide" the doors to better match the "suicide" hood ...
if anyone needs certain 1940 hudson coupe parts, i have some motor and trans parts, brake parts, wheels and tires, etc ... let me know your needs
mark0 -
Do you happen to have a generator?0
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Well i have 3 friends who " cut up cars" and hotrods them out. When we first got it one of them who doesn't believe in keeping anything origional came over and looked at it. Proceeded to tell my boyfriend all of the stuff he should do. When i stepped in and said no...im keeping it origional he got all mad and left and said not to call him he would never help us. These guys aren't mechanics but they call themselves that. My dad who is a gm mechanic calls them parts changers. I bought this as a project hoping id have it started already but now my boyfriend doesnt want to help me because he doesn't want it origional.0
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well thats a bit rude of ya man if you ask me. he should be stoked you are into cars and you found a rare cool old one.
I would say battle ahead. Watch youtube and ask questions here. these guys love the old Hudsons and have a huge amount of experience.
Seeing you stuggle away might kick your boy in to action. I love working on my Hudson with my missus who is learning so much.
Start slow dont just go rip shitz out. Take heaps of photos and videos so you know how to put it back together. May seem obvious now its together that those four screws go there but months/years latter it might no longer. so short videos help.
Contact local car clubs etc they may be able to help or recommend people for the parts you are not confident doing.
If suddenly it all feels to much and you just cant see any progress or light at the end of the tunnel. Close he door walk away or out source to get some help.0 -
Jenn: I applaud you for wanting to keep your uncommon car original. I have a 41 Commodore 8, and a 50 Super 6. Both of them are mostly original. I'm not "rabid" about things like radial tires, replacing the vacuum wiper motor with an electric one, and so forth. I wouldn't even have an issue with 12 volt conversion, and installing a GM single wire alternator and putting A/C in, if that helps you drive the car more. My 50 is non overdrive, and it isn't real happy about much faster than 55/60... But that's okay, because it forces me to slow down, and ENJOY THE JOURNEY, rather than just "enduring" the drive.
My issue with the SBC is simple....everyone does it, and it's kinda pointless. Kustom Creeps makes some good points above, and at least he is doing an uncommon swap, that will take skills and engineering know how.
I would be willing to bet that the REAL reason the boyfriend doesn't want to help you is because he is afraid of getting "shown up". There are an awful lot of alleged "car guys" who don't know nearly as much as they *think* they do...
For me, I'm always happy when the wife (or past girlfriends) showed interest in the hobby, and I tried to give them utmost support and encouragement and help however I could. After all, girls who like to "ride around" in cool old cars are a dime a dozen....the girls who want to "build/maintain" their own are much much rarer!
Please consider joining the HET club, as well as your local chapter. Then, SHOW UP at a local meet, or BBQ party or whatever they might have. I would be willing to bet that the local members will be so happy to have a youngster (defined as anyone under 50!! <span>
</span> ) that you will make a lot of new friends. The local gang in the Tri State Mtn Roads chapter hereabouts have quickly become some of my closest friends. The HET folks pretty much as a rule are pretty down to earth, genuine, non-snooty, welcoming types.
Best,
Jase0
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