HAS ANYBODY PUT A SMALL BLOCK CHEVY IN A 54 HORNET ?

wetasswilly

going to put a sbc and 400 tranns in her next week  any thoughts ? thanks

railknight

Please don't put a small block Chevy in a '54 Hornet.  Somewhere there's gotta' be a good 308 looking for a new home!

KustomKreeps

hell yeah man. A SBC should get the old tub of steal moving nice once you ditch the inline.

heap of room for a SBC. not sure how much different 54 is to 49 steepdowns but im putting a Buick 401 in my 49. should be doing that in the next week or so and will flick up pics that might be of interest.

you should do a build thread of your progress man. I would be keen to read it. Just note alot of guys here are into restoration more than modification. Still many do have modified vehicles and many have a wealth of knowledge relating to hudsons.

charles4d

Leave it alone

wetasswilly

i have no motor or tranny

wetasswilly

no title if i could found title and tag with a parts car would go differnt way 

Browniepetersen

Gentleman up the street from me has a SBC in his 46 Coupe, a SBC in his 37 Terraplane pick up and a Big Block Buick in his 53 Stepdown.  I think if I were grafting a new engine into my stepdown it would be one of those crate Hemi's that Chrysler is making--but go for it-any engine will fit if you want it bad enough.  I have a 3.2 Ford engine in my 1928 Essex Roadster Pick up hotrod.

50C8DAN

Your car do what you like, but for those that say anything but an inline I will remind you that that "old inline" crushed the V8s back in the day.  I have read where the Olds was called the "king of nascar", really?  Hemis of the day were no match for the Hornet.  Clifford ran his 308 powered Hornet in the drags through the '60s and did very well.  Bernie Siegfried had a 308 powered Wasp that was so successful in local circle tracks into the 70s they had to change the rules several times to disqualify him.  

I have no problem with SBC as I have had several over the years, but Hudson is a unique car so if going custom then think outside the SBC (belly button motor) box - go with something like a 502 or 472 Caddy, 455 Buick or Olds, or like Brownie said one of the new Hemis, or even a 3.8L turbo V6 from a Buick Grand National!!!

kiwijeff

Browniepetersen said:

  I have a 3.2 Ford engine in my 1928 Essex Roadster Pick up hotrod.

WOW!
Couldn't help myself, sorry for hijacking this thread, this truck is gorgeous.
Where can I see/read more about it please?

Browniepetersen

Jeff, the key here is that it is a hot rod.  I picked up a 1980 Shay and built a grill for it, bought a bunch of 1930 Essex wheels (4-hole) found enough hub caps and restored them and found some cowl lights (Downunder) and finished it off.  Nothing special, but really fun to drive as a daily driver....  If you google "Shay" you can see how easy it is to do one for yourself...

33kc1989

Anything but a sbc

bluenash

Chevys are easy to install the biggest thing is the driveshaft. I went with a one pc and changed rearends. I drove mine for quite a while.

wetasswilly

went with the 350 350 took 2nd in burn out LOL tire blow then rear end blow 

wetasswilly

https://www.facebook.com/RockabillyRuckusOhio/videos/541378546197430/

wetasswilly

had a blast and going back this year

wetasswilly

wetasswilly said:

had a blast and going back this year

wetasswilly

wetasswilly said:

wetasswilly said:

had a blast and going back this year

wetasswilly

1:48 till the bomb went off 

wetasswilly

https://www.facebook.com/brandon.morhac/videos/1668655026487509/?fbid=792439607584086&set=rpd.100013107633293&type=3&theater even has moonshine runs what a great show (3days)

KustomKreeps

looks fun. would uprate all those posts if we could on this forum.

Harpo

I put an 351w in my 54" with a FMX trans. worked out great!

cheyenne7271

Here's my take on the whole thing. A Hudson was a far better car than any Ford or Chevy and I am a Chevy/GM guy second only to Hudsons. SBC's are a great economical choice but I would never disgrace the Hudson mark with a Chevy motor, even an LS.  Like I said nothing wrong with all of those motors, have them in all my Chevys now.  Im just old school.  So if not a Hudson motor, at least an upscale engine like a Cadillac, Olds, or Buick (nail heads look cool). But you are having fun with yours and it looks cool and thats all that really matters. 

33kc1989

Don't forget the Hemi 

cheyenne7271

yeah, original Hemi from the 50's or 60's with multiple carbs, hehe