Questions about first Hudson project: 1950 straight six

Cstock

Hi,

I’m new o the forum and have never owned a classic car before. I’ve come across a good looking 1950 Hudson straight six. My end goal is to chop, channel, and bag it.

1) I want to put a modern engine in it and transmission. What are some good options? Thinking simple reliable 350 small block. No clues on transmission or how to link it all together.

2) do I need to change the electrical? What to?

3). Want to add heat and air, suggestions?

4) she has no door panels or interior roofing, any ideas how to remedy this?

5). I want it to be able to hit 80-100mph. I’m told that requires a new rear end. What’s a good more modern fit?

Now for your disappointment: I will not be doing the work myself, I have no experience and minimal mechanical know how.

I’m also brand new to the forum. Any info, website recommendations, places to look for parts, suggestions and reality checks are VERY welcome.

Thank you all in advance

1954Hudson

Drive it first to start with if you can

Jon B

Sounds like an ambitious project involving a great deal of money (especially if you're paying someone else to do the work!). As 1954 says....if the car's running, why don't you drive it around first to get an idea what it's like? You might discover that you can "live" with some aspects of the car, then you wouldn't have to update quite so much!

You ask about parts: many of us belong to the Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Club, which is an excellent clearinghouse of technical information and information on parts sources.https://hetclub.org/

KustomKreeps

Cstock said:

Hi,

I’m new o the forum and have never owned a classic car before. I’ve come across a good looking 1950 Hudson straight six. My end goal is to chop, channel, and bag it.
We talking a coup or a 4door? Coupe will be much easier but either way its going to cost some serious wedge. How much are you looking at chopping? keep in mind the hudsons already look kinda chopped straight from the factory with a roof line many Mercs try to get. Channeling - hell yeah. often thought 1 or 2 inch off the doors. But it is even harder than a roof chop to get right if you ask me.

1) I want to put a modern engine in it and transmission. What are some good options? Thinking simple reliable 350 small block. No clues on transmission or how to link it all together.
350 chev will fit in with heaps of room. big blocks can fit in so a small block no problems. being a front distributor I also doubt you will need to alter the trans cover/floor pan at all. Wanting Auto trans? 700r4 is easy with no computers. You will need to redo the drive shaft and I would also change out the diff as well. Something that comes with modern brakes. Since you plan to bag it anyway it might not be too bigger deal.

2) do I need to change the electrical? What to?
it will be 6v currently. you will need to go to 12v to run the V8. heap of threads on here about 12v conversion and many of the guys have done it and will have tips. for me im using an American Auto Wire Highway 22 Kit. not the cheapest but one of the best.

3). Want to add heat and air, suggestions?
What do you need? VintageAir do a good system but it can get pricy. Go to summit and use the search filters to take a skim over what is out there. For me I like the old vent cowl and think it works well and the old weather master heaters are cool. Unfortunately I doubt I will be able to use my weather master.

4) she has no door panels or interior roofing, any ideas how to remedy this?
Doors will be easy. its all flat panels really with striaght lines no curves. So plastic board with a bit of foam glued on thats trimmed to shape then your choice of fabric on the out side folded around it and glued again. Headliner can be sought from various online stores.

5). I want it to be able to hit 80-100mph. I’m told that requires a new rear end. What’s a good more modern fit?
Personally I would swap out the rear. Kinda depends on the power plant.

Now for your disappointment: I will not be doing the work myself, I have no experience and minimal mechanical know how.
No biggie man and old cars are great to learn on. Try to join a hot rod club or something as some of the guys will have some great know how. The chop and channel are HUGE projects. for me I would do the mechanical then focus on the body work. For one doing even one of those will cost a fortune. Way more than the car will ever be worth. So keep in mind you will never make your money back. Also I say do mechanical (engine, bags, diff, brakes etc) first as who wants to be that dude broken down on the side of a road with a nice looking chopped and shiny car but substandard mechanical. All show and no go. besides this is something you may be able to do or at least get help with and wont cost as much as building a custom.

I’m also brand new to the forum. Any info, website recommendations, places to look for parts, suggestions and reality checks are VERY welcome.

Thank you all in advance

check out my build thread in my sig or on HAMB. Ask questions. realize it will take years. Also it is cheaper to just go buy a turn key than build one.
if you want a full custom thats chopped and channeled on bags and updated drive train you will be looking at well over $100k i would imagine. maybe twice that depending on quality of parts and work.

Cstock

Thank you very much for such a detailed response! It is a 4 door.

Browniepetersen

If you are paying to have the work done, and your plan is to chop the car, might not be the best plan to start with a 4door. The step down cars are unibody in design and with all that metal involved with the top on a 4door your builder is going to have to have a lot of experience in metal work to make it happen. Builders are out there, but they do not work for pennuts. Your build is possible, but before you start you might want to select your builder and use him in the design of the car. If he is a good man he can help you with some of the decisions. Also, if you are going to put this kind of money in a modified Hudson, a SBC would not be my engine of choice. You can use any of a number of engines out there but you might want to consider using the Hudson engine. There are a lot of things you can do with that engine linked up to a 700R4 tranny. You might check out the Hudson Modified Facebook page. We show a lot of project cars that might help you in the process. There is also a shop in Boise Idaho that is currently building a stepdown with a V-10 engine. Anyway, keep in touch with us on your decision, and you really should join up with a local Chapter of the Hudson, Essex Terraplane club. There are always good projects throughout the Hudson family that are available for purchase.

KustomKreeps

if its a four door and you are wanting to Chop n section then also think about converting it to a two door coupe. It may be much cheaper in the end to convert then C&S it. A dude on hamb is currently doing a 49 hudson four door - converting to two door then chop. HAMB Thread: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1948-hudson-build-1-0.1119393/ two door chops are much easier to do as you dont need to worry about the extra pillars etc. Getting a good roofline/flow. For me I would buy some coupe doors and turn it into a coupe. extend the rear vent window to mirror the drip rail a bit more. then I would stand back and think if it needs the chop. just extending the back vent window and turning it to a coup will give an illusion of a lower roof.