The 26 Starts!

Unknown

I haven't had a great deal to say this year with both the Super Sixes in

storage where they are difficult to get at. Indeed, neither has so much as

turned a wheel since December 2001. Sometime in the Spring, I turned the '29

over a few times on it's starter just to keep things limber, but no attempt

was made to start it as I had not oiled the rockers, a process that should be

performed every week or even every day if the car is used that often.

The '26 being a side valve has no rockers to oil and it was run for a few

minutes just the one time. I had no intention of neglecting these beauties

for so long, but out of sight, out of mind, I just got on to other projects.

With the Hudson Club AllCal meet coming up in a few weeks, I began to

wonder if either car would be in shape to go. If I really am able to make the

meet, by no means assured even now, it would be a shame to show up with no

Super Six!

An opportunity opened up last week to dash over and have an brief

assessment of the cars to see which might be coaxed out of it's long slumber.

First I oiled the rockers on the '29 and turned it over on it's starter. No

problem there, but it would take a bit of time for the oil to reach the

rockers and prevent damage. On to the '26, kept just a few cells away.

As part of the restoration process of the old Coupe, Neil Makin and I

installed an original '26 vacuum tank to replace the electric pump. I have

heard that if left standing, these old tanks will dry up after only a couple

of weeks, so I had no expectation that the '26 would actually fire. Almost as

bad, the battery was the same 6v Optima installed way back in 1995. There

didn't seem to be much cause for optimism that the '26 would actually run.

Nonetheless, I set the fuel valve on the vacuum tank to "on," and set the

steering wheel controls to open the hand throttle and retard the spark. A

gentile prod on the starter pedal produced the hoped for engine cranking

noises and very much to my surprise, the motor fired almost immediately! I

was actually a bit startled that it fired so quickly, and had to scramble to

reset the throttle to a lower setting and advance the spark.

The clutch, of course, was stuck, but it freed easily restarting it in

gear. Even though I had no assistant to watch fenders and bumper clearance,

it was just too tempting not to take her out for a lap or two of the cell

blocks. The old Hudson drove just as well as ever, almost like it wanted to

get out on the road again. The only fly in the ointment was that the radiator

must have leaked over the months as the car boiled after a single lap and I

reluctantly put it back into storage.







Paul O'Neil, Hudson29@aol.com

Fullerton, California USA

www.aerostamp.com



NEW email list for Hudson Super Six Cars, 1916-1929!

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