Driving my '50 C8

50C8DAN
50C8DAN Senior Contributor
in HUDSON
Everytime I get my C8 out in the spring (well now really warm winter day), it is a joy to drive.  Quiet and smooth.  I sure do wish Hudson had updated the H8 back in the day.  I also love my Hornet, but the H8 is just a great powerplant.

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  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    I agree with you  Dan, but IMHO putting the 8 cylinder in the Step-Down frame was a step too far, particularly in r.h.d. mode.   L.h.d. was not so bad, but here in  the antipodes with the steering box, drag link, gear shift cable, manifolds, exhaust pipe etc.  all crammed into that limited space it is a pain to get to the fuel pump, distributor, and oil pump.   Jet is as bad, particularly the fuel pump.   compared to the 20's and 30's models, servicing is much more difficult.   I envy you people with cars as they were designed to be, with steering etc on the left hand side.   
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    Geoff, I see what you mean and I had not thought of it before you mentioned it!
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    The straight  8 cylinder had done it's dash in most cars by that time.   Pontiac. Packard, Buick, and Hudson still had them, but by the 60's they were all gone, and the all-conquering V8's were  in.  I agree though, the Hudson 8 is an incredible motor.   Technology caught up with it unfortunately, with white metal bearings throughout, the mains needed line boring, and  was still splash feed.   When you consider it's pedigree, it evolved from the first Essex 6 of 1924,  and lasted until '52, it was a great run.   There is a story of the  Hudson engineering department worked an 8 with pressure fed bearings, and 5" stroke, but management quashed it.  This was 1952 or 3 
  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor
    I still have Bernie Seigfried's article on the early 50's H8 modernization experiment and his comment that the said engine could have run and hidden from the Hornet 6.  However, by the time the experimental work was done, so were the days of the L8 and close behind the flathead engine designs.  Hudson was however stubborn, the Jet 6 was the last "new" L6 automobile engine put into production.  The fact that AMC and Chrysler kept an L6 going into the 60s is quite surprising.  On the other hand, a company in Europe introduced, not too long ago a flathead propeller aircraft engine, all aluminum and very compact, with fuel injection and other modern features. it is quite an amazing thing to see the flathead design survive even in this form.

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