A real 500 hp Hudson!

Jon B
Jon B Administrator
edited November -1 in HUDSON
Here's an interesting car that's being raced by Richard Pridemore, H-E-T member from Stokesdale, N.C.



Rick writes: There are still a few Hudsons pounding the short tracks in the South. This is not your father's Hudson nor is it a Doc Hudson. Our cars run as a Vintage class with the only qualification being that they look like a car that would have ran between 1930 and 1968. This car is a 2 year old Craftsman series truck with a 1949 skin. The go is provided by a 500 plus HP engine. The car is faster than I can drive it but I'm learning fast.


R-Pridemore-3.jpg?et=DMueIJCxGiy5ayFbicfPlA&nmid=284700249



R-Pridemore-2.jpg?et=u3EdHqRO0P%2BmcmV%2CAuldQg&nmid=284700249



R-Pridemore-1.jpg?et=fOdGSByrwJmLA3hxyR3b2Q&nmid=284700249

Comments

  • Ol racer
    Ol racer Senior Contributor
    FYI



    It is awsome to see another Hudson on a Stock Car Race Track...It appears to have NASCAR Wheels & Tires with a floater rear end for safety. I assume Rick has his Hubs & Disc brakes on all 4 corners....Nice Job & Good Luck,

    Chuck
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Jon, My understanding is that the engine is a GM engine and the body is sitting on an S-10 frame. I'm curious as to which 500 hp GM engine he's using?
  • SuperDave
    SuperDave Senior Contributor
    I talked to Richard for a while at Pigeon forge last year. The chassis is a complete Nascar Series Racing truck chassis. That ,for the most part is a shortened older series Nextel Cup chassis. Floater,Truck arms etc. All the engineering has been done. The fitment of the body looks like a work of art. As far as the engine is concerened.. Yes it is a 350 based small block Chevy..A real rocket ship! I think the engine rules are pretty flexible! ... You think?
  • Browniepetersen
    Browniepetersen Senior Contributor
    Am I the only one that is wondering why we call this a Hudson. Just exactly what is Original Hudson built on this car?
  • SuperDave
    SuperDave Senior Contributor
    Browniepetersen wrote:
    Am I the only one that is wondering why we call this a Hudson. Just exactly what is Original Hudson built on this car?



    The body only.. but ask him if he's having any fun..:Ain't that what it's all about?
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    We could go back to the late 1930's, when Ford flat heads ruled the roads - and tracks. Were they stock - not on your life. About the only thing stock on those things was the basic block. From there on in, it wasn't your basic stock flat head V-8 engine. I have never seen hp ratings on some of those fire breathers, but I have to go out on a limb and say they were probably putting out over 200 hp. Not bad for a factory stock 80 hp, or there abouts, flat head.

    And most of the engineering was done in back woods shops by guys with barely, if any, high school education. They were called tripper mechanics - or, the more recognizable term, moonshine mechanics.



    Hudsonly,

    Alex Burr
  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member
    hudsontech wrote:
    We could go back to the late 1930's, when Ford flat heads ruled the roads - and tracks. Were they stock - not on your life. About the only thing stock on those things was the basic block. From there on in, it wasn't your basic stock flat head V-8 engine. I have never seen hp ratings on some of those fire breathers, but I have to go out on a limb and say they were probably putting out over 200 hp. Not bad for a factory stock 80 hp, or there abouts, flat head.

    And most of the engineering was done in back woods shops by guys with barely, if any, high school education. They were called tripper mechanics - or, the more recognizable term, moonshine mechanics.



    Hudsonly,

    Alex Burr



    Even still today, with Ardun heads, balanced assembly, Scot Blower, and multiple carbs, is going to get you about 300hp max.



    Flatheads in general really are for us purists. If you want REAL hp, it's OHV later model V-8's, plain and simple.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Way to go Richard. Fun is what its all about. I try to get around and talk to Richard at Pigeon Forge every year and look forward to that.



    This whole "vintage" racing thing caught my attention a few years ago, and did start out with vintage only parts. It soon turned into what it is now, showcasing body types rather than anything else vintage. We'll take what we can get, at least folks see a well built Hudson out there whoopin' it up!



    There were some vintage guys out of Owensboro Ky that had some pretty stringent rules about this: original frames (boxed/strengthened) straight front axles (no A-framed suspensions), and no engine with overhead valves. I think the body types were limited to pre-39. I don't know what happened to them as they were just touring this part of the south, putting on heats at whatever local circle track they could find. Both myself and the crowd absolutely loved it! I talked to the fellas as much as the time would allow when they showed up at Riverview in Carthage Tn. I've lost track of them since.



    I'd venture to guess that whereever there is a motorsport, you're gonna find a Hudson fanatic somewhere - in NC and under the rules he's dealing with - we now know Richard is right in there!



    Mark
This discussion has been closed.

Categories

In this Discussion