Will a Hash 308 swap into a 52 Nash
Does anybody Know what changes if any AMC made to their unibody to accommodate the Hornet 308 in 55 ? I've got a solid 52 Ambassador and a friend in the club has a rusted out 55 Hornet both with hydramatics. Can I build a 308 Nash without major surgery? Thanks
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Comments
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Thats an interesting idea ,I would think any items that were needed would be on the Hudson and could be reused.
Roger0 -
Sounds like a fun project!0
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You can jam just about anything into anything. I remember, way back, somebody put a small block Ford V-8 in a Crosley.
I myself built several 1938-1940 Dodge coupes with 1953 Dodge 241 small block hemis in them back in the 50's. Don Moore, a Hudson dealer in MA, put a 308 in a 1934 Hudson - his son, Eddy, said the car would do everything but stop. I can relate to that - if I were to build one of those hemi coupes today I sure would put, at least, front disk brakes. Back in the 50's where I lived in Southern Maine traffic wasn't heavy enough to a problem when trying to stop. Weren't to many cars driven by my age group back then that could beat that engine combination.
Hudsonly,
Alex Bur
Memphis, TN0 -
I'm hoping it would be pretty close to a bolt-in swap. Intake and exhaust are on opposite sides of the block but I don't think that would be an issue. The engine compartment may have been changed to accept the Packard V-8 so maybe firewall, spring towers, steering box might have changed, as well as the crossmember. I don't want to do anything that is not reversible. Might have to get the two cars side by side but maybe somebody knows if the 52 and 55 unibodys are basically the same. I'd rather rebuild a 308 than the Nash motor and have 50% power increase.0
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Talk to PAULARGETYPE on here he's a Hash as well as regular Hudson fan. He may shed some light on your delema,
Roger0 -
Is the Ambassador the largest Nash model? The 308 would only fit the largest Nash in '55, the smaller model could only accomodate a 202 (I think- or maybe 212?)- making what some have called a truly anemic combination. It was called a Hudson Wasp, but not sure which Nash model it corresponded to.
I'd be surprised is its anything close to "bolt in", because Nash and Hudson had nothing in common in '52. About the only way to find out is to drag out the measuring tape and camera, and go to work.0 -
The Ambassador is the big Nash and has a 7 main bearing OHV 6 in it so I'm pretty sure there is no problem with length. I think the real question is if Kenosha changed the 52-54 unibody for 55 to accommodate either the Hudson or Packard engines that would prevent the 55 Hornet parts from updating the 52 unibody without major structural changes. Hudson did not really change the stepdown unibody from 48-54 mostly for financial reasons as it costs a lot more to change a unibody than body on frame construction and I hope the same is true of 52-57 Nashes. I know they went to a wraparound windshield in 55 but otherwise it looks like basically the same car. If they did change it I'll bet it was for the V-8 and not the 308.0
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Well they did change the 308 rather than the body from what I understand. Guys will correct me if Ive missuderstood. But the 308 for the Hash had a different Twin-H manifold thattook up less room . And the fact that it would be impossibel to get to the valves they went to the hydrolic lifters. The 202 has a different oil pan and oil pick up and front motor mounting I believe,
Roger0 -
WELL I'M SURE IT WILL FIT AND I'M THINKING THE PAN ON THE 55 308 IS BACKWARD FROM THE NORMAL STEP/DOWN PAN SO YOU WILL HAVE NO TROUBLE THERE AND IF YOU USE THE LATER TRANSMISSION IT WILL BOLT UP TO THE DRIVE SHAFT TUBE I'M THINKING IT WILL AL JUST ABOUT BOLT UP I'VE NEVER DONE IT IN A EARLY BODY BUT I WOULD BET IT WIULL ALL FIT UP WITH OUT TO MUCH TROUBLE IF YOU NEED TRANS MOUNTS I KNOW I HGAVE AROUND 10 OF THEM IT TAKES 2 GOOD LUCK0
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That sounds encouraging ,now all you need is a warm garage and a tool box !
Roger0 -
roger i have the tools and a furnance but the garage is full and theres snow on the ground and your 6 hours west of me so sorry i'm no help0
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I have a similar problem with space myself .Seems like whenever I move a car out I bring a truck load of parts into its place. Too big a space to run the heat ,would cost too much. So I just dress warm or wait for a warm day. Here in the Midwest it changes seek to week .Will be 50 today and was not above freezing last several days with teens at night. And next week its going to get cold and snow they are saying.
Roger0 -
I looked at a 57 today and it looks different under the hood than my 52 as you would expect with the 327 AMC in there. Besides the engine block the spring towers, shock mounting, lower control arm mounts, radiator mount all look different to me, firewall looked familiar.0
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The 55 thats rotted out have a heater core in it ? I have been lookin all over for 1.0
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There is a 55 Hornet on ebay with pix of the engine compartment which looks like the 57 Hornet and not my 52 Nash so it appears there were changes in 55 but I don't know if that nixes the project. Ebay car has a Packard V-80
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Don't know about heater core but will check when I see the car0
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Does anyone have underhood pictures of a 55 Hornet with a 308?0
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I have a bunch from when I pulled the engine to grind the valves in a 55 years ago. Here is a few. If you need something specific that these don't show I can try to find it for you in the ones I have . Rob0
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Thanks for the pictures, that looks like the 57 engine compartment.0
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55-57 compartment should be quite simmilar I would think, with minor changes to motor mounts for engine maybe,
Roger0 -
Would this then be a Nudson?0
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Or a Hush?0
This discussion has been closed.
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