Go with the Hudson and make your roadster yours. I love flathead Fords but running something different makes it more fun.
my 49' 8ba was stock rated at 100 hp..with a cam..heads..and carbs..a moderate 150hp would be expected..so what is the stock hp of that hudson?.. <input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="if(typeof(jsCall)=='function'){jsCall();}else{setTimeout('jsCall()',500);}" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">
Hey Greg in Jacksonville- what's the story with that picture? Some Hudson numbers from Wikipedia... 1951 All Hornets were powered by Hudson's high-compression straight-six "H-145" engine. An L-head (flathead or sidevalve) design, at 308 cu in (5.0 L) it was the "largest [displacement] six-cylinder engine in the world" at the time. It had a two-barrel carburetor and produced 145 hp (108 kW) at 3800 rpm and 275 lb·ft (373 N·m) of torque.[3] The engine was capable of far more power in the hands of precision tuners, including Marshall Teague, who claimed he could get 112 miles per hour (180.2 km/h) from an AAA- orNASCAR-certified stock Hornet, as well as Hudson engineers who developed "severe usage" options (thinly disguised racing parts).[4] The combination of the Hudson engine with overall road-ability of the Hornets, plus the fact these cars were over engineered and over built, made them unbeatable in competition on the dirt and the very few paved tracks of the 1950s.[5] In 1952 the "Twin H-Power" version was introduced with dual single-barrel carburetors atop a dual-intake manifold, and power rose to170 hp (127 kW). The hood featured a functional scoop that ducts cold air to the carburetors and was considered "ventilation" in 1954, rather than ram air.[1] The engine could be tuned to produce 210 hp (157 kW) when equipped with the "7-X" modifications that Hudson introduced later.[3] During 1952 and 1953 the Hornet received minor cosmetic enhancements, and still closely resembled the Commodore of 1948. The Hornet proved near-invincible in stock-car racing.[4] "[D]espite its racing successes...sales began to languish."[2] Hudson's competitors, using separate body-on-frame designs, could change the look of their models on a yearly basis without expensive chassis alterations"[2] whereas the Hornet's "modern, sophisticated unibody design was expensive to update," so it "was essentially locked in" and "suffered against the planned obsolescence of the Big Three [General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler] automakers. Hudson Hornet 1952 model year production totaled 35,921 units.
... I've got the Twin-H manifold and was told by some old dirt trackers that it takes very little to mount 2x2bbls. on instead of the singles. I also have an aluminum Super-Power Dome head...
Go with the Hudson, my 49 with stick overdrive will suprise you and it is mild, bored 30 over, 7X grind cam, Twin H with an old set of Clifford headers and a 4.09 rearend. The last time it went to southern California I went over the Grapevine in high gear in the fast lane without one car passing me. Most dont get it but for a 65 year old car it will get out of its own way. And the stick overdrive is fragile if you get on it from a stop, twist the input shaft like its made of butter. Im biased having been around Hudsons my whole life and am a fourth generation Hudson owner but have driven my fair share of Flathead Fords and the torque from the Hudson 6 is awesome.
I am somewhat in agreement with the Ford in a Ford but if you have the Hudson different is great too!
Altho I'm a firm believer in the Ford-in-a-Ford idea, and love the sound of a Flatty, the Hudson has a lot more power from the get-go, & sure would be cool in a fenferless roadster!
You seem to be inclined to go with the popular vote, and I'll grant you that it would be easier than stretching your car. Being the kind, concerned, and helpful gent that I am, I'll gladly take that 308 and Twin H off of your hands!
I'm not a Ford fan as a rule, and I love "orphan cars" and perfer a inline six in almost everything, so you'd think I'd vote Hudson. You'd be wrong. In an A, I'd have to go with the Ford. The A and a Flathead ford- that's traditional rodding at it's best to me. I'd say save the Hudson for the next project- a little lakes modified with the Hudson in it to scoot around would be sweet.
Flathead ford or the 6, you're putting a flathead in and not a cookie cutter engine! I'm a flathead ford guy all the way, but I'm working on a Nash straight 6 flatty and I am LOVING it! Technical stuff aside(if it will fit or not) I'd say the Hudson cuz you already have it! Either way it will be awesome!
GO Hudson... Check out the sound of this vid clip. It's from jalopnik.com. here's the link: http://jalopnik.com/387445/ass+kickin-engine-of-the-day-hudson-six <object width="640" height="390"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8YjrHhXrV8o&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="640" height="390"></object>
I think you should run the Ford. Send the Hudson motor to me. As for transmissions, K-Gap makes adapter plates for whatever you want.
the flat head is a pretty motor and i,m not a boreing ford in a ford kind of guy but in this chioce it would be the ford v-8 but if you said caddy or linc flathead i would have voted for one of them
You know, it strikes me funny. Where are all the "build it your way" posts on this thread? Heres a chance to do something A) different B) Hamb friendly and C) period, and theres not one word from them, and everyone is telling him to run the flatty. That way it will blend in nicely with all the other flathead equipped Model A's. Am I missing something here? Just sayin'
If it's the cost, flatheads are not "rocket science" to rebuild as long as you get a good block that doesn't require tons of work and parts are available everywhere. Trying to find someone who actually knows how to rebuild a Hudson could be a problem and what's that gonna cost when you do find someone??
There is a pretty strong undercurrent in the old car world that lives and breathes Hudson and we have a HAMBer that rebuilds Hudsons for a living and is very generous with his knowledge... and as you said yourself, its not exactly rocket science. Thank god for Egge and Clifford. Since I will be doing the work myself other than machining regardless of what engine I choose, I don't think finding and paying someone to do the work is going to be an issue.
I am gonna be watching the build thread. This one is gonna be cool! Gigantor, once this thing is done, if any of the flatty boys give you grief, give 'em the traditional, old-school response...DRAG IT OUT!
You know where I stand... HUDSON it baby! I would run a Hornet Engine in any and I mean any other car I was going to play around with. I think a strong 308 would be perfect for a 57 Corvette or 65 Mustang but that's just ME. By the way the US 15 Green Hornet is owned by a friend of mine. He has had that since the early sixty's and been drag racing it since day one. Personally I love the way mine Lopes along at 550rpm in drive at a stop light or wails in the burnout box open headers. They can look excellent for a flathead with a polished aluminum head, cool multi carb intake or a supercharger set-up. Length is the biggest concern as I believe they are 38-39" long from the front of the water pump pulley bolts to the back block plate for the transmission. I had to set the firewall back 12" in my 64 Studebaker Lark 2door for it to fit and the spacing from the pulley bolts to the radiator is the same as the Studebaker 170 six. Its a long, long bad a$$ engine to swap and with some aluminum parts & header its about 480-525lbs. Later, PaceRacer50
I would have to go with the Ford v8,Could be costly to rebuild. I'm running a 8ba with a c4 , like it,many more speed goodie.Do you ever go down to Gardner on thursday.Talk to Walt the flathead king.
For me it would depend on the body. If you are using the A body then I say flathead Ford - I got four of them. But the idea of a Hudson in a long chassis with modified style body would be too much to resist. I look at the period pics like Falcongeorge posted above and see that car with the "6" on the side? Now that's sweet! Long hood, maybe under slung parallel springs in the front! Don't see too many of those out there.... I say build em both!
U already know my answer and HENRY built em both!! WITH that said start project #2...build some rails install the Hudson and welcome to the NOSTALGIA DRAGS!!!!!!
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]You gotta go the Hudson route lengthen frame and wheelbase 4" doesn't detract from proportions of model A at all as long as your not running fenders or hood. Look to Dean Batchelors book "American hotrod-Dry lakes to Drag strips" for inspiration. If you want to run fenders or hood go with another A-V8. Lee (a Ford flathead fan) DETONATORS cc, London, England [/FONT]
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