I have cruised this board in passing for some time, and decided it was time to register and perhaps contribute a bit should a topic I know pop up. I've built antique pulling tractors for most of my life and have stayed close to the cruel and unusual in antique engines. The reason for the facination with tractors was 1) I'm a farmboy and use those old horses; and 2) they are raw, old school, and damn tough pieces of history. I loved the challenge of doubling and in some cases tripling the hp of those engines while keeping the externals original and undetectably modified. I have stayed away from cars, even though I love them dearly, simply because the trailer queen and "sbc in everything" mentality made me physically sick to be in the presence of - still does. I got to know the Hudson-Essex-Terraplane club members online and their "drive 'em" attitude, and thought perhaps I had the wrong impression of car enthusiasts in total. I went to the Hot Rod reunion in Bowling Green Ky in 2003 and came into contact with my first "real rodders", admired their outlook and their cars. I love this sector of rodding and have started down my own path with a Hudson Super Wasp. I got into inline flatheads while tractor pulling and came to admire the Hornet engine as perhaps the finest flathead ever produced for automotive use. I have no idea what kind of success I will have in building flatheads for the street/strip, but enjoyed success on the pulling track. If I can help anyone with a Hudson or Mopar Inline flathead, please feel free to give me a shout. Hudson
Welcome.. What part 10 C you from. Several hamb people from tenn..I at one time knew a man who raced a 7X with 2 mccullogh blowers..
Welcome to the Hamb. I just got back from Bowling Green, and saw a blown flathead ford roadster cut a record setting sub 8 second 1/4 mile time. (I can't remember the exact number). There were lots of flatheads and sixes there. There used to be a team on the west coast with a flathead hudson six dragster,that held the record also. Sparky
I appreciate the welcome Fellas! You sure know how to make me feel right at home by mentioning McCulloch blown 7x's and sub-8 second flatheads! I live in Macon Co. Tennessee, right up near the Ky state line. Are there any H.A.M.B.'er activities going on around the mid-south? I'd sure like to get to know my neighbors! The Hot Rod reunion kinda overwhelmed me this year. I only attended on Saturday and had made it a point to not miss a single run down the strip. I cruised the pits hurriedly and made a note of the flatheads, I think I saw the car you are talking about - but DID NOT SEE IT RUN - DAMMIT! Did it run on Sunday? I can see that event becoming a multi-day happening for me, I'm missing too much. I didn't see half the cars and practicly none of the vendors at the circle track. I got there at 9am and left at 6pm - still wishing I had more time to give the cars another going through! I have no experiance on sactioned tracks, I did alot of backroad racing in the '80s but decided I needed to change my ways after a rather heinous encounter with the law liberated me of my license. I got into antique tractor pulling because I loved the challenge of building engines for which no "off the shelf" parts existed. I really want to build a flathead dragster featuring the Hornet engine, but I am way behind the 8-ball in track experiance. The most fun I've ever had tractor pulling, was working with a 1947 Custom model B - and then razzing it down the track at 6000 rpm. Who says a mopar flatty won't rev?
Welcome to the HAMB. Since you like Hudson flatheads, I just figured I jump in here and tell you about these guys: www.uncommonengineering.com If you haven't heard of them yet, check them out. They do some pricey but beautiful work. I'd kill for one of their flathead 4-71 setups for my coupe. Enjoy. Drew
I met the two older dudes with that dragster like 15 years ago at Palmdale they were a blast, the digger kicked arse too, they reckoned they didn't get invited to alot of things cause they kept kicking ford flatheads.......
I've known Steve for several years and is one of the reasons I'm such a fan of HET'ers. He and I hashed out several things in numerous e-mails and phone calls over the past 5 years. When Smokey and Clifford died within months of each other - it left a damn big hole in the Hudson performance world, I'm glad Steve stepped up to the plate and has done well. I have alot of confidence in Steve, and his work - and that's the way it is. Okay, now having said that - I can't get the man to do any work for me! He kinda laughs at me on the phone and says "do it yourself Mark!". I think he's waiting for me to finally come up with the flathead roller tappet outfit, see how that goes and do some techno swappage. I lost the OD out of my Wasp today, and I'm in a rush to get a T-5 adapted, funny how one's priorities get assigned? Hud
Who need a junk yard Twin H Power motor all there with tran. I know where there is one, still in the car. What's it worth.
The Jalopy Journal
