Hot Rods 308 Hudson 6 for Early RODS ???

Here's acouple of Hudson stock cars, for those who can't get enough of this stuff...

 

For the Hudson people: Edmunds finned head for 308 engines.

 

Just digging this one up from the past since it is an awesome thread and further fuels the Hudson fires.

Not sure if it was reported, but Blackie Hilliard passed on to the great dirt track in the sky this past summer. His car is still in the family and will most likely stay that way. They took the car for a few spins around the track on the back of a trailer at Fantasy Speedway in Unity Plantation this summer. His daughter sat behind the wheel.

The car and stories of his racing exploits sure made an impression on this guy. Its certainly playing a big role in my decision making process in regards to my new Model A roadster. So much so that I took the Desoto Firedome off the engine stand and put the 308 back on it and plan to donate the 37 Flathead Ford that came with my roadster to the good folks of Fantasy Speedway.

Aside from the car in Australia posted her on this thread, I have not seen a 308 in a Model A.

 

p.s. What's the story on that Edmunds head? For sale?

 

does the 308 have the same oiling issue that the old hudson straight 8's had.

 

Buster, I've always heard that the Hud straight-eight was a different animal that had a lot of '30s technology still in it, right up to when it was dropped (even poured bearings, if I recall correctly). It was more a workhorse engine, not a "hi-performance" engine, generally speaking.

I'm pretty sure the 262 and 308 are a different family altogether, and the Hudson engineers took a lot of pride in making steady internal improvements and what they were able to wring out of this package. Mostly, what I've heard from the guys who have run them hard is the head gasket under that aluminum head is the key concern.

BUT, I'm not a Hudson engine expert by any means, so hopefully one of the Hudson regulars can address oiling (if it was an issue at all) in the 308. All I can say for sure is oiling was no problem on my Super Six 262.

 

StuHud, BlueCollarStu, Gigantor, can one of you guys address oiling on the 308???

Gigantor, I can't believe winter has rolled around again already & you're probably ALREADY plowing again. Am I right?

Agreed: The Hornet in the Model A on this thread is ONE keen machine! Glad to hear you were able to reach a decision; I know that had to be HARD, since Hemis always look good in an A Model! LOL Hey, what is the DeS you're putting aside? Lo-deck or hi-deck?

Also, have you ever had time to do any work on the 331 Firepower you and your buddy wrestled out of the gully?

 

Why does anyone think that Hudson wanted an OHV anything, be it V8 or straight 6? If they did, why couldn't they have resurrected the narrow block and made it OHV?

Bill

 

Hey Jimbo!
Unfortunately, I am about as green as it gets when it comes to Hudsons. All the information I have is here say and gleaned from the HAMB. I've torn a stuck 308 down but have yet to hear it run so I don't know the first thing about the oiling issues but I will be doing my research, you can count on that.

The Desoto engine is the 1953 low-deck 276 that my buddy and I pulled out of the woods. She's been relegated to back burner status, partly because I like the idea of going against the grain with the roadster build and also the fact that I don't picture myself being fiscally prepared to build that Hemi in a way to do it justice.

 

Here are a few pics of the car,my late friend, Ed Bergquist, was building before he died. He was building a '29 Essex roadster with a 308 Hudson for power. I have a few more pics, but couldn't find them for this post. The car hasn't been touched for 4 years now, but his son plans to finish it, eventually.

 

AV8Paul, is that a custom intake. I love it.

 

AV8Paul - Sorry to hear your friend never got a chance to see, hear and feel that setup in action. It certainly looks like it will go like stink - glad his son intends to pick up where his dad left off.

 

Bill, I'm not sure Hudson management thought in those terms, but they were well aware that the public was turning more and more to V-8s and sixes of OHV design.

I think the Jet debacle that cost them $30 million pretty much ruled out developing their own OHV engine, even if they had stated they wanted it. But lousy sales for '54 pretty much forced their hand into merging with Nash.

So, for '55, senior Hudsons were available with the OHV 320-CID V-8 afforded in that merger. Specifically, the Hornet Custom and Hornet Super series were available with the V-8, though both series still offered the 308 that year. Hope that helps.

 

The 320 engine was bought from Packard. Part way through '56 Nash/Hudson/AMC began deliveries of their own 250-327 OHV V8.

 

He made his own intake manifold and was adapting a ford 300 six exhaust to the Hudson block.

 

Gigantor, I just plugged in my comments to your thoughts, bro:

Unfortunately, I am about as green as it gets when it comes to Hudsons. All the information I have is here say and gleaned from the HAMB. I've torn a stuck 308 down but have yet to hear it run so I don't know the first thing about the oiling issues but I will be doing my research, you can count on that. I don't doubt THAT, knowing what a serious car-guy you are. Hemis look good with no hood & side panels, BUT that Twin-H setup is sharp, too! There are some knowledgeable and experienced Hudson guys on the HAMB, and I'm betting they'll be every bit as forthcoming with tech tips as the Hemi guys I know!


The Desoto engine is the 1953 low-deck 276 that my buddy and I pulled out of the woods. She's been relegated to back burner status, partly because I like the idea of going against the grain [Hooray, Gigantor!] with the roadster build and also the fact that I don't picture myself being fiscally prepared to build that Hemi in a way to do it justice. Heard that on the Hemi pricetag. Estimates I've seen floated around range from about a grand to SEVERAL grand. There are daunting challenges with the earliest DeSoto Hemis, too. The '52 and '53 have that cast-in "tail shaft" that makes transmission hookup a problem, and there aren't many (especially affordable) performance parts available, unless you're Donald Trump. Original cam has to be reground if you want more lift, and I'm pretty sure there was no 4-B intake 'til '55 when the Fireflite series was introduced. How much ya pay depends on how far you want to go, and the details sure add up! Yow!

 

Rich, you're right about that, and the Packard UltraMatic was available in the mix too.

It's not that Packard needed money so much as the fact that Mason's plan called for Nash-Hudson and Stude-Packard to merge soon -- the last step of the larger plan. The possibilities out of a "Big Fourth" automaker are fascinating to speculate about (providing the leadership of all those independents could co-exist!). But it all became MOOT when Mason suddenly died of a heart attack.

 

Jimi no major oiling concerns. Main drama is the pickup screen gets filled with sludge and starves the engine. Another is cracked filter lines letting the oil out. Lastly is the plugs at either end of the main oil gallery are pressed in. I replaced mine with 3/8BSP plugs (yes im in the colonies we use british standards to appease some old bird with a funny hat back in ol blighty. Seppos feel free to use NPT). It saves them weeping and losing some oil pressure/ possible oil leak out of a support plate gasket.

 

Just throwing a bump on this OLD thread out of curiousity if anyone is still "Hudsoning" in HAMB-land.

Actually own 1 Hudson once again. A '35 Hudson Custom 8 (long wheelbase) Brougham. Jag XJ6 front suspension and wheels, GM differential, 250 Chev "Big Six" were all in it when I bought. Yes, it has fender skirts and dual sidemounts as it is Hud's top of the line model that year.

 

My father was a devout Hudson man. Hudson mechanic for many years. He bought one of the last real Hudsons (1954 Hornet) when Hudson Motor Car Company merged with Nash, et al. The next couple of years the end product was labeled Hudson but was not a Hudson. Came out with Packard V8 engines, though there were still some 308 engines used. They went through many changes until they finally went belly up. There was a surplus of 308s left over at the factory and they could be bought for 395.00 each. JC Whitney sold many of them. Those were great cars.