Do You Work On Your Own Car and What Tools Do You Use?

51hornet

Folks,

do you work on your own Hudson? if so what tasks do you tackle and what tasks do you take to the garage. If you take your Hudson to the garage how does that work out? do they know what to do?

I am lucky in that I inherited all of my Dad's tools. He was a mechanic, body man, welder, machinist and electrician. He had tickets in all of those trades and I learnt a lot growing up. We did it all in his garage, bumper to bumper.

Over the last year I added a 1960's Snap-On engine scope and got a nice Hydramatic service kit plus a complete Carter Carburator service kit. I really like my Snap-On scope as it has a section on tuning Hudsons and the guages and scope display all of the correct info for the 6volt charging system.

I really enjoy tuning the engine. Engine tuning was one of my Dad's claim to fame he could tune an engine so it ticked over like a fine clock. When I got my Hudson home I ripped down the ignition and carb and rebuilt them to the exact spec. My Hudson runs like a top and if it wasn't leaking at the rear seal I would leave it alone.

Since it has 84,000 miles on it and I don't want anything major to happen I am pulling the engine and giving it the royal treatment. I will bore it out and check all of the tolerances. I will have the valves enlarged to take the 7x stainless steel oversize. I will have the block relief done and put in new pistons. I will go with either the 254 or 268 cam and put on the Twin H setup. I am going to be running the Clifford dual outlet header for better breathing. Should run nice after I am done.

If you are planning any work tell us about it here.

53Hornet

I do all the work on my car it is a long project as I completely took it all apart every last nut and bolt. I have done the entire interior and made all the upholstery, refinished all the metal parts inside with a faux finish technique. Whenever I cannot find a part I make it or design something suitable. I am not a purist and have installed a 360 Chrysler engine in it.
I have written articles on How to build suitable door bottom mouldings as they are very hard to find.
I also built a trio guage set out of a Hudson heater control and modified tailight housings to accept two light bulbs for signalling.
I built a mechanical 2 speed wiper system. At the very bottom of the rocker panels I made an attractive stainless moulding that provides a nice finished look. I will be working on a set of hudson wire hubcaps and moulding a centercap with hudson logo. My shop is overcrowded and time limited. I recently built a powder coating oven and use it often. I have no idea when I am going to be done as I still have lots to do!!

Jimalberta

I would love to see some pics of your car 53 sounds interesting. I have a 54 hornet that I would like to make into a lead sled. It needs a fair amount of body work as it needs rockers and rear fender wells, probably floors. I have never done this type of work before but game to give it a try. Any way, any and all advice is certainly welcome. Where do you live? I also have a 54 wasp that I drive and I am pondering as to whether I should take the 308 out of my hornet and put it into my wasp and put a v-8 into the hornet or keep the 308 in the hornet and soup it up a bit. I dunno..open to suggestions regards...Jim

51hornet

53hornet that project really does sound interesting. Welcome to Hudson Motorcar. You will have to post pictures of the project and those wirewheel hubcaps sound very nice. I know a lot of Hud owners that would like a set of those.

Glad to have you aboard, looks like we can get a pretty decent knowledge base going here in Canada.