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Hudson Hornet 1954?

13K views 43 replies 16 participants last post by  MrSlow 
#1 ·
Hi Guys! Im new here and i need some opinions. Ive found a 1954 Hudson Hornet Twin H power for sale for a good price! But i cant decide if i want to buy it or not. It might can get to be a nice ride with lowering in the back and a little higher in the front and such to get the real ledsled feeling! What do you guys think about these cars?

(Sorry for my bad english im from Sweden) :smash:
 
#4 ·
Hudson Hornets used to be a real Hot Rod, they raced them on a lot of the dirt tracks and on the beach at Daytona. My Uncle had one, it was a 4 door, don't know if they made a 2 door or not but he rebuilt the straight eight and that thing would " haul the mail" as he would say. If I found one I would treat it as an old Nascar racer...numbers, decals and all.
 
#8 ·
Oh thanks for the tip! I was looking at a Hudson -53 to with the 308" and it had a alu cylinder head on it maybe it was the same as on that site?

But ive looked around some and found out that you can take the heads from the 262" and put on 308" and you get higher compression and so on! Btw it has the "twin h power" option with 2 carbs :mwink:
 
#9 · (Edited)
MrSlow said:
Btw it has the "twin h power"
Those aren't easy to find even in this country. I'm amazed that you stumbled onto one in Sweden.

It was a great car. I'll post some links so the younger crowd can learn a little about them...
http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z9134/Hudson-Hornet-NASCAR.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Hornet
http://www.allpar.com/cars/adopted/hudson-hornet.html
http://www.nascar.com/kyn/history/data/past_champions.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Teague
 
#10 ·
I still clearly recall, though only 12 years old at the time, watching a Hudson Hornet dominate V-8s at the first drag race I attended in 1959. Hornets continued, at least at the strips I attended, to dominate the "full bodied" drag classes until the early 1960s. Absolutely outstanding that you have found such a gem to preserve !
 
#11 ·
A car ahead of it's time in the USA. Advertised as "a car you step down into". Until the 48 Hudson came along, all cars floor pans were level with the top of the frame and you stepped up into the car and most had running boards. The Hudson "pocketed" the floor pans down inside the frame members, did away with running boards and effectively lowered the seat about 6 inches, allowing the roof line to be about 6 inches lower than the cars of the day. Throw in the "souped up" big six with more cubes than the powerpacked 283s that came several years later, and feed it with two big two barrels that had more air flow than the early 4 barrels and you had the first muscle car. There is a 2 door version but they are rare as hen's teeth. Another great car that was ahead of it's time and died a slow death. Hope you can keep it alive because you may be able to get the only one on the Continent, but definitely Sweden. Your challenges are going to be many, but I think you will be rewarded.

I tried for years to buy a 37 Hudson pickup (very similar to the Aussie Ute and the later 59 El Camino) but the old gentleman would never sell and it ended up disappearing into his estate. I am sure it has resurfaced, but I have not recognized it.

Trees
 
#12 ·
Thanks for the links techinspector1 im only 22 years old so il probarly count as "the younger crowd" :D Thanks for so many answers and great stories from you all was very fun to read!

Yes il think its the only one in Sweden or maybe 1 more here. Its imported from California about 2 months ago. I will probarly buy it just need to think a day or 2 more! Hold on a while and i will try to upload some pictures on it! :welcome:
 
#17 ·
1954 Hudson Hornet find

If you can get that car buy it now. I used to mechanic for a Stock Car racer (now NASCAR) from Texas. He raced nothing but the Hudson cars. Even when the GM, Ford and Chrysler V8's made their appearance that Hudson ate them in the curves and took home a trophy. Junior Johnson was ready to get into a Hudson when the company collapsed. I saw them as Highway Patrol pursuit cars in Montana, Colorado and northern New Mexico. The idea was to chase the violator until he went too fast to negotiate the curves and eventually rolled the car. Those Hudson's I saw just wouldn't usually roll over. They were very stable in the track banked curves.
Normbc9
 
#25 ·
Mr Slow, now you have 2 cool cars! Nuttin wrong with the Mopar.

The Hudson is sweet! IMO, I would clean it up, restore type of work, it's dang near complete as far as trim goes. What goes across the bottom of the hood, the name? I would keep it as original as possible.

My buddies Dad raced a Hudson in the early-mid 50's. Track champ two years, on the dirt. It makes a cool sound when you put your foot into it. Too Kool for skool!
 
#26 ·
Thanks dinger! Glad to hear some nice comments :) Across the hood my guess is that it should say "Hudson" But im not sure someone else might now? Yeah my plan right now is to keep it as it is on the outside and clean up a little bit and try to get some more shine on the chrome! And i will paint the wheels red and save the caps in a safely spot in the garage! :cool: Willl probarly put on the fenderskirts too! After that is done i will begin to fresh up the interior!
You dont have any old pictures from the time youre dad and his buddies raced that Hudson? Would be really funny to see!
Heres one more picture i found!
 

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