bismarck Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Has anyone ever built a gasser out of the new Hudson Hornet kit yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=48443 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 I suspect because of weight and size they were probably not very popular as real gassers. Doesn't mean it can't be done. As noted by Bill's photo above. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bismarck Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 (edited) Still looks pretty cool though!!! Yeah, weight would definitely be an issue. It was a toss up between a gasser or a road race version of the Hornet. The kit has such nice lines, I don't want to go the wrong way.... Edited November 15, 2014 by bismarck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 (edited) In those days, gassers ran a weight-to-engine-size classification. You could still be a class-winner (G or H for the gasser classes, most likely) with a heavy car with a smallish engine if your prep, tuning and reflexes were better than the other guy's. Naturally you couldn't run as quick as a Willys with a blown Olds 394, but you COULD win your class. A lot of guys just raced whatever they had, just for the fun and challenge of actually RACING. Here's some Hudson racing history and tech. http://home.comcast.net/~sarahdyoung/ReturnOfHudsonArticle.html Edited November 15, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twopaws Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 One of Dave Koffel's early gassers was based on a 49 Packard. It ran F/G, I believe and was quite successful. It was one of the first Flintstone Flyers that came out of Dave's garage. I'd say Go For It!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 (edited) One of Dave Koffel's early gassers was based on a 49 Packard. It ran F/G, I believe and was quite successful. It was one of the first Flintstone Flyers that came out of Dave's garage. I'd say Go For It!!!! And an older photo, still running as F/G... And if you DO decide to build a gasser Hudson, look at some period pix first, and read the old NHRA rules. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2006u57wp7sqpxt/eZJPZZcJdZ The classes changed over the years...some were added, etc., some years allowed engine relocation and other years allowed a certain percentage engine setback, and in general, the rules got more permissive as time went on. The stupidly nose-high junk a lot of people are building today look goofy, would handle horribly, and are just flat wrong. The nose goes UP when they launch, but in general, they sat pretty close to level otherwise. Edited November 15, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bismarck Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 (edited) Thanks Bill for the link!! That's exactly what I needed. I think I know what direction I want to go now.... piecrust slicks and chrome steels out back, SBC w/fuel injection.... HHMMMMM ...Or maybe find a way to juice up that 6!!! Edited November 15, 2014 by bismarck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 And an older photo, still running as F/G... And if you DO decide to build a gasser Hudson, look at some period pix first, and read the old NHRA rules. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2006u57wp7sqpxt/eZJPZZcJdZ The classes changed over the years...some were added, etc., some years allowed engine relocation and other years allowed a certain percentage engine setback, and in general, the rules got more permissive as time went on. The stupidly nose-high junk a lot of people are building today look goofy, would handle horribly, and are just flat wrong. The nose goes UP when they launch, but in general, they sat pretty close to level otherwise. I love the Packard gasser. Very Kool! Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bismarck Posted November 16, 2014 Author Share Posted November 16, 2014 I have the Gasser Wars book on that Packard. Dave Koffel used the car as his daily driver till he put a SBC in it and went street racing in The Canton/Akron area. He made a master mold out of the front end of his Packard, and gave it one of the first one piece fiberglass front ends!! According to the book, the car started out in dark blue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High octane Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Yes Ace, back-in-the-day a lot of guys raced whatever they had just for the fun and challenge of racing. It was fun back then, and yes there were class winners which also added to the fun. It was a time when daily drivers were also "weekend warriors." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffbrad Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 There was an old farmer that used to run a Hudson Jet at Dragway 42 in Ohio back in the early 70's. Had a twin H 308 with a T10 four speed and it flew. Think he ran H Gas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 There was an old farmer that used to run a Hudson Jet at Dragway 42 in Ohio back in the early 70's. Had a twin H 308 with a T10 four speed and it flew. Think he ran H Gas The Hudson Jet is a totally different car from the rest of Hudson line, and Moebuis' Hudson models. The Jet was a compact car Hudson wasted their money on, that they tried selling in 1953 and '54. It helped force their merger with Nash, and create American Motors. Like Kaiser, Hudson should have invested its money into building a new V8 engine. And redesigning their big cars. The Jet was a good car. But, not what the public was interested in at that time. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bismarck Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 I was more interested in the tech info on the engine, and how they got more hp out of it. I assume they both made use of the 308 c.u. flat 6? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 (edited) I was more interested in the tech info on the engine, and how they got more hp out of it. I assume they both made use of the 308 c.u. flat 6? The "gas" classes allowed engine swaps, so you could put just about anything in anything. The classifications were based on weight of the vehicle, and engine displacement (cubic inches). The Flintstone Flyer above was smallblock-Chevy powered...at least at one time. You could, of course, run the engine that came in the car. Hudson engines would respond to the same performance modifications as other engines, many of them internal and not visible from outside...things like porting and relieving, raising compression, balancing, a hotter cam, etc. Externally visible mods of interest to a modeler would be the old standards...headers and extra carbs, maybe trick intake manifolding... A GMC 3-71 or 4-71 blower would add some punch, but bump a car up one class... Here's a different blower...not period-correct, but you could do something similar using a S.C.o.T unit... Maybe an aftermarket aluminum head, and fabricated intake manifolds... Triple side-draft Weber carbs, anyone? Or something a little less exotic... ...and no reason something like this couldn't be built for the old Hudson. Hilborn injection is also an option...though this is on a Chevy, as is the setup above, they could both work. Edited November 18, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bismarck Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 (edited) WOW!! Thanks for the pics!! These are just the ones I'm looking for. Thanks!! Edited November 18, 2014 by bismarck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bismarck Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 (edited) The Hudson motor in the first pic with the third carb, is that a stock intake with a small third intake with "rams horns" runners milled to bolt on to the factory piece? Edited November 18, 2014 by bismarck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W-409 Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 I have the Gasser Wars book on that Packard. Dave Koffel used the car as his daily driver till he put a SBC in it and went street racing in The Canton/Akron area. He made a master mold out of the front end of his Packard, and gave it one of the first one piece fiberglass front ends!! According to the book, the car started out in dark blue. Yep, here's an older picture of that car. According to the subject, a Hudson Hornet Gasser has been on my "To Do - List" ever since I saw Moebius is tooling a kit of one. When I get myself another one of those Hudson kits, I will definitely start building a Gasser out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclescott58 Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 (edited) I want a Packard. But I want to be able to build it stock. Scott Edited November 19, 2014 by unclescott58 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bismarck Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 Cool pic. Thanks Niko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 A Packard gasser???!!!! I would never have thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bismarck Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 I haven't seen too many on here, was just curious..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 The Hudson motor in the first pic with the third carb, is that a stock intake with a small third intake with "rams horns" runners milled to bolt on to the factory piece? Full custom job- built by a guy named Steve Farkaly. Here's his site- http://www.uncommonengineering.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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