'53 Hudson Hornet is coming....

[Chuck Most]

It has that AMT from the '70s look to it.

Huh? I didn't see a metal axle hole in the engine block or a one-piece interior tub.

[The Creative Explorer]

Well, it is not thát bad, but the chrome does look bad. It doesn't have that crisp chrome look, but it looked from a few decades ago. A bit grainy, not very shiny. The wheelcaps are even mattish, it's just a big dissapointment from this kit, but it could be just my kit that had bad chrome, in that case I'll write to Moebius, maybe they can help out.

Except for the moldline issue, I think the rest of the kit is pretty good.

[Chuck Most]

I haven't had any issues with grainy chrome on any of mine. There was quite a bit of flash on a couple of the kits, but nothing I couldn't handle.

[Chuck Most]

Since I’ve got three and a half of these under my belt, I figured I’d share some observations and impressions, both on how they go together out-of-box and how well they take to modification.

BUILDING IMPRESSIONS:

The engine is nicely done, but it is wise to test fit as you go, as some of the holes will need to be reamed out a bit in order to receive the pins on the parts they locate. The assembled engine locks into the chassis in a very positive manner- two holes in the oil pan receive two molded pins, one on the front crossmember, the other molded to the top of the tie rod. A rectangular tab on the bellhousing fits into a similarly-shaped slot on the trans crossmember, and the front engine mounts sit on two flat pads on the frame rails.

Slide the wheels into the tires from behind, so as not to mar the printed white sidewalls as the ‘paddles’ molded to the wheels will scrape against the tire bead as they are pushed home. Also, it would be wise to chase out the mounting bosses on the wheels to clear out any plating residue, eliminating any chance of the bosses splitting when the plastic pins (front spindles) or metal rear axle is inserted into them.

The frames in all the kits seem to have a slight warp, but fitting it to its mounting holes in the floor pan and clamping it in place as the glue sets solves that problem.

The decals set very well with no need for setting solution, but be very careful when positioning them- once in place, they hunker down good and fast, and don’t like to be moved once off the backer and onto a painted or foiled surface.

The way the completed chassis/interior assembly slots into the body is quite satisfying- the two assemblies fit so securely you won’t need glue. I will recommend sanding off the mold lines on the sides of the radiator (a must anyway), but go a bit further and sand a little bit more material off the sides, and possibly the inside of the core support as well, the radiator is a TIGHT fit into the core support.

Don’t forget to foil the window trim molded to the clear parts!

The windshield almost snaps into place- the rear window unit can be a bit fiddly. Best course of action seems to be removing the mounting posts for it molded to the headliner, and then splitting the rear glass unit into its three components- backlight and rear quarter glass. The rear window seems easiest to install by slipping the bottom edge home, then gently working your way up, pushing the window until it seats into place.

The majority of the chrome parts fit well, but the front bumper tends to want to lean back if left unsecured while the glue sets, which will give the bumper a sad-face look when you look at the car from straight ahead. Tape the center of the bumper down as the glue sets, being mindful that the bumper is horizontal in front, and along both sides. Also, keep in mind you will likely need to open up the mounting holes for the side mirrors and wipers a bit to ensure they settle into place properly.

PROBLEMS:

We’ve all seen the kits with bad flash- not much can be done about that now, though Dave Metzner has said the manufacturing facility has been made aware of the problem, and told not to let it happen again.

All the kits out now have bad air cleaner decals. A request with an SASE to Moebius will get you as many corrected sheets as you need.

The cut lines for the rear fender skirts are too far forward. This will be fixed on later reissues of the kit. In the meantime, filling the existing vertical cut lines and moving the front one roughly 5mm rearward and the rear line about 3mm rearward is the best fix.

Watch out on the part number callouts for the side mirrors and wing vent glass- the part numbers are flip flopped side to side.

The instruction sheet is mostly pretty good, but some subassembly diagrams only show one side, leaving a bit of guesswork regarding parts location on the side not shown. There is a very helpful color guide, but no color callouts in the actual assembly sequence.

CUSTOM MODS:

In short- if you wish to lower rear of the car, be prepared for a lot of grinding. You will probably need to raise the transmission tunnel so the driveshaft will fit into the snout on the differential- you might also need to extend the tunnel all the way back to gain clearance for the differential snout. You will also need to modify or omit the upper piece of the rear crossmember which traps the driveshaft and exhaust system.

Lowering blocks can be made from simple slices of rectangular styrene strip, but depending on how low you go, you might want to look into de-arching or otherwise modifying/replacing the leaf springs and shocks, so as to gain ground clearance and not violate the ‘scrub line’.

Like most early IFS cars, bring the nose of the Hudson down too far and the front crossmember will be dangerously close to the ground- a thinner crossmember, mounted higher up in the frame, or a GM or Mustang II front clip will need to be adapted if you want the car to really hug the pavement.

The engine bay will accept pretty much anything short of a Cummins turbo diesel, but for most V8 swaps at the very least you will need to remove the mounting pins for the stock engine, and more than likely move the transmission crossmember rearward. To avoid possible interference with the V8’s left valve cover when installing the chassis into the body, you may need to trim the battery tray back a little bit depending on what V8 you use and how it is positioned in the chassis. Keep in mind- Hudsons were available with GM Hydramatic transmissions- so early GM overheads were common swap fodder for them, though again, pretty much anything is fair game.

Edited January 24, 2012 by Chuck Most

[Matt LeBlanc]

Thanks Chuck!!!!

[62rebel]

good info to have! still waiting for the roof color to gas out before i touch mine again.... hadn't thought about having to foil the glass, and didn't have any idea about the rear glass fitting. don't plan on any lowriders, though....

Moebius is going to recut the tool to correct the spats? wow.... hmmm. does that make our "wrong" kits worth millions of internet bucks?

[Dr. Cranky]

Thanks, Chuck, for this wonderful document which should help lots of folks about to tackle the kit for the first time.

[Chuck Most]

Moebius is going to recut the tool to correct the spats? wow.... hmmm. does that make our "wrong" kits worth millions of internet bucks?

Sorry, Curt... I think you have to have a popular YouTube video in order to become an internet millionaire.

[Tony T]

Thanks, Chuck! Good notes to have! Going to print this and put it with my kits.

[Austin T]

Moebius is going to recut the tool to correct the spats? wow.... hmmm. does that make our "wrong" kits worth millions of internet bucks?

Wouldn't it be funny if 20 years from now those kits are worth a lot of money?

[bbowser]

Thanks Chuck. I had mine in primer all ready to shoot color and you tell me the skirts are in the wrong place! Sure enough, I put the body on the chassis and you're right. So I'm filling and recutting. It's a bear filling and sanding without destroying the trim!

Seriously, thanks for the heads-up. I never would have noticed until it was too late. Did they make the correction to the Flock '52 or does that need the fix as well? I've got one but haven't opened it yet.

[Chuck Most]

I don't know if it is fixed on the Flock '52, my guess would be no. From what I hear it will be dealt with on the next production run- not sure when that will be.

[RodneyBad]

Wouldn't it be funny if 20 years from now those kits are worth a lot of money?

I got enough of them.

Darn, Already cut the Skirts off of one, Guess I just ruined a Rare kit..

[Duntov]

Thanks for this one Chuck.... that Hudson kit is sitting on my shelf and just bugging the living (you know what) out of me.... but now It seems like a great one to pick out and start!!!

Regards

Bill (Duntov)

[Chuck Most]

Oh- one other thing- the 'Twin H Power' lettering on the decklid looks like it might get lost under a few coats of primer and paint, but so far I've had pretty good luck not gunking it up. I like to apply foil to it first, before primer and paint (and clear if applicable) then gently polish the area to expose the foiled lettering.

[Dave Metzner]

Convertible kit will have revised fender skirts - future runs of coupe will also have the fix.

However unfortunately the Tim Flock kit has the same body as the 53 coupe - without the corrected skirts.

Dave

[Jon Cole]

Can someone please help me with part #'s 108 & 109? The wiper motors? They have a strange tapered tab that looks like they won't fit into the corresponding mounting holes on the firewall bulkhead. Do they fit, and did you do any mods to make it fit? Thanks.

[Chuck Most]

Can someone please help me with part #'s 108 & 109? The wiper motors? They have a strange tapered tab that looks like they won't fit into the corresponding mounting holes on the firewall bulkhead. Do they fit, and did you do any mods to make it fit? Thanks.

On the earlier kits, there were some really long pieces left from the ejector pins- these should be cut off flush with the bottom of the wiper actuator.

The knife blade is pointing to the mounting pin here. You may have to trim the mounting pin or open up its locator hole on the firewall a bit, but they should fit nice and flush against the firewall once in place.

[Chuck Most]

Here is how they should look once installed.

[Jon Cole]

Sweet! Thanks Chuck.

[Jon Cole]

Still more detail questions, if you don't mind. What appears to be a metal water hose exits from the top of the front housing, and runs down the side of the head above the intake, where it terminates between the two carbs for a rubber hose to take it to the firewall.

So the Q is, don't heater cores have a return hose to the block? Where is the one on the Hudson?

[Guest]

Here are two pics, first one shows heater hose position on water pump, second one, you can see the plug on the side of the head by the second to last spark plug, hose goes there.

[Chuck Most]

To be truthful,the best 'reference' pic I have seen of the heater hose assembly is in Bill and Len's article. It's difficult to get a nice, uncluttered look at it in most online photos I've dug up. Next time I'm in the vicinity of a 1:1 step-down Hudson, I'll be sure to snap a few photos.

[rmvw guy]

Thanks for the heads up Chuck. I just started on my first Hudson and have three more on the shelf. Now I can't wait for the second run. I already made the mod to the skirts and it centered the axle perfect. Thanks again.

[Chuck Most]

Here's a revised and updated version...

BUILDING IMPRESSIONS:

Test fit as you go- quite a few of the locator holes will need to be opened up in order to receive the pins on the parts they are meant to locate. “Positive fit” is the name of the game with this kit… the assembled engine/transmission locks into the chassis very securely- two holes in the oil pan slot onto pins molded to the front crossmember and tie rod, and a rectangular tab on the bellhousing fits into a similarly-shaped slot on the trans crossmember. There are also two flat pads on the front of the engine which sit on corresponding pads on the frame, replicating the 1:1 engine mounts.

The tires required no heat or kneading to accept the wheels, but I recommend sliding the wheels in from behind, as the ‘paddles’ molded to the inside of the wheel will mar the whitewall if you insert the wheel from the front. Chase out the mounting bosses to clear out any chrome plating residue trapped inside- this will eliminate any chance of splitting the mounting boss as you try to insert the axle into the wheel. That isn’t needed with the Marshall Teague version, the wheels in that kit are not plated.

If you aren’t happy with the color of the taillamps, a pass or two with a red Sharpie or your favorite clear red should do the trick. The lenses are molded clear and painted red at the factory, so you can strip and completely refinish if that’s your thing.

All of the Hornets I’ve built had some degree of minor warp in the chassis, but fitting it to its mounting holes in the floorboard and clamping it into place as the glue sets will eliminate the problem. Clamping isn’t really necessary, though- I do it more for my own peace of mind more than anything.

The completed chassis/interior assembly slots cleanly into the body and fits tightly- you could probably get away with skipping the glue for this step. The chassis-to-body fit is very satisfying- the best I’ve seen. You may want to sand down the sides of the radiator if you plan to test fit the chassis and body more than once- it fits very tightly into the core support, and can bind and be ripped loose taking the body back off the chassis.

The front bumper tends to want to tip back a bit- tape it in place so that, when viewed from the side, the ends of the bumpers are even with the lower edge of the splash apron as the glue sets. This will prevent giving a downturned, ‘sad’ face look to the car when viewed from the front.

The decals are nicely printed, and set very well without aid of setting solution, but be very careful when placing them- they snug down good and fast, and don’t want to be moved once off the backer and on a painted or foiled surface.

Don’t forget to foil the window trim molded to the clear parts!

Yes- you can use the ‘foil before paint’ trick to detail the ‘Twin H Power’ lettering on the decklid… all you need is a polishing cloth or fine sandpaper… and a very soft, very steady hand.

The windshield almost snaps into place- the rear window unit can be a bit fiddly. Best course of action seems to be removing the mounting posts for it molded to the headliner, and then splitting the rear glass unit into its three components- backlight and rear quarter glass. The rear window seems easiest to install by slipping the bottom edge home, then gently working your way up, pushing the window until it seats into place.

The majority of the chrome parts fit well, but the front bumper tends to want to lean back if left unsecured while the glue sets, which will give the bumper a sad-face look when you look at the car from straight ahead. Tape the center of the bumper down as the glue sets, being mindful that the bumper is horizontal in front, and along both sides. Also, keep in mind you will likely need to open up the mounting holes for the side mirrors and wipers a bit to ensure they settle into place properly.

PROBLEMS:

We’ve all seen the kits with bad flash- not much can be done about that now, though Dave Metzner has said the manufacturing facility has been made aware of the problem, and told not to let it happen again. The ’52 convertible shows much better molding quality than the earlier ’53 Club Coupes.

The 1953 Club Coupe kits out now have bad air cleaner decals. A request with an SASE to Moebius will get you as many corrected sheets as you need. The other kits have corrected air cleaner decals.

The cut lines for the rear fender skirts are too far forward. This was corrected as of the ’52 convertible, and will be fixed on later reissues of the coupe kits. In the meantime, filling the existing vertical cut lines and moving the front one roughly 5mm rearward and the rear line about 3mm rearward is the best fix.

Watch out on the part number callouts for the side mirrors and wing vent glass- the part numbers are flip flopped side to side.

The instruction sheet is mostly pretty good, but some subassembly diagrams only show one side, leaving a bit of guesswork regarding parts location on the side not shown. That being said, it’s still difficult to put the wrong part in the wrong position because of the way the parts attach. There is a very helpful color guide, but no color callouts in the actual assembly sequence.

CUSTOM MODS:

In short- if you wish to lower rear of the car, be prepared for a lot of grinding. You will probably need to raise the transmission tunnel so the driveshaft will fit into the snout on the differential- you might also need to extend the tunnel all the way back to gain clearance for the differential snout. You will also need to modify or omit the upper piece of the rear crossmember which traps the driveshaft and exhaust system.

Lowering blocks can be made from simple slices of rectangular styrene strip, but depending on how low you go, you might want to look into de-arching or otherwise modifying/replacing the leaf springs and shocks, so as to gain ground clearance and not violate the ‘scrub line’.

Like most early IFS cars, bring the nose of the Hudson down too far and the front crossmember will be dangerously close to the ground- a thinner crossmember, mounted higher up in the frame, or a GM or Mustang II front clip will need to be adapted if you want the car to really hug the pavement.

The engine bay will gulp down pretty much anything short of a Cummins turbo diesel, but for most V8 swaps at the very least you will need to remove the mounting pins for the stock engine, and more than likely move the transmission crossmember rearward. To avoid possible interference with the V8’s left valve cover when installing the chassis into the body, you may need to trim the battery tray back a little bit depending on what V8 you use and how it is positioned in the chassis. Keep in mind- Hudsons were available with GM Hydramatic transmissions- so early GM overheads were common swap fodder for them, though again, pretty much anything is fair game. I’ve installed Cadillac, Pontiac, and even an AMC V8 into these kits, and all have required more or less the same modifications.