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diff --git a/wheels/2019-06-07-how-to-start-and-drive-a-hudson-hornet.html b/wheels/2019-06-07-how-to-start-and-drive-a-hudson-hornet.html deleted file mode 100644 index e60e5f4..0000000 --- a/wheels/2019-06-07-how-to-start-and-drive-a-hudson-hornet.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,328 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html> -<html> - <head> - <link rel="stylesheet" href="/includes/stylesheet.css" /> - <meta charset="utf-8" /> - <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /> - <meta - property="og:description" - content="The World Wide Web pages of Adam Carpenter" - /> - <meta property="og:image" content="/includes/images/logo_diag.png" /> - <meta property="og:site_name" content="53hor.net" /> - <meta - property="og:title" - content="How to Start and Drive a Hudson Hornet" - /> - <meta property="og:type" content="website" /> - <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.53hor.net" /> - <title>53hornet ➙ How to Start and Drive a Hudson Hornet</title> - </head> - - <body> - <nav> - <ul> - <li> - <a href="/"> - <img src="/includes/icons/home-roof.svg" /> - Home - </a> - </li> - <li> - <a href="/about.html"> - <img src="/includes/icons/information-variant.svg" /> - About - </a> - </li> - <li> - <a href="/software.html"> - <img src="/includes/icons/git.svg" /> - Software - </a> - </li> - <li> - <a href="/hosted.html"> - <img src="/includes/icons/desktop-tower.svg" /> - Hosted - </a> - </li> - <li> - <a type="application/rss+xml" href="/rss.xml"> - <img src="/includes/icons/rss.svg" /> - RSS - </a> - </li> - <li> - <a href="/contact.html"> - <img src="/includes/icons/at.svg" /> - Contact - </a> - </li> - </ul> - </nav> - - <article> - <h1>How to Start and Drive a Hudson Hornet</h1> - - <p class="description"> - My understanding is there are a lot of people out there for whom driving - a car from the mid-20th century is an oddity, a curiosity, or a life - experience they can't relate to. This is for the non-experts, and - non-Hudsonites to get an idea of what it's like. - </p> - - <p> - There are some significant differences between driving the Hornet and - most other cars you come across today. Some of them are just because - there are sixty-six years between the Hudson and the 2019 model year. - Others are Hudson-specific. Many people who I've talked to have said - that they would feel intimidated driving my car (whether that's because - of its perceived complexity or obvious value to me). So, for those who - just want to know how it's done: here is how you start and drive a - Hudson Hornet. - </p> - - <h2>The Gauge Cluster, Switches, and Controls</h2> - - <p> - Open the door, slide onto the bench seat, and sit behind the [massive] - steering wheel. For those who haven't experienced it before, it feels - like you have a whole lot of room at your disposal, almost like there - <em>should</em> be more matter occupying the space around you. In front - of you is probably the shiniest dashboard you've ever seen. It's simple, - and probably slightly familiar. - </p> - <p>From left to right above the steering wheel you have:</p> - <ul> - <li> - A speedometer that tops out at 120 mph (with 99K odometer inside) - </li> - <li> - Fuel and coolant temperature gauges (and two dummy lights; more on - those later) - </li> - <li>A clock</li> - <li>An AM radio</li> - <li>A glove compartment</li> - </ul> - - <p>From left to right under the steering wheel you have:</p> - <ul> - <li>A 2-speed wiper control knob</li> - <li>A weather control (heater) temperature slider</li> - <li>A 2-speed weather control fan knob</li> - <li>The ignition barrel</li> - <li>A headlight switch</li> - <li> - A cigarette-lighter (the owner's manual calls it a cigar lighter!) - </li> - </ul> - - <p> - Also, underneath the dashboard on the left there is a parking brake - handle and hood latch release and on the right there is an arm which - raises and lowers the fresh air cowl vent. Think of it as "recirculate" - in more modern vehicles. If you're looking for the turn signal lever - it's the tiny stick to the left of the steering wheel. The indicator is - the little yellow light on the far left of the dash. There's only one so - it flashes when you're signalling left or right. We also added our own - air conditioning system, something Hudsons never came with from the - factory. - </p> - - <h2>Dual-Range Hydramatic</h2> - - <p> - The first thing that might confuse some folks when they first see the - car running is the shift lever. Many Hornets came with three-speed - manual transmissions that were shifted from the column (overdrive was an - option). However, lots of owners paid extra for the optional "Dual-range - Hydramatic", a fully automatic transmission from General Motors. Truly, - this car has a 4-speed automatic that requires no manual shifting during - normal use, making it that much easier to take a boatload of people to - get milkshakes. - </p> - - <p> - Behind the steering wheel is a shift indicator that deviates from the - "PRNDL" pattern most folks are familiar with. From left to right (shift - arm fully at the top to arm fully towards the bottom), the 'gears' are: - </p> - <ul> - <li>N (Neutral)</li> - <li>4-Dr (Drive, all four speeds)</li> - <li>3-Dr (Drive, three speeds only)</li> - <li>Lo (Low gear)</li> - <li>R (Reverse)</li> - </ul> - - <p> - Neutral isn't just a mid-way point between reverse and drive in this - car. It's a necessity. With automatic Hornets (and Hydramatics in - general), neutral is used to start the car. There is an electric lockout - preventing the car from being started in any gear but neutral, so you do - have to put the car in neutral before you turn the key (if you're on a - hill put your foot on the brake or engage the parking brake). - </p> - - <p> - Drive is split into 4-Dr and 3-Dr, which basically decides whether the - transmission utilizes high gear. In the owner's manual, Hudson - recommends using 3-Dr for driving around town (as the low RPMs delivered - by high gear means unnecessary shifting in and out of 4th gear) and 4-Dr - for highway driving. It really depends on what speed you're going to be - driving at but there isn't anything wrong with driving around in 4 all - the time. I typically leave it in 4th at sustained speeds above 45MPH. - You can switch between these gears any time while moving. - </p> - - <p> - Low gear basically locks the transmission in 2nd gear so you don't spin - the wheels. The owner's manual says this is for pulling out of sand or - dirt if you get stuck. - </p> - - <p> - Reverse works just about how you might expect but with an added catch: - if the engine is off it acts as park. That's right. When you turn the - car off you can put it in reverse and the transmission will engage a - lock pin to prevent the car from rolling. You can't start the car in - this gear because of the lockout however so you have to shift into - neutral to start the car. So for starting, put it in neutral, for - stopping, put it in reverse. - </p> - - <h2>Choke and Gas</h2> - - <p> - For cold starts, our Hornet (and I believe this was common for other - Hudsons of the time) is equipped with an automatic 2-stage choke. Push - the pedal all the way to the floor once to set the choke. After the car - has started and has warmed up, kick the gas quickly to the floor and - release to cancel the choke. - </p> - - <p> - For warm starts the engine doesn't need the choke but likes to be given - just a little bit of gas while cranking. - </p> - - <h2>The Keys, Ignition, and Warning Lights</h2> - - <p> - Hudsons like mine come with two keys. The octagonal one is for starting - the car, it's used in the ignition. The round one is used for the door - and trunk locks (and I believe in my case the glove box). My - understanding is this is actually reversed from the majority of Hudsons - and is due to a locksmith error at one point or another. - </p> - - <p> - The ignition switch sits so that the teeth of the key enter vertically. - Turning the key left powers accessories like the radio. Turning the key - right once switches the car to "ON" which will allow the engine to be - started and remain running. - </p> - - <p> - Here's where some things may vary depending on the year of the car. For - '51 Hornets, there's a separate starter button located all the way on - the left control pod. For these cars, you put the key in and turn it to - "ON", and then press and hold the button until the car has started up. - For '52 Hornets onwards, the ignition switch also activates the starter - if you turn the key past "ON" (like in most modern vehicles). - </p> - - <p> - If you turn the key to "ON" you'll see two red warning lights appear on - the dash next to the indicators marked "AMP" and "OIL". These are - [alternator] charging status and oil pressure status lights. Our car is - equipped with a 12-V alternator system so the AMP light really comes on - if there is low voltage while the oil pressure light comes on when - there's low oil pressure. These lights will only appear with engine off, - key "ON" or if something has gone very wrong. - </p> - - <h2>Starting and Driving</h2> - - <p> - So now that I've gone over the basics of all the components, here is the - normal starting procedure. It actually varies depending on whether the - engine has been warmed up. That's life with carburetors. - </p> - - <h3>From cold:</h3> - - <ul> - <li> - Put your foot on the brake, and shift the lever into neutral. Just - push it vertically, pulling towards you slightly if you need to. - </li> - <li> - Push the gas pedal all the way to the floor once and let your foot - back up again to set the choke. - </li> - <li> - Put the key in the ignition and start the car (the "AMP" and "OIL" - lights should switch off. - </li> - <li> - Wait for the engine to smooth out so you know that it's warm enough to - cancel the choke, and kick the gas pedal once to cancel it. (If the - RPMs are still higher than idle then it's not quite at operating - temperature yet) - </li> - <li> - Pull the shifter down into 4-Dr or 3-Dr (or R), and release the - parking brake by twisting the handle towards the steering wheel - </li> - <li>Let off the brake and you're off!</li> - </ul> - - <h3>From warm:</h3> - - <ul> - <li>Put your foot on the brake and shift into neutral.</li> - <li> - While giving just a little bit of gas, start the car. Both warning - lights should disappear. When the engine fires up you can let off the - gas and let it idle. - </li> - <li> - Pull the shifter into 4-Dr or 3-Dr (or R), and release the parking - brake by twisting the handle towards the steering wheel. - </li> - <li>Done.</li> - </ul> - - <h2>Stopping and Parking</h2> - - <ul> - <li> - Hold your foot on the brake and twist the parking brake handle towards - the door of the car, and pull it towards you - </li> - <li> - When you're ready to shut off the engine, you can shift it into either - neutral or reverse and turn the key off. Shift it into reverse if you - haven't already to lock the transmission. - </li> - </ul> - - <p> - Note: I usually engage the parking brake AND put the car in reverse, - just to be safe. If you had to pick one however I would use the - transmission in case you're on a steep hill and your brakes fail for - whatever reason. - </p> - - <p> - And there you have it! Not much is different from most cars around today - but there are one or two quirks (more about old cars than about Hudsons - in particular). The only major thing to keep track of while driving is - that you have no power steering, so get ready to anticipate turns sooner - and use more of the wheel with every turn. - </p> - </article> - </body> -</html> |