diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'wheels/2019-06-07-how-to-start-and-drive-a-hudson-hornet.md')
| -rw-r--r-- | wheels/2019-06-07-how-to-start-and-drive-a-hudson-hornet.md | 202 |
1 files changed, 202 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/wheels/2019-06-07-how-to-start-and-drive-a-hudson-hornet.md b/wheels/2019-06-07-how-to-start-and-drive-a-hudson-hornet.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..312ad8c --- /dev/null +++ b/wheels/2019-06-07-how-to-start-and-drive-a-hudson-hornet.md @@ -0,0 +1,202 @@ +--- +permalink: "/posts/{{categories}}/{{slug}}" +title: How to Start and Drive a Hudson Hornet +categories: + - automotive +tags: + - hudson + - hornet + - start + - drive +published_date: "2019-06-07 00:30:37 +0000" +layout: post.liquid +is_draft: false +excerpt_separator: "\n\n\n" +--- + +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. It's hard to capture what the actual experience is like in +words (hopefully my YouTube channel does a better job) but I think instead I +can do my best here to walk through the procedure of actually *operating* a +Hudson Hornet. + +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. + +# The Gauge Cluster, Switches, and Controls + +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 *should* 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. + +From left to right above the steering wheel you have: + +- A speedometer that tops out at 120 mph (with 99K odometer inside) +- Fuel and coolant temperature gauges (and two warning lights; more on those + later) +- A mechanical, electrically-wound clock +- An AM radio +- A glove compartment + +From left to right under the steering wheel you have: + +- A 2-speed wiper control knob +- A weather control (heater) temperature slider +- A 2-speed weather control fan knob +- The ignition barrel +- A headlight switch +- A cigar-lighter (yes, cigar. Check out the owner's manual) + +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. + +# Dual-Range Hydramatic + +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. + +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: + +- N (Neutral) +- 4-Dr (Drive, all four speeds) +- 3-Dr (Drive, three speeds only) +- Lo (Low gear) +- R (Reverse) + +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). + +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. + +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. + +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. + +# Choke and Gas + +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. + +For warm starts the engine doesn't need the choke but likes to be given just a +little bit of gas while cranking. + +# The Keys, Ignition, and Warning Lights + +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. + +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. + +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). + +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. + +# Starting and Driving + +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. + +## From cold: + +- Put your foot on the brake, and shift the lever into neutral. Just push it + vertically, pulling towards you slightly if you need to. +- Push the gas pedal all the way to the floor once and let your foot back up + again to set the choke. +- Put the key in the ignition and start the car (the "AMP" and "OIL" lights + should switch off. +- 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) +- 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 +- Let off the brake and you're off! + +## From warm: + +- Put your foot on the brake and shift into neutral. +- 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. +- Pull the shifter into 4-Dr or 3-Dr (or R), and release the parking brake by + twisting the handle towards the steering wheel. +- Done. + +# Stopping and parking + +- Hold your foot on the brake and twist the parking brake handle towards the + door of the car, and pull it towards you +- 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. + +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. + +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. + + + |