How to Start and Drive a Hudson Hornet

+ +

+ 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. +

+ +

+ 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 dummy lights; more on + those later) +
A 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 cigarette-lighter (the owner's manual calls it a cigar lighter!) +

+ +

+ 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. +