How to Start and Drive a Hudson Hornet

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- 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. -

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- 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. -

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The Gauge Cluster, Switches, and Controls

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- 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

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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!) -

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- 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. -

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Dual-Range Hydramatic

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- 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. -

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- 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)

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- 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). -

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- 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. -

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- 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. -

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- 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. -

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Choke and Gas

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- 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. -

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- For warm starts the engine doesn't need the choke but likes to be given - just a little bit of gas while cranking. -

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The Keys, Ignition, and Warning Lights

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- 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. -

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- 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. -

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- 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). -

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- 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. -

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Starting and Driving

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- 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. -

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From cold:

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- 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!

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From warm:

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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.

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Stopping and Parking

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- 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. -

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- 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. -

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- 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. -