KustomKreeps

My little ol town was covered in the sweet smell of Bogan(red neck?) perfume recently (tire smoke).
The Waimate 50 NZs longest running street race was on for three days. Got to hand it to the drift boys – put on a wicked show.

Primed up the old Nailhead. was so easy. With in 30 seconds oil started dripping and after a min or two of constant oil pressure we left it at that.

Dropped the front seats back in – good old mexican blanket covers a world of horrors.

Front fenders on, fluids added and it was time to push the old gal out the door to get a few pics and then finally turn the key.
Oh My Golly it was an exciting time I tells ya.

Sitting nice in low. Below is not even the lowest part of the car

With the chief garage cat supervising on. We turned the key…

engine turns.. oh so exciting ! the starter at least works and we have oil pressure!!!

Then after VRROOOMMM it starts! no messing about it just roars right up. no feking about with anything at all.
Happy grins as the un-capped exhaust loudly roars.

….

hmm whats that I hear…
Clunk! clunk! clunk!

engine off. Kinds sounded like down below.

hmm guess the crank weight was pointing up and wasn’t noticed when this was fabed up. bugger.
Cat was about as impressed as I was.

With that culprit removed and confidence high we start again.
tick tick tick….
phuze nut! turn it off, shove some wet rags in the side pipe openings so we can hear better.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1KNN_1E4qhxXvlvvJkmMiKFL15qixBPxu

Yip its ticking. cant seem to track it down and didnt want to leave engine running till we talked to engine builder. Drove it into the garage. Draining the oil.
Builder says it could be the lifters. Doubts bottom end. But recommends we carry on with the Run In procedure. And see how it goes after.

Will pull the pan and have a look. Will pull the rocker covers as well and run my eye it all as well.

on the bright side… if it is lifters I can use it as an excuse to get a new cam ^.

The bracket that fits to the trans had to be bent so the tab that holds the cable pointed upwards not downwards. Then an extension made up for it. 

I need a bigger garage.

Seems im overdue for another update. Best remedy that I guess and spew forth more pics.

To keep all the electricals ticking im using a Powermaster 150amp 1 or 3 wire alternator. As i stated above I wanted all the brackets as low as possible. unfortunitly cooling hoses got in the way in the middle positions and the powerstearing rack when it was really low. So its had to go up higher but is still low as we could get it. Still its not to bad I guess.

Also mounted up the  radiators overflow seen above.
On the other side of the rad we mounted up the PS/hydroboost reservoir. Three port jobbie.


Under the car a fly wheel cover was fabbed up. Stock would not work due to the trans adapter. Bit of split pipe was used for the notches to clear the torque converters covers ridges.

Car is off the jack stands and front panels are bolted on. not all the bots etc are in but enough to keep it together until I get new bolts for it all and get it done right. 
Old Nailhead sits in there nicely.

Steering wheel thrown on just so we can roll it about easier. GT Performance 9 bolt hub, 15.5" wheel and horn. Really wanted a wheel with a horn ring cus I love those things but ones that suit smaller wheels are bleeping expensive so it can wait.


Car is sitting pretty darn low. Like the lowest part is the brace that joins/strengthens the front sub side to side much like the original Hudson setup. I haven't measured it but I guess we have 30-40mm clearance to the road. 
As you can see with the good old beer bottle next to the car... it low.

keep in mind we still have to add side pipes - its that big ol hole you may of spotted in the above pic. You will see also that we will have a heap of room for them under the rockers. They also have a bit of a curve whats a bonus as it will (with luck) keep them out of ankle range whilst keeping them nicely tucked up so we dont rip em off.
and moving right along... side shot just cus I like it. yes I know the car is dirty but so is my mind and I like it that way.

Now talking about burning ankles on side pipes a subject by gal has mentioned most times I bring up lake pipes. My answer generally goes along the lines of "wear heels" below pic proves it. Ankle out of burn range.. toes on the other hand she has never mentioned.
But seriously - like the back tire viewed air out side on.


Enough farting around talking about air out this and that. Throw a battery in and test that shiz.
 

Yip yours truly testing it out. We left it air up for a few days and I was pleasantly surprised to find it stayed there with only a few psi drop from what I left it at uniformly across each wheel. I will mark that to atmosphere and not any slow leak due to it being across all four wheels not just one.

yeah i know the front could be bolted on a bit better but ahh stuff it it will be off again anyway.
And just cus im feeling all gangsta...

i know it aint hydraulics but it will do me. 
When air up we must be around 150mm at that one low point in the middle just behind the wheels. Ass end that has larger bags naturally goes much higher.

Welcome back viewers to yet another ever so thrilling update on the old Huddyson.
Sitting here and looking back over the last few years I must scratch my head and ask where has all that time gone. I really did believe it would of been driveable by now - road legal or not legal.
Life has its way of derailing such grand time frames as im sure you all are aware and the fact that even though the parts im using may not be the most expensive out there they sure dont come cheap. To paraphrase Oedipus, Hamlet, Lear, and all those guys, "I wish I had known this some time ago." Everything was such a damned nice idea when it was an idea yet as with everything How you look at it is pretty much how you'll see it I guess. And looking at it I can see the old gal ride low n slow down the street fast n loud on the highways everytime im out working on the old beast. God i got a tad philosophical there for a moment... what are they adding to the water around these parts. /twitch

Enough of that nonsense. let start the normal barrage of images and brief explanations.

Back floor all patched up over four link brackets. Holes added for access & removal of the top bars bolts.

Sparks and smoke flying up front as the Trans cover was all made up like a big jigsaw.


To help pull the drivers side floor up the brake boosters cover has been incorporated onto the trans cover to add rigidity.

Since the brakes are all tucked away under the floor and me being a bit of a lazy sod im using a remote reservoir.

The brake pedal was a bit of a sod that took up a heap of time. Due to the floors sloping angle and other factors we couldn't do a normal pivoting bar as the inside push rod where you stand would be pointing towards the floor. So a duel/tandem lever was made up. its somewhere between 4:1 and 5:1 ratio. Still got to get the adjustable top links. but tested with a bit of bar and have heaps of travel for the booster. Grease nipples all over the place. Machined up brass bushes and ya its solid as. Have to get the actual pedal and the other lever bar it connects to tested still.


Moving on to smaller jobs now. Power steering. As i have mentioned I think some time ago im using a PSC setup made for rock-crawlers. So if its powerful enough to drive and survive the crazy setups they have it should be fine for my setup.
Now I didnt want to take away from the finned engine dress-up stuff when you open the hood. So a low mount bracket was fabbed up. The little pump has a heap of adjustment, lines up nicely with the other pulleys and is tucked nice and low that will not only keep it out of eye sight but since the pump is gravity feed from the reservoir that will be mounted up by the radiator it will have ample full as well.



Mounted up the trans cooler up front of the radiator after I drilled a few holes and added grommets for the hoses. Should be hidden away enough not to be noticed.

Got the cad skills out again to design up the gas tank. Its about 19Gallons/72litres. The tail pipes are rather close together so the plan is cut a hole in the trunks floor and have half the tank through this and then the other half taking up much of the trunks floor space. Baffles will also add bracing for those times I may throw heavy loads like tires ontop of it. The bottom should be flush or just tucked up with the bottom of the chassis whilst the top will come nearly up to the trunks lip/bottom of the door. So it shouldn't be a hindrance or noticeable. One end is slightly deeper for the pump and sender. Josh and the guys at Apex in Oamaru cut n folded it up. Top guys with some great kit that I highly recommend. They also made up that Hudson logo for a bit of fun what was nice of them and chucked it in. Until I figure out what to do with it I plan to use it as a stencil to tag a few things around the garage. \,,/(-.-)\m/

On a bit of a separate note the missus has taken up slinging a bit of one shot paint of late. Hell yeah I say. Im more than happy to buy the brushes, paints and what ever if it means I can get some lines laid down on pretty much what ever I want. I think she is busting it out but naturally I may be a tad one eyed, biased and not the best judge in the matter.
Take a look any way.
Some panels up near the top of below pic in my garage.

Cooler to go with her Morrie


Door she made up for Flockie on an old 40s Ford pickup door.


And of course hand bags... she has a thing for handbags.

Oh man I haven't updated this for so long. Six months ~ time fly's and all that guff. 
Didnt really do anything to the Hudson over the Summer. Messed about on the old 52 Buick a bit as it has been playing up but other than its all been work or play I guess.

Anyway thats my lifes catch up hour complete. lets talk old jalopies & do a quick catch up on to where the Hudson currently sits. And then with luck I will pull my finger out so to speak and start updating this more regularly.

I should warn you all now this might be a tad pic heavy. Photobomb you all  since I plan to follow the old saying "A picture is worth a thousand words". Oh and images are all odd sizes due to camera settings at the time. dratted updates.

First off the engine was put back in and tight tuck headers thrown on.

Left hand side had clearance issues so we put spacers on the engine mounts raising the engine a fraction to cure the issues. Although we have clearance at the firewall it will get cut more to tidy things up and give a tad more room.

Wheels on, engine in and sitting on the ground... better jump in and visualize cruising.


Radiator slotted in. Happy that we modded the thing to have twin fillers and a central top outlet. Purely for aesthetic reasons really. Just hope it will work well.

Was a bit concerned about the amount of space between the rad and engine at first. but once the custom fan shroud is on and other junk is in there the gap should fill up I hope.


With the engine in and headers on next steep seems logical enough - fab up the front exhaust. Was surprised how easy it went. 

Heap of room on each side so no issues getting to the oil filter or anything else. Still is rock solid.

Welded all up ready for a quick paint and fitting. H balance pipe just at the tail of the trans. the two extra out lets poking out the sides are for the lake pipes - I like the idea of them being functional if i want. Looking at the above pic and below you will note they are situated in a low spot. this is not just cus it is just where they should be body wise but also to stop the possibility of any water pooling.


Shiny sh!t
First off i will say IDIDIT sales are top blokes. Why they never just blocked my emails is beyond me. For two years one, two or 4 times a month I would email them asking when there RHD column shift steering column would be ready. Patient bunch always emailed back. After a year or so they made up a column - it failed Aussie testing as it was to strong and didnt collapse enough. Will point out NZ cert laws are also extremely tight around steering columns with only four or so aftermarket brands being aloud. Rightly so as it is a big spear that could impale you. Anyway im waffling. To cut a long story short they have now made up a RHD column shift column- although its still not on the website. Since I had to wait so long they gave me a huge discount.
Was a happy boy unboxing all teh steering crap.

Initial fit up. Wasn't to thrilled on how the column sat at the dash. column drop was to low(as pictured below) so decided to order in a new one. Slightly cutting up the dash but will be worth it to get it to sit up in the stainless strip more.

Whilst we waited for the shorted column drop it was decided to cut up the firewall a bit more as next we would need to figure out the lower floor mount for the column that currently dangled in the air.

Three double D universals will be used. Bit tight near the headers but still will be easier than some setups.

Below looks closer to the headers than it really is. has near an inch I guess of clearance.

Its all nice and tight no slop or wiggle and more importantly no binding.


With the front exhaust and steering done its time to move to the gaping hole in the floor and firewall.

Top of the firewall all buttoned up. Will get cleaned up down the track but for now at least we have an area to bolt the trans cover to. Heap of room to fiddle about on the distributor etc.

Skellington framework being made up for the trans cover. Bit by floor mount will get altered as I dont want it to be incorporated into the trans cover. Who wants the bother of removing the column to get the trans cover out? Will get it all folded up. Note the columns new position up further in the dash. Tilt column so should be ace.


Been teaching myself Solidworks. Designed up the fan shroud and got it cut n folded.

A couple of Spall high performance fans sit on the the shroud. I figure if they are good enough to cool NASCAR and high end sports cars then they should suck air through the four core copper rad and keep the old donk chilly. The rubber flaps are for highway speeds to let trapped hot air out. Middle rivets hold a divider in place that separates each fan. Thinking here being air follows the path of least resistance. So if only a single fan is running then air would draw through the other fans opening and not through the rad. Being in separate chambers hopefully will stop this happening.
 
So yeah thats me pretty much! All caught up with the Hudson project. With luck will be getting back to it more now its coming into Autumn.

One side note is the missus has got her self a new car. Just a small grocery getter / run about.  A 1956 Morris Minor split window series II coupe.  Seems to be rust free and mechanically sound little car - totally road worthy and legal. Owned by a nursing home from new till the old couple who she purchased it off got it. Garaged and loved all its life.
So what do you do when you get a honest survivor in good condition? 
Cut it up of course!

TheMoose on HAMB photoshoped it doing all we asked. chop roof, fade-away fenders, skirts & lower it. Like an old 47 buick just compacted. Once the current warrant of fitness runs out (6 months) the fun begins. Oh and old 30HP factory engine will be going as well.

hey quick question on the cert rules for roof chops.

How much are you aloud to chop basically?  

Missus brought home a Morrie Minor split window. Wanting to make a nice lil shopping car basically but with a old custom vibe. 

Thinking 4 or 5 inch off the front and what ever looks good off the back. then a heap of panel work such as fade-away fenders and skirts.

Sat in a 4' chop with lowered seats and was looking out mid screen (missus below middle of screen) and had heap of headspace.

Dropped off the front rims to get the backspacing adjusted so I wont need to run spacers. With luck will be ready next week. Then it can come off the rotisserie!

We have been feking about with the brakes still. mounted up the park-brake etc but have decided to change it up yet again. the current setups lever is only like 2:1 may change it to 3:1. basically by drilling another hole.

Top holes are for a spring I still need to get.

The front after market drive shaft loop (thanks guys at Kruzin Kustoms) is just sitting there but will be bolted up next weekend. Just need to make up some plates for the inside to sandwich mount it to the floor. Should mount in the middle of the circles on the floorpan under the seat.

Plumbed up the back brakes. Mounts fabed up with a recess cut out of them to allow water to flow and not pool. No doubt it will soon get a stone or something in it but mehh what can you do.


Flexy lines all positioned to clear any obstacles such as frame, bags, bumpstops, tires and what ever else at all airbag heights.

Have ran the RH side front hard line. Need to get a lil more hardline to do the other side. Also need to grab a couple of fittings. then brakes are done pretty much.

So front DS loop and a few meters of brake line work and done. May just put the old rims on it and take it off if I dont have patience to wait further week to get my old rims back, tires on and balanced.

‘Mo on Jalopy Journals HAMB forums gave me the idea of suicide rear doors. Rather like that idea I must admit. May be something we will look into a bit further down the track.

Haven’t been up to much of late. this is more like a car diary update for my self than any progress update I guess.