Please Help 48 hudson commodore 6

Clearwaterhudson

dad has a 48 hudson commodore best I can tell. He has had it 15 years and it has never been ran. Pulled starter yesterday. The starter misses by 1/8th inch when engaged. The back seat has a strap mounted across it that looks like where they used to hand cuff people. Has driver side spot light. Has yellow bumper lights. What I find strange is it has not fender runners over the head lights. never even had holes for them. Also it has an airline in the trunk. Please bear with me as I am just getting into messing with this car. We have the original title. I am trying to figure out what the serial number is so i can decode it and maybe do some history tracking on the car please help with anything you can thanks. 

Jon B

Welcome on board, Clearwaterhudson!

I'm sure the people on the forum can help you, if you want to ask specific questions.

I don't know where the serial number plate is, in this car, but you could look on the firewall or the passenger's side door jamb, for starters.  The serial number will only tell you what model you have (and you already seem to know this).  Unless you meet someone who knows about this particular car, tracking its past will be very difficult.  It might have originally been owned in your area, so it would be helpful for you to get to know some Hudson enthusiasts in your region. They'll be able to help you with questions, and they'll have similar cars that you can look at. 

I would not advise trying to start the car until you have dropped the oil pan and cleaned out the sludge.  Also, the gas in the tank has probably gone south, or there may be crud in the tank or lines, so you might simply disconnect the gas line where it enters the fuel pump, and then run a rubber hose from the pump to a small can of gasoline, and run the engine off that, temporarily.

Where are you located?  There are chapters of the Hudson club all around the U.S. (if that is where you are) and you might want to go to one of their get-togethers this summer and meet some other Hudson owners.  Here is a map http://hetclub.org/chapters/hetchaptermap.jpg showing where the chapters are located.  Once you find one or two near you, you can go to this page http://hetclub.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72&Itemid=510  to look up a contact person for that chapter.  You can also go to the calendar of events here http://hetclub.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=508 to find chapter events around the country.

Uncle Josh

If you don't have the chrome on the top of the fenders it's probably a super six  SN should start with

491 if it's a super six

492 if it's a commodore

The SN tag is on the passenger door post

also, commodore should have a white steering wheel with chrome horn ring and chrome strips on the dash

Super six came with black plastic with silver lettering

Is the starter gear too small or is it not engaging all the way?  DW 40 on the shaft and make sure the gear goes all the way to the end.

Per

It would be good to know whether the car had recently been run before your dad got it.  If yes, letting the oil out to see what it looks like, and if it looks decent putting in new oil should be sufficient to be able to try starting the engine.  However if you do not know how long the engine has not run, it could be many, many years, and Jon's advice would be good to follow.  Also, often engines which have not been run in a long time have some of the exhaust valves stuck.  The first time you rotate the engine, the valves open and then stay open because there is too much friction for the valve spring to pull the valve closed.  If only one or two valves are like this, it is often possible to get the engine running, and with luck the stuck valves will start to move after a while.  

SuperDave

One slight correction.. The 48 serial numbers start with 48.

Kdancy

If the car has set for a long time, particles in the oil will settle and separate from the oil. So looking at oil drained into a pan will yield little info unless water shows up at the bottom as it will separate and drain out with the oil.
Pulling the pan is the safest option.

Clearwaterhudson

Update it did not run before dad got it the old man who had it used to take 12 cars and build barns around them. When he went into a Hospice home his wofe sold them all at 1000 per car.

Clearwaterhudson

Since this is a group forum I am posting the original title it has no current info so is of no benefit to anyone.

Hopefully this helps some.

Frankvintagefullflowcom

The 491***s/n indicates that it's a "Super Six", not a Commodore, but still a very desirable vehicle among Hudson nuts and, incidentally, the model of my first Hudson, a gift from my Grandmother who purchased it new in '49.

Frank

Jon B

The serial number starts with "481" so you own a Super Six model.  A previous owner might have added Commodore trim to it (like the fancy horn button or large taillights) which might make it look like a Commodore.

onerare39

I wonder if the former owner is related to Dave Villwock?  Dave was a driver/pilot of the Miss Budweiser, an unbelievably fast unlimited hydroplane.  I think Dave is from the Northwest.

Frank, your glasses are somewhere nearby.

Frankvintagefullflowcom

Oops.....there they are. You'd think with 15 pairs of Wally World readers around, I'd be able to locate at least one of them. 481, 491, 501......same deal.

F

Uncle Josh

Your SN is 481xxxx  It's a Super Six.  The Commadore (482xxx) has extra chrome over the fenders, on the dash and on the trunk

Clearwaterhudson

Thanks all now we have a new problem the starter was pulled out and it misses by and 1/8 inch away from flywheel. Dad was messing with it today and the flywheel look really worn down. The teeth are worn where can I find a 1948 super 6 flywheel. Can't find the part number thanks 

lostmind

If the mounting plate on the drive end is not installed on the starter housing correctly , it will miss the flywheel.

Try rotating the plate 180 degrees.

If you replaced the stud with a bolt , the same thing can happen

Frankvintagefullflowcom

The ring gear p/n is 160229 or 166227 (interchangeable). If yours is unserviceable, I have reproduction gears available. Changing of the gear isn't difficult.....getting to it to do that job is pretty difficult.

Frank

Clearwaterhudson

OK FOLKS FOR EVERYONE FOLLOWING THIS THREAD WE ARE SELLING THE HUDSON.

Jon B

(Car is listed under CLASSIFIEDS / VEHICLES)