The allure of land speed racing brings individuals from around the world to test their mettle at wide open throttle. More importantly, there are some wonderful creations, such as this '47 Hudson, that have not only been assembled for outright speed, but also in the name of charity for a greater cause.
A Salvaged Survivor
What you see before you is a 1947 Hudson Super 6 Pickup owned by Randy Simmons. The story goes that Simmons was providing a helping hand on his friend's ranch some 20 years ago when he spotted an old rust-bucket of a Hudson truck sitting out on the hillside. When Simmons asked his friend what he planned to do with it, his friend replied "I'll give it to you if you turn it into a race truck!" Randy immediately took him up on the offer and returned a week later to tow the tired hulk of a Hudson away. Some might say it was meant to be, because the hillside on which the Hudson was parked was destroyed in a freak storm a few days later.
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Diesel Heart Transplant
The old Hudson was devoid on an engine, transmission, and all interior pieces, thus making it a fairly good base to begin a race truck build. Instead of building a vehicle that would excel at only one racing discipline, Simmons wanted a well-rounded racer capable of tackling the curves of Pike's Peak, while having the reliability to run open-road endurance races, and the speed to chase records at the salt-flats of Bonneville. With those goals in mind, Simmons pulled a 7.3L Powerstroke diesel out of a wrecked 2001 Ford F-250 to get the build underway.
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Top-Notch Componentry
Besides a 3-inch chop to the roofline, which is the maximum that SCTA class rules allow for pre-1949 stock class vehicles, the body is otherwise stock. Like many other hot-rod builds though, the magic is happening underneath the truck's skin. The Powerstroke underwent a full rebuild with top-notch components and was upgraded with a beefy 88mm turbocharger before being stuffed into the Hudson. With no room to spare, the intercooler was placed in the bed of the truck and then a Design Engineering CO2 chiller kit was added to keep the intake charge cool. The custom 5" exhaust system is routed to exit through the bed, with a stack just behind the cab similar to that of a big rig. With Sniper Tuning in control of the electronics and power traveling through an ATS-built 4R100 transmission, the truck can produce 1000 horsepower and has a calculated top speed of 237 MPH.
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Nothing Overlooked
To tame the 5,500 pound, 1000 horsepower machine, Simmons built a custom chassis to make sure the Hudson truck handles and stops as quickly as it can get going. The front suspension uses tubular upper and lower control arms, while the rear-end is a 9-inch Ford floater with a triangulated four-link, all of which are of Simmons' own design. Mix in huge 6-piston brake calipers and oversized swaybars, and the truck should be capable of carving a corner with the best of them, even at triple digit speeds.
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Totally Handicap Accessible
Where this incredible build takes an interesting and heartfelt turn is when we realize it is equipped to be both quadriplegic and paraplegic accessible, with a mouthpiece controller. Simmons has a small business, Robotic Integrated Technology (RTI), that specializes in robotic therapy equipment for individuals who have suffered from paralysis-type injuries, and the Hudson Pickup was sponsored by the Michael-Ryan Pattison Foundation. Even without the use of ones hands or feet, the mouthpiece has the ability to work the throttle and steering inputs of the truck in land speed events, while a passenger can control braking, shifting, or the entire vehicle in case of an emergency. The seat also has the ability to swivel out, and and the truck bed has a lift crane to lift a wheelchair bound passenger or driver into the truck.
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The Hudson Project - Success!
The story comes full circle as Michael-Ryan Pattison, a quadriplegic himself, piloted the Hudson Truck alongside Randy Simmons in a land speed event in the Mojave Desert. To date, the truck has raced in a number of events, has been featured in several auto magazines, and can occasionally be spotted at auto shows throughout the US. The idea is to eventually put on special events that will allow individuals with spinal chord injuries to have a go behind the wheel of the Hudson Pickup.
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For help with service of your truck, check out the how to section of Ford-Trucks.com
