Ok, there is a collar at each end of the shifter shaft that attaches the shaft to the steering column tube. You can see the upper one in your first photo. Open your hood and find the lower collar. I'm betting that the lower collar has slid down the column a little bit. Look for a clean area just above the collar as evidence. If you loosen the set screw and gently tap this collar upward on the steering column tube until the shifter arm just touches the upper collar, then tighten the one under the hood, I think that will fix your problem. Good luck.

Alternatively, The upper collar could have moved up, but I have never seen that happen. I have seen this issue with the lower one many times. (The oily enviroment under the hood, and gravity seem to attack it)

Good morning Dany, Thank you for that information I will try that today. I am really excited to get my Hudson out for a test drive.

Dany, I checked what you told me to do and found that it looked like the upper collar was the I that moved (last photo). I loosened that hut and closed the gap so
the shifter arm just touches the upper collar. However this did not solve the problem, I still can not shift into low or reverse. A neighbor came over and with his help I could look at what was going on in the engine compartment . i saw movement at the point where the action was and it seems to me where the cable was there was not enough movement to get the transmission into low or reverse. There seems to an adjustable arm held in place with a bolt, but I do not know if that would have anything to do with it (see 1st photo)i.I also noticed that the rod coming down to the transmission seems to have a lock nut on it, but that nut is not tight to the to where the rod threads in (2nd photo). I also noticed that at the steering column where that rod connects there is a cotter pin that could be removed and i could then take out that pin and possibly thread the rod in further to the bottom connection (3rd photo).
Thank you again for your help with this problem.

Does the car have overdrive? If it is engaged it will not go into reverse.

Thank you Ed, the car does not have overdrive. When I pull up on the shift lever there is very little room for movement, I have closed the gap at the steering wheel. As someone who was in high school in the fifties and owned many early fifties cars mostly Ford and Chevy's. I remember more movement of the shift column. Chevy's having two shift arms going to the transmission often would get hung-up if you tried shifting to fast.

You have to have someone sit in the car with it in neutral, and have them lift up on the shift handle while you adjust the bracket at the bottom of the shift column under the hood. The cable bracket is slotted with one bolt for adjustment.

Ed, thanks for your help. Is it he cable that needs adjustment and do I need to lengthen the cable when I make the adjustment?

By having someone hold up on the shifter in neutral it takes it takes up any. Slack in the inner cable. In the photo you show is the slotted bracket adjustment. I don’t remember if you move it up or down while someone is holding up on the shift. The manual tells how to do it and shows a photo. I don’t have my manual here at home.

Thank you to Dany and Ed, for all your help with my shift problem. Ed, I ended up closing the slotted bracket a little to make the adjustment, I think I need even more adjustment and will work on that later. Today I was able to get the shift in reverse, so I could back out of my garage. Then I when for a test drive and gas fill up. I ended up having a wonderful drive that lasted well over an hour. I still have more work to do on the linkage to get it right. I also need to have a clutch adjustment, as it dose not engage until almost all the way out. Today I could not have been any happier driving my Hudson around SaddleBrooke. The car looks, sounds and drove great, I was surprised how easy it was to get back to driving a standard shift.

You're welcome. I'm glad you got it sorted out. These are great driving cars.