1933 inner fender question?

[DavidG]

It appears from your latest group of photos that you have '33 gussets in front of a '34 front cross member. I do not know if that could be contributing to the too high radiator. While it is likely the photos being misleading, it also looks like the radiator mounting areas on the gussets are not perfectly horizontal. If you take a long straight edge would it sit perfectly flat across both radiator mounting surfaces?

[lotsagas4u]

David, I will check on it tomorrow,

Thank You

[lotsagas4u]

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[lotsagas4u]

DavidJ, the radiator left/right adjustment did wonders, looks better than it ever has. Still have a wider gap on drivers side grill. Gaps on bottom are closer than than ever have been. It seems as if the center strip is a tad long, if you look at radiator cap pix.
DavidG, the radiator gussets are level with a bubble level, I forgot to take pix,
Thanks to both of you for your help

[DavidG]

Some improvement, but ....... What did you do?


Ignore this as I wrote it while you were adding yours to your photos.

[lotsagas4u]

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[lotsagas4u]

A couple more

[lotsagas4u]

DavidG, I think the new frame horns turned out great.

[David J]

Agree on the hood hinge .
Take baby steps shortening it as it is hard to lengthen .

Looks like the left lower hood to cowl gap is wider that the right ???
If yes that would indicate the radiator is tilted slightly right on top .

Check level of pads to level of cowl .
THIS HAS TO BE RIGHT or you will not get perfect gaps .

Make sure you get the hood-cowl right before addressing anything else .

[lotsagas4u]

DavidJ, how do I shorten the center strip, grind, file, cut?

I do have some new, cowl lacing ordered by the way.

[David J]

Originally Posted by lotsagas4u

DavidJ, how do I shorten the center strip, grind, file, cut?

I do have some new, cowl lacing ordered by the way.

Grind till close then file .

Get the hood-cowl right first .
That is the foundation all else matches to .

[lotsagas4u]

DavidJ, level of pads to level of cowl? You lost me here??????

[David J]

Originally Posted by lotsagas4u

DavidJ, level of pads to level of cowl? You lost me here??????

Radiator mounting pads are level as you stated .

You need to check the level of the cowl .
Checking the cowl is best done multiple ways .
Are the radiator brace rods level ?
Is the transition point where the firewall mounting flange kicks forward and down from vertical level ?
Lay the level on the cowl vent and make sure it is EXACTLY the same height above the belt line .

All 3 of these checks should be the same and if not EXACTLY the same as the radiator pads you need to make the pads match the cowl . It can be done shimming the cowl also but door gaps will suffer .

This is important .

[lotsagas4u]

Wow, I just ran out and checked radiator brace rods, they are off, half a bubble on level. No wonder I couldn't get all of this lined up.

[DavidG]

Go carefully as in your latest photos the gap between the hood top and the cowl top is too tight. I'd get that right before even considering shortening the hinge center strip.

[lotsagas4u]

DavidG, I do have some new cowl lacing ordered, may wait until I get that before going any further.
Thanks for your help.

[DavidG]

I go back to your mentioning the frame requiring repairs, unless those were performed on a frame fixture, it is possible that the radiator mounting gussets are not aligned level-wise with the cowl (you already checked for their horizontal-ness) or that your measurement of level-ness at the back of the rods isn't result of other factors such as the rods not being completely bottomed out in their firewall brackets or that the firewall brackets themselves are not exactly where they should be on the firewall (small variations in manufacturing could easily explain half a bubble). Further, checking the level-ness of the cowl vent might not be reliable as your cowl vent does fit in the cowl as well as it should judging from your photos.


You are striving for three things: first that the gaps on the hood sides front and back are the same on both sides of the hood. That depends largely on the equality of the distance from the grille sides to the cowl sides and is adjustable via the rods as indicated above, but also to a minor extent at the bottom as the bolts usually aren't a tight fit in the supporting gussets. Second, that you have appropriate equal gaps at the front and back of each hood top panels and the tops sit down level with the cowl top and the raised area of the grille forward of the radiator cap. Third, that the raised molding on the lower edge of the hood tops lines up with the belt molding on the cowl.



The height of the radiator and its level-ness relative to that of the cowl, even if centered side to side, has a direct impact on those gaps both fore and aft and up and down as will as the molding alignment.



Is your stainless hinge strip an original or a reproduction? Were any repairs made to the areas of the hood tops and hood sides where they mate up? Are you confident that the hood top panels are as far forward on the stainless strip as they will go?

[lotsagas4u]

DavidG, as far as I know the hinge strip is original, no repairs to hood/sides that I know of.

As far as i know, it has never been on a frame machine, the horns were a welded mess, with a couple of pieces of angle iron, to hold the front bumper.
I have a couple of pix of that mess, will load shortly.
It is quite a job to get this right, I never thought it would be this difficult

[lotsagas4u]

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[lotsagas4u]

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