1932 Radiator distance?

[3blapcam]

I have a stock '32 radiator in an original frame/crossmember but I don't have the original radiator support rods (I'm looking for some - sales opportunity here) and the front sheetmetal is not on the car. There seems to be a little "flex" in the system... so can anyone give me a distance of the top of the radiator to the firewall, or cowl lip? Pictures from where you measured from would be great. I'm trying to do 2 things with this information... 1) I am trying to squeeze a fan in front of my 8RT and 2) I need to fab up the upper radiator hoses and would like the make sure the radiator is in the correct spot before doing so. This car will have all the sheetmetal on it so placement is pretty critical.

Thanks!

Alec.

[Charlie Stephens]

Put your radiator shell on and measure the length of the hood. Remember that the B and the V8 rods were a different length.

Charlie Stephens

[DavidG]

Or with the hinge brackets in place on the radiator and the cowl top, the length of the stainless steel hinge was originally exactly 32".

[3blapcam]

Thank you guys!

Charlie, I didn't know that, but did find that out with the anti-chatter rods! My car was originally a V8 car.

DavidG... I will do that as I do have all of those components!

Alec.

[DavidG]

The original V8 radiator to firewall support rods, 18-8133, were 29.60" long excluding the head on the firewall side. The threaded end at the radiator end of the rods allows for some adjustment, so the foolproof method is what I outlined in my previous note (#3).

[3blapcam]

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Thanks DavidG... that is also good information to know! I bought some stainless aftermarket ones, but have since misplaced them. I do recall checking them quickly to find that they were a tad long. I might be better off making new ones and knowing that measurement helps!

Alec.

[JSeery]

My experience with some 33/34 aftermarket rods is they are a little long and require cutting to fit.

[DavidG]

For the record, the B radiator rods (B-8133) were 30.25" long.

[35fordtn]

For such a simplistic designed front end, I have learned twice now that getting the proper cowl to hood and shell to hood gaps and alignment on a 1932 can be more challenging at times than it would seem.. Something as simple as using too thick of body webbing material can throw the whole equation off. I learned that bit from DavidG years ago on a phaeton I was fighting with.

I had never thought of fitting the rods with only the hood hinge and brackets in place but that makes really good sense especially when using NEW cut to length rods.

[DavidG]

I should have added that with the hood hinge molding in place make sure that the measurements from the sides of the radiator shell to the lip on cowl taken at several reference points are consistent from side to side to ensure a good hood fit.

[3blapcam]

This is all great advice! I feel like I'm about to be out of the woods on this and it's all going to come together!

Thanks again 'barners!

Alec.