The Ford Barn

lodown2003 · 09-27-2013, 09:30 PM

what is the best process to reassemble the front sheet metal. should i start with the running boards then fenders then grill, or should i mount grill to fenders first as one unit. seems to me if radiator is not installed correctly will throw every thing off. bought a walker radiator. are the walker radiators an exact copy of the original, or do i need to make adjustments,thanks

Chris Nelson · 09-27-2013, 10:40 PM

I put a Walker in my 36 and it works just fine. Adjustments are critical to get the whole front sheetmetal to line up correctly. First put the runningboards on the car since they are in a fixed bolt hole. I started by putting all the bolts and nuts on a rug on the floor and then all the front sheetmetl around me. Then I sat down and part by part assembled all the pieces of the front sheetmetal while sitting on the floor. Henry Ford did the same thing only on a grand scale. It's a losing battle to try to asemble all the parts on the car. You can't get to all the bolts if it is on the car. After I had it assembled on the floor, I used a engine hoist to hold it up while my wife and a friend guided the whole thing while I pushed the lift up to the car. They kept the fenders from scratching the paint. Then I bolted all the parts to the body/frame, starting with a bolt in the runningboards and then in the headlight mounts. Then I started to install all the bolts & nuts after I was sure that the front sheetmetal was secure. The adjusting came after that with the rods from the firewall. I had to adjust the radiator with a shim a small amount to get the gaps to line up, but not a lot. It is time consuming to get it right, but keep after it and you will find that it can be done. If the car is painted, get help so you don't scratch up the finish. I have had to do this twice. Once when I first got the car on the road and last month after a washer went through the valve and dinged up a piston. I had to pull the engine and dismantle it. If you have to remove the engine in the future, remove the sheetmetal as it is easier than damaging the finish of the car trying to get the engine out of that small space.

Tom Morookian · 09-28-2013, 06:29 AM

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Another posting has all the answers

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...ght=1936+sheet

It's kind of like building a house of cards while riding in a boat on choppy water. Oh yea, with your eyes closed.

09-27-2013, 09:30 PM	#1
lodown2003 Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: gresham,oregon Posts: 39	36 coupe question what is the best process to reassemble the front sheet metal. should i start with the running boards then fenders then grill, or should i mount grill to fenders first as one unit. seems to me if radiator is not installed correctly will throw every thing off. bought a walker radiator. are the walker radiators an exact copy of the original, or do i need to make adjustments,thanks

09-27-2013, 10:40 PM	#2
Chris Nelson Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Poulsbo, WA. Posts: 356	Re: 36 coupe question I put a Walker in my 36 and it works just fine. Adjustments are critical to get the whole front sheetmetal to line up correctly. First put the runningboards on the car since they are in a fixed bolt hole. I started by putting all the bolts and nuts on a rug on the floor and then all the front sheetmetl around me. Then I sat down and part by part assembled all the pieces of the front sheetmetal while sitting on the floor. Henry Ford did the same thing only on a grand scale. It's a losing battle to try to asemble all the parts on the car. You can't get to all the bolts if it is on the car. After I had it assembled on the floor, I used a engine hoist to hold it up while my wife and a friend guided the whole thing while I pushed the lift up to the car. They kept the fenders from scratching the paint. Then I bolted all the parts to the body/frame, starting with a bolt in the runningboards and then in the headlight mounts. Then I started to install all the bolts & nuts after I was sure that the front sheetmetal was secure. The adjusting came after that with the rods from the firewall. I had to adjust the radiator with a shim a small amount to get the gaps to line up, but not a lot. It is time consuming to get it right, but keep after it and you will find that it can be done. If the car is painted, get help so you don't scratch up the finish. I have had to do this twice. Once when I first got the car on the road and last month after a washer went through the valve and dinged up a piston. I had to pull the engine and dismantle it. If you have to remove the engine in the future, remove the sheetmetal as it is easier than damaging the finish of the car trying to get the engine out of that small space.

09-28-2013, 06:29 AM	#3
Tom Morookian Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: N. Ft. Myers, Fl. Posts: 502	Re: 36 coupe question Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Another posting has all the answers https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...ght=1936+sheet It's kind of like building a house of cards while riding in a boat on choppy water. Oh yea, with your eyes closed.