1936 Fords have the most difficult front ends to fit. It is very critical that the radiator is built with great accuracy. The reason for this is that the front end sheet metal is mounted to the radiator. The grill, hood ornament and the hood is mounted to it. The fit of the entire front sheet metal assembly is determined by the accuracy of the radiator build.
These front ends are usually assembled on the floor and then put on the car as a unit, with the exception of the hood. When the radiator is mounted in the front end, it is very difficult to access the bolts that fasten the grill to the horn panels.
I have solved this problem, and actually made it so the front end can be assembled on the car. I have made a male and female radiator jig set. I made these using an original radiator, in very good condition. Like I mentioned earlier, it is very critical that all the mounting points are accurate. This cannot be accomplished with a tape measure, contrary to what most radiator shops will tell you. I know from much frustrating experience.
The last radiator I had built, I actually spent two late evenings working with a very competent radiator repairman, now retired, unfortunately. I did have my jig to help us in the build. This is the radiator that was built for the
1957 Corvette powered 1936 Ford Cabriolet. The male jig is used to build the sheet metal front end. Since it is a copy of the original radiator, and it bolts into the female jig, when you finish both processes, the new radiator will fit perfectly into your assembled front end. Huge Problem Solved
If you have ever built a 1936 Ford, you know exactly what I'm talking about when I say they are difficult. I am considering offering a jig set if there is interest in purchasing one. It will save a huge amount of time and frustration.
No comments:
Post a Comment