Assembling 36 Ford front sheet metal
1 Start off by fitting the inner guard panels with the cooling louvers in them onto the frame with a couple of bolts.
2 Fit the running boards to locate and support the front fenders. Note that they can’t be moved forward or back much. Their position is fixed by the bits on the frame that stick out to support the body and also the forward end of the rear guards.
3 Fit the headlight/ fender supports to the frame.
4 Then hang the fenders over the inner guard panels and attach them to the running boards. Put in a few bolts to hold everything.
5 Fit the radiator and support bars.
6 Attach the hood support brackets on the firewall and radiator
7 With hood ornament temporarily in place using its rear two bolts to hold it on the radiator, adjust radiator rods so the stainless steel 33 inch long strip in hood center just fits between back of ornament and firewall bracket. Remove the ornament.
8 Then assemble and tighten the grille and the two side panels using all bolts. This will probably cause a fair bit of bad language and the need to stop for a drink but persevere You’ll need a piece of bar to help line up the holes, as if its anything like mine, I would have sworn that the three panels would never fit together, but they did.. Be very careful to align the edge of the grille and the side panels so that the surface of the panel is level with the surface of the grille, especially at the bottom.
9 Fit the grille and side panels to front fenders (the fender welt that goes between doesn’t seem to make a great deal of difference at this stage) and check how ornament holes line up. Ornament must be right over holes so bolts just drop in. If there is any stress on the ornament it will surely break. Check if the ears on radiator line up with grille top side mounting holes. If panels are painted use some masking tape for protection.
Either adjust the grille/side panel assembly or remove it and move the grille in relation to the side panels to improve the ornament fit or the alignment between the hood sides and the rear of the grille
10 I think this is the time to fit the small curved filler panels that go between the headlight support brackets and the joint between the horn grille panel and the fender.
11 If not already on, fit the hood and check the panel alignment.
12 You may need to pack under the radiator feet or even under the front hood mounting bracket but if car and frame are fairly straight they should be ok. There should be an anti squeak strip under the radiator mounting foot at least.
13 You’ll find that by pushing or pulling on the bottom of the grille the alignment can be changed dramatically.
14 The panel that fits between the bottom of the grille and the crossmember will help to give you the correct position for the bottom of the grille. It needs to be a good straight one.
2 Fit the running boards to locate and support the front fenders. Note that they can’t be moved forward or back much. Their position is fixed by the bits on the frame that stick out to support the body and also the forward end of the rear guards.
3 Fit the headlight/ fender supports to the frame.
4 Then hang the fenders over the inner guard panels and attach them to the running boards. Put in a few bolts to hold everything.
5 Fit the radiator and support bars.
6 Attach the hood support brackets on the firewall and radiator
7 With hood ornament temporarily in place using its rear two bolts to hold it on the radiator, adjust radiator rods so the stainless steel 33 inch long strip in hood center just fits between back of ornament and firewall bracket. Remove the ornament.
8 Then assemble and tighten the grille and the two side panels using all bolts. This will probably cause a fair bit of bad language and the need to stop for a drink but persevere You’ll need a piece of bar to help line up the holes, as if its anything like mine, I would have sworn that the three panels would never fit together, but they did.. Be very careful to align the edge of the grille and the side panels so that the surface of the panel is level with the surface of the grille, especially at the bottom.
9 Fit the grille and side panels to front fenders (the fender welt that goes between doesn’t seem to make a great deal of difference at this stage) and check how ornament holes line up. Ornament must be right over holes so bolts just drop in. If there is any stress on the ornament it will surely break. Check if the ears on radiator line up with grille top side mounting holes. If panels are painted use some masking tape for protection.
Either adjust the grille/side panel assembly or remove it and move the grille in relation to the side panels to improve the ornament fit or the alignment between the hood sides and the rear of the grille
10 I think this is the time to fit the small curved filler panels that go between the headlight support brackets and the joint between the horn grille panel and the fender.
11 If not already on, fit the hood and check the panel alignment.
12 You may need to pack under the radiator feet or even under the front hood mounting bracket but if car and frame are fairly straight they should be ok. There should be an anti squeak strip under the radiator mounting foot at least.
13 You’ll find that by pushing or pulling on the bottom of the grille the alignment can be changed dramatically.
14 The panel that fits between the bottom of the grille and the crossmember will help to give you the correct position for the bottom of the grille. It needs to be a good straight one.