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36coupe · 02-26-2017, 07:06 AM

I saved this from the barn a few years ago
I take credit for none of this but hopes it helps me when I get ready to assemble mine.

36 ford fenders fit

Below may be the instructions you are thinking of. I do not remember who posted this on the old Ford Barn, but he is to be commended.

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.

Here is a reply to a posting I had on FORDBARN a few years ago.

Leave all bolts finger tight only until all is assembled.
Remember almost everything relies on the radiator, how it sits in frame and are all attachments soldered on in the correct place. Seventy two years is a long time for things to remain the same.

Attach running boards
Fit the headlight fender supports.
Fit the inner front panels( with the louvers) to the chassis. Don’t put bolts in holes yet which attach it to head light support bracket
Fit front fenders. They fit over the inner panels. Fit bolts which attach the fenders to the headlight support through the side panels, also to the body and running board.
Attach the grille side panels to the grille before attaching to car. Line up the rear of the grille with the curved part of the side cheek panels. Leave off the horn grilles as I think Henry only put them there so you can put your hand through them to get to some of the bolts.
Fit and tighten grille attachment bolts. Bolt heads are on grille side.
Fit the grille and panel assembly to the fenders leaving bolts loose.
Fit the small filler panels from under fender. These help to put the whole assembly in the right place.
Fit the splash guard which goes from the bottom of the grille to crossmember in place. Some swearing may be necessary to get this in the right place. It fits inside the bottom of the grille and helps align everything so a good straight one is necessary.
Temporarily fit radiator and pray that whoever assembled all the soldered on brackets put them in exactly the right place. Put radiator stay rods in place loosely.
Attach hood ornament to the radiator with c’sunk screws and allow the front of it to rest on grille. This is better to do with an old and genuine ford emblem as you know it is the correct size.
Fit hood attachment bracket to front of cowl and tighten.
Fit Stainless strip, preferably without hood attached to it (especially if you are doing this job alone) to the rear bracket and slip in the front bracket and attach it to the top of radiator.
Adjust the radiator rods so that the back of the hood ornament is almost touching the stainless center strip which should be 33 inches long. If the chassis is sitting level it would be a good idea to hang a plumb line to make sure the center of the grille/hood ornament/strip is directly over the centre line of the chassis.
Now if all is well you should be able to attach the small tabs on the side of the grille to the radiator and the front of the hood ornament to the top of the grille. You don’t want to stretch or strain the grille to fit the ornament bolts as the ornament was not designed to carry any stress. You may need to “massage” the grille a bit so the bolts will just drop in.
If the radiator seems to be too low it should be about twenty two and a quarter inches vertically from the front rail just in front of the x member up to the small bolt at the side of the grille. Pack up the radiator with some anti squeak strips. (Body to chassis webbing strip or similar). Check that the radiator is in fact vertical, as the feet that it sits on may not be level.
Remove the front or rear centre bracket and hood strip and assemble hood. Place it back on car. You’ll need at least two people to do this.
Check the fit. The front of side panels should be parallel with back of grille. The lower surface of the top parts of hood should be parallel with the top of the grille. If not you probably need to raise or lower the radiator a bit.
Tighten up some of the bolts and check everything as you go. Things don’t need to move much to change panel fit.
You may need to pack up the front hood attachment bracket on the radiator to get the hood at the right level.

02-26-2017, 07:06 AM	#5
36coupe Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Eastcoast Posts: 863	Re: 36 Coupe new build, J.B.Donaldson body I saved this from the barn a few years ago I take credit for none of this but hopes it helps me when I get ready to assemble mine. 36 ford fenders fit Below may be the instructions you are thinking of. I do not remember who posted this on the old Ford Barn, but he is to be commended. 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. Here is a reply to a posting I had on FORDBARN a few years ago. Leave all bolts finger tight only until all is assembled. Remember almost everything relies on the radiator, how it sits in frame and are all attachments soldered on in the correct place. Seventy two years is a long time for things to remain the same. Attach running boards Fit the headlight fender supports. Fit the inner front panels( with the louvers) to the chassis. Don’t put bolts in holes yet which attach it to head light support bracket Fit front fenders. They fit over the inner panels. Fit bolts which attach the fenders to the headlight support through the side panels, also to the body and running board. Attach the grille side panels to the grille before attaching to car. Line up the rear of the grille with the curved part of the side cheek panels. Leave off the horn grilles as I think Henry only put them there so you can put your hand through them to get to some of the bolts. Fit and tighten grille attachment bolts. Bolt heads are on grille side. Fit the grille and panel assembly to the fenders leaving bolts loose. Fit the small filler panels from under fender. These help to put the whole assembly in the right place. Fit the splash guard which goes from the bottom of the grille to crossmember in place. Some swearing may be necessary to get this in the right place. It fits inside the bottom of the grille and helps align everything so a good straight one is necessary. Temporarily fit radiator and pray that whoever assembled all the soldered on brackets put them in exactly the right place. Put radiator stay rods in place loosely. Attach hood ornament to the radiator with c’sunk screws and allow the front of it to rest on grille. This is better to do with an old and genuine ford emblem as you know it is the correct size. Fit hood attachment bracket to front of cowl and tighten. Fit Stainless strip, preferably without hood attached to it (especially if you are doing this job alone) to the rear bracket and slip in the front bracket and attach it to the top of radiator. Adjust the radiator rods so that the back of the hood ornament is almost touching the stainless center strip which should be 33 inches long. If the chassis is sitting level it would be a good idea to hang a plumb line to make sure the center of the grille/hood ornament/strip is directly over the centre line of the chassis. Now if all is well you should be able to attach the small tabs on the side of the grille to the radiator and the front of the hood ornament to the top of the grille. You don’t want to stretch or strain the grille to fit the ornament bolts as the ornament was not designed to carry any stress. You may need to “massage” the grille a bit so the bolts will just drop in. If the radiator seems to be too low it should be about twenty two and a quarter inches vertically from the front rail just in front of the x member up to the small bolt at the side of the grille. Pack up the radiator with some anti squeak strips. (Body to chassis webbing strip or similar). Check that the radiator is in fact vertical, as the feet that it sits on may not be level. Remove the front or rear centre bracket and hood strip and assemble hood. Place it back on car. You’ll need at least two people to do this. Check the fit. The front of side panels should be parallel with back of grille. The lower surface of the top parts of hood should be parallel with the top of the grille. If not you probably need to raise or lower the radiator a bit. Tighten up some of the bolts and check everything as you go. Things don’t need to move much to change panel fit. You may need to pack up the front hood attachment bracket on the radiator to get the hood at the right level.