DA Hood Rod Loop

[Bullfrog_eng]

G'day All.

I am trying to fit the hood (or bonnet depending on which country your from!) to my DA that I dismantled many, many years ago. It appears that the mounting is a very rough home made one that definately won't clean up well enough. I am talking about the mounting that locates the centre rod of the hood (bonnet) at the cowl end for a Budd body. From the parts catalogue it appears that it MAY be similar to the radiator end, that is two pieces, called a Hood Rod Loop, upper and lower. I have seen one off a Richards body that is single piece and cast (brass I think). Could anyone please comment, a picture would be even better. I need to work out if I need one to fit a Budd body or if a Richards one will do (maybe modified). The bolt holes in the body seem unusually large. Is this a "modification", or did they use stepped washers or something?

Many thanks,

John

[Guest 1930]

Hi John, two pieces as you see here, both pieces have a taper that sits down into the seemingly enlarged hole on your cowl.

If I remember right ( but would have to look into it to confirm for sure ) there is a sqaure nut on backside with of course a lockwasher as well. Hardware ( meaning fastening and the straps) were supposedly brass according to standard catalog of parts and parts catalog specific to DA but I have seen them in plated steel as well I believe. Hope this helps

Edited February 25, 2012 by 1930 (see edit history)

[60ch]

John,

I am glad that you posted your question. I never realized that I was missing the bottom piece to my hood/ bonnet retainer. Thanks Jason for the photo!

Terry

[Guest 1930]

Yes without the bottom piece it would rub the cowl and eventually maybe go thru, I am assuming that is its purpose. I do have several of these as spares ( honest injon on this one ) and will send it with the rest of whats coming to you Terry

[Bullfrog_eng]

Thanks Jason and Terry. The photos and comments from both of you have been exactly what I was looking for. This is signficantly different to the Richards body equivalent.

Your help much appreciated.

John

[Guest 1930]

Interesting to hear, if you have a chance post a pic of what you have or should have so we can all see the differences. Thanks

[Bullfrog_eng]

Have not uploaded pictures before, so will have a go.

The first is "what I have got". I think it is obvious why I do not intend to use this . It is a marvelous piece of Australian engineering that includes an oil hole, although I think that may just have already been in the piece of steel used!!

The second is the cast version that was sent to me as an examle of what is fitted to a Richards body. With modification, I may be able to use one of these, but I am concerned that I would have to thin the base down too much and it may brake. I should also point out that the Richards hood is also different, particularly the side panels.

John

[Guest 1930]

Hi John, looks like both of those would work, the rusty example that you show in my opinion does not look HOME made. Looks like whomever made it knew what he was doing. Possibly this is a version manufactured there in Aust. for DA by one of the body builders?

The oil hole should be there, ( if the manuf. were to consider taking the extra step to make things right ) I don't think it was just a random hole left in the piece of steel that just happened to be at the point where a few drops of oil every now and again would do the most good.

Like you mentioned via e-mail the second pic. that you show is a little fuzzy but I can see clearly still it is cast as you say, can you explain to me why the body panels are different on a Richards body, I am under the assumption that the cars were sent to various countries as knock down units, weren't all of the body panels supplied with the chassis.

Why for instance if that is the case ( I guess it sounds like I am incorrect ) would there be a need to cast this little piece for instance? Why would the hood be different? Ect.

I had asked these questions to another Aussie just recently on a different post concerning the export models and no reply as of yet. I assumed he or T.J. or one of you guys would know but maybe the answers are un-known. Can you help with these questions as well?

Even if you are only having to guess or know part of the answers it would be a start.

If you could read this post you would see his statements which led up to my questions I have posted below. The post was made here http://forums.aaca.org/f143/dodge-roadster-308174-5.html last page, last few posts

1- I have read about the vehicles that were deemed export sent as a tinker toy set and even have pictures of them being crated up but what ( if there were being built as Utes upon arrival ) happened to all the extra parts. I could see some of them going into storage but assuming we are talking about several hundred thousand vehicles being sent this way and that's alot of parts to hoard away if you get my meaning.

2- What did Chrysler ( or other auto manuf. ) do as far as a warranty on these vehicles. Hard to imagine Chrysler not having his own agents paying a visit every now and again and seeing these vehicles being sold as trucks instead of passenger cars.

3- I wonder now if TJ Richards ( for example, I know there were others ) had a deal with Chrysler to send only partial assy, just the stuff he needed at a discount cost per vehicle.

4- Lastly any idea as to when all of this stuff about sending the vehicles is pieces started and when that all came to an end because government had wised up on the game?

Another few questions would be-

1- Is there a list of the various body builders that were doing this sort of thing in Aust. during the early time periods, I have heard the T.J name and Holden but I am assuming their were others.

I would like to know who these builders were and their company history, is there any sort of on-line repository of this information?

I would assume that there would be very few, I would assume that these body builders would have had a contract with Chrysler Corporation that was not easy to secure so that is why I am assuming that they were few and far between.

2- Is it safe to assume that if say T.J Richards could not keep up with the demands nneded in your country he would sublet some of the work to another body builder that maybe did not have any sort of afiliation with Chrysler Corp?

If this were done than wouldnt the body tag still have to be T.J Richards and not Billy Bobs Backyard Bonofide Body Builders INC. as an example.

I will be mailing those hood pieces you are in need of today, don't worry about anything except maybe the postage if it gets excessive.

Edited February 27, 2012 by 1930 (see edit history)

[Bullfrog_eng]

Jason, thanks for your help and your questions. Will try to answer as best I can, but may take a bit of time to do so, and will try and get some photos. Will reply in a day or so.

John

[Guest 1930]

Thank-you, I said I would send your hood strap today but I am having trouble finding the second half, I have plenty of the bottom halves ( the one Terry needs ) but I may not have a spare top half.

I also need to get the time to burn a C.D that I need to send another guy.

I plan to dig some more this week and hopefully find one, I plan to go to post office all at once and send everyone their items all at same time so now it might not be until the end of the week or weekend at latest but what I do have will be sent.

Look forward to your further response on my queeries.

[Bullfrog_eng]

Sorry for the delay, I have not been able to access the internet for some time now, but looks like its working again. Thanks for your help and questions, Jason. My rusty old hood loop is definately made in someone's back yard out of scrap steel. My photo os obviously not good enough to show how rough it really is. Regarding your other questions, I have provided some further information, but thought it more appropriate to do so in the "Australian Dodges (History) thread. Will add a bit more to your own email address and explain there.

Regards,

John

[Guest 1930]

THanks, loop is still on its way I am guessing?

[Guest DodgeKCL]

Those hood hinge ends are sold by N/C Industries in Sayre Penn. for middle 30s Dodges and Plymouths. I bought 2 sets for my '35 truck but I know they will fit the '33 Dodge DP and the '33 Plymouth PC/PD. They are a little different than what I see in the post photos. The upper piece is almost 'square' with rounded edges. I dont' remember my earlier car's and their hood hinges but the '33 to '35s are 3 'pieces'. First the hood has lips that curl towards the outside and second the hinge strip has a curl on either side of it curling inwards. The hinge slides along the length of the two hood edges locking itself 'curl to curl',so to speak. Then a set of these hood hinge loops are assembled to each end to fasten the hood and hinge to the cowl and the rad shell. Brass flat headed machine bolts are used and each nut for the cowl end, as far as I have ever seen, are captured in a 'box' welded to the underside (inside?)of the cowl. You supply your own nuts for the rad shell end. The hood loops are 'countersunk' to take the flat headed screws. The flat heads of the screws are flush with the loop pieces and then clear the bottom side of the hood hinge assembly on both ends. I've included a scan from N/C s catalogue. Unfortunetly I've lost the pricing sheet. N/C is on the internet.

p.s.-The bottom piece is like a 'saddle' and has a hump in the middle to push up on the hinge and the hood pieces keeping them separated. The top half then clamps down on the hood and hinge piece also working to keep them separated so they don't bind. It's important that you smear silicone grease on all the 'curls' before you assemble everything if you want a smooth,quiet,non crunching hood hinge. Also do not spray a lot of paint in the hinge or along the hood ends. It will just chip off and cause binding until it's all worn off. Been there done that.

Edited March 13, 2012 by DodgeKCL (see edit history)

[Bullfrog_eng]

Thanks to all who have replied. Your photos and comments have helped a lot. Thanks to the lower section that Jason has supplied, I am confident that I can build the top section to suit by referencing this info.

Again, thanks all for the help.

John