Guest Smitty168 Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Hi,I'm working on my just acquired 1936 Dodge Four Door. Something I've always wanted. Now I has one! Needs TLC.The Grille is all there but in need of total rehab. I've got an excellent Chrome outfit nearby in Syracuse, NY. We've agreed on a price to do the Grille and the Horn Covers. Now I have to remove it. My Shop Manual, such as it is, is of no help. It's an edition produced in Australia and covers multiple years. Very little on D2's. I've got my eye out for a 1936 specific manual.The Grille............If anyone has removed a '36 Grille and can give me a step by step tutorial, or something close, I'd really appreciate it. I realize there are no parts catalogs for this car (a la Ford) so I'm leery about screwing things up. I'm told that the Radiator has to come out with the Grille Surround and perhaps the Fenders have to be loosened. I'm confused.Thanks in advance for your advice and counsel.smitty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1936 D2 Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 I was able to get a grille out of a parts car donor many years ago. The car was in an old barn. All we had was a flashlight to see. We were not allowed to remove the "front end" of the car but the bumper was already off. SO, we looked at it for a while with the flashlight. We found we were able to reach up through the crank hole cover opening and get to most of the screws. There are three screws way at the top (as I recall) that needed some creative "long adapters" on the 3/8" drive set with a flat blade screwdriver on the end. But it all finally came out. If you don't feel like doing the crank hole idea, you will have to remove the radiator to get at it. (See other post running right now for instructions on that). This can be done. Just go slow and use some patience. And don't lose the screws! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dodge36MA Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Why not lose the screws? Are they special?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1936 D2 Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Well... not really. But aren't you trying to do your restoration as original as possible? They are just small. And why have to try and find new ones? If they are not all buggered up and looking bad, try to save 'em and the lock washers too! (There really is not any thread stress on these mounting screws where you need to be concerned about thread stretch or such. I'm just pushing for the mind-set of keeping it original! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Smitty168 Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 I think I did not explain meself proprely.It appears that one must remove the Grille/Radiator Surround in order to get to the Grille. The Grille anchor screws appear to be screwed in from the rear. I have been told that it's major pain to get the Grille/Radiator surround off. If this is not so, please releive me of my ignorance and tell me how to get Grille out without removing the Surround and Radiator.Just trying to get along here without destroying a beautiful machine.Your help is appreciated.Smitty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1936 D2 Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 (edited) Yup. Just like I mentioned. There are about 13 screws in the back of the grille center and about 4 along each of the outer edges of the side panels. All are reachable only from the back side. As I recall, they are all standard flat blade screwdriver screws with lock washers. Hence the "stick your arm inside the crank hole" suggestion. (Easiest with the bumper removed.) You can pretty much reach them all (if your arm is not too big!) except the three (or maybe 5) at the top of the center section. The side panel top screws can be reached from above the radiator with a long blade screwdriver as I recall. Oh, remove the grille center first, then the sides. And I suggest going for the top screws first, and the bottom screws second. The tops are the hardest to get at and you want to make sure that the top and bottom of the center section is loose before going any further.This is not easy to do but can be done, if you are thin enough. The center section of the grille would need rechroming along with your horn grilles and thin horn tunnel top trim. Or possibly consider this idea if yours are broken: http://forums.aaca.org/f143/36-dodge-horn-cover-spear-326836.html The grille side panels are stainless steel over steel fins so just a good polish on them is needed. The back fins of these side panels is finished in a satin black paint, same as the cowl area.Again, another way to remove the grille is after removing the radiator. But that's another story.http://forums.aaca.org/f143/36-dodge-sedan-radiator-removal-327722.html Edited May 10, 2012 by 1936 D2 added data (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve9 Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 The info given by 1936 D2 is always top-notch. I'll add to it by saying 2 years ago after I pulled mine out, I realized the easiest access is done without the radiator in the way. So, if you don't need to move the car, getting to all those little screws and clips is way easier without having to reach up inside the back and go by braille! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1936 D2 Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 Hey Smitty! Post us some photos as you finally do this job!I can easily let you know how if need be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Smitty168 Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 I thank everyone for their comments and direction. I've looked the grille assembly over with a new appreciation for how I might attack it. Taking the center section out first is definitley the answer. The two side panels are attached with threaded studs and small nuts. 1936 D2, you're right about the top two machine screws being hard to get at but your suggestion about using a socket wrench/universal/bladed screwdriver insert on a 1/4 inch drive and lots of patience just might work. No way a long screw driver can make the curve necessary to seat the blade in the slot.I'm planning on taking the horn covers off entirely and giving them to the plater so he can see how they are mounted. I understand the grilles are mounted using tabs. If a tab gets broken, the plater can fabricate/weld a new tab or equivalent. Ditto the stainless spear.<O:p></O:p> I'm happy to meet you guys and will be calling on you often as I move ahead with this restoration. JPage (Senior Member) and I have become friends through this forum. Jim is a walking encyclopedia on the 1936 D2. Thanks Jim.<O:pSmitty<O:p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1936 D2 Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Excellent! I think the chrome horn grilles come off the tunnels with a few screws, but the spear is tacked on. That took some guts on my part to decide to remove. I used a Dremel tool to grind off the MINIMUM amount of the melted over pins to get them off. The platers did a GREAT job on these fragile things! Then I was able to remount them after the tunnels were refinished by remelting a few of the pins and the other pins were carefully glued with epoxy from underneath. Glad to see "jpage" has "taken you under his wing". I have been spending email time with "sodomojo" doing essentially the same thing! Sure wish I would have had a "buddy" back in '84 when I started my project!Have fun out there you guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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