1936 Dodge RS question

[35cz8]

Is there a frame that goes on the floor of the rumble seat compartment that the bottom cushion sits in or how does it mount? I have the back of the rumble seat that goes on the lid but am missing the bottom cushion. Does anyone have any pictures of how the seat mounts? Thanks

[35cz8]

Anybody know?

[1936 D2]

Ah... The troubles with the rare car! :eek:

[Guest 1930]

I could help with an earlier car but cannot with this

[36 D2 Coupe]

Hi there 35cz8 -

I'll have a look at my '36 RS Coupe. The rumble seat lower cushion just anchors to the floor of the seating area. There are two flat metal tabs measuring 1 1/2" X 3/4" riveted to the bottom of the seat frame at the rear, protruding 3/4" towards the rear. These tabs fit into corresponding sockets on the floor to hold the back of the lower cushion down. In the center front there is a similar tab only this one has a hole for a screw to anchor it to the floor. So to remove the lower rumble seat cushion, you simply remove the screw in the front tab and pull the cushoin forward to disengage the rear tabs from the sockets. Lift up and you have it in your hands. The bottom of the seat frame is a metal/wire assembly similar to the rear seat cushion. No wood involved. Have a look at the floor of your coupe and see if you can find the two sockets that take the seat anchor tabs. If you didn't know what they were for you might have overlooked them. Hope this helps.

Jim Hazlewood

[35cz8]

Hi Jim, Thankls for your help on this. I did look at the floor pan and there are the two sockets in the rear of the compartment but in the front, if I remember correctly, there is a pin that protrudes upward from the center of the pan. I can only assume that the seat must have a plate with a hole in it that would set over this pin to keep it from sliding forward. If you would like, I can try and get a picture of the front floor pan and post it for you. I didn't know if there would have been a frame of some type for the bottom cushion to sit in but I can see how just a seat with a metal frame would set in place. Today, we removed the seat, doors, transmission, engine, running boards and rear fenders and I hope to be able to split the body from the frame next weekend and prepare to start the frame up restoration of my car. I have most of the options for mine and have waited a LONG time to get started on it but the time is now here. I'm sure I will have other questions as I get into the restoration. Do you know how many bolts hold the body to the frame? Thanks to all that responded, I do appreciate it.

Bob

[36 D2 Coupe]

Hi Bob - Happy to be able to help. I had another look at the lower seat cushion and the floor pan of the rumble seat area. The front tab on the bottom of the seat frame has a 1/4" hole suitable for a bolt or anchor pin. Looking at the floor pan, there doesn't appear to be either a hole or a pin so I assume that the pin has broken off. At the moment the tab on the seat cushion frame faces forward but that poses an issue for feet and ankles so it probably should be rotated 180 degrees to project back underneath the seat frame where the pin likely would have been located. Maybe you can tell me where your pin is located.

The floor pan is covered with a heavy tar/felt paper type of sound deadening material maybe as much as 1/8" thick that would have cushioned the metal seat frame from the floor pan to keep it quiet.

What I am missing is the material that covers the front of the rumble seat compartment. Is it the same type of black clad hardboard that is on the sides?

I haven't removed the body from the frame so can't comment on the number of body bolts holding it down. That project is still some way off for me. I'm glad to hear that you are finally able to get this project under way. It really does feel good to make progress after a long wait.

Best regards

Jim

[35cz8]

Jim, I am not sure what the front inside of the rs compartment was but I would think it would have been the same as the sides. I know where there is a '36 convert cp with rs about 4 hours from me and I want to get over and get some pics of it when I can. I do believe that it has been fully restored so I hope to get a lot of info from it. My pin is located dead center , left to right, of the floor pan and all the way to the front edge just before the drop in the floor. I will try to put some pics here to show it. If I can be of any help at all, let me know.

Bob

[36 D2 Coupe]

Bob - Thanks for posting pictures of your floor pan. This helps me to see where the pin should be. It is definitely missing on my car. An interesting note is the little spring retainer clip protruding from the front of the pin. I can see how it might have been torn off at some point by someone trying to remove the lower cushion.

The sound deadening material in my car is fitted in two pieces - left and right - with the rear end hump cut out and not covered.

Keep us posted with your progress. I'll try to help whenever I can

Jim

[35cz8]

I expect my progress to be somewhat slow as I have never been involved in a frame up restoration. I have been fooling around with the old Dodge's for my entire life and have owned about 4 different '36 Dodge coupes. I found my rs cp in a wrecking yard a long time ago and used a badly rusted business cp as a parts car to get the rs cp back on the road. All I was able to use from the origina; rs cp was the body from the firewall back and everything else had to be used from the bus cp. Over the years, I found and aquired almost all of the options that were offered for the '36 so have them to put on it as it goes back together. I am sure there will be a lot of questions as I get into this project but I have a couple grandsons that are eager to help and learn about these great old cars. Thanks for your help.

Bob

[R.White]

Sorry I can't help you with specific questions about this model, Bob, but you probably don't realise quite how pleased we all are to know that another Dodge coupe will be restored properly. So glad it didn't fall into careless hands; if you know what I mean.

Ray.

[Guest 1930]

Yes and I appreciate you guys sharing here versus private e-mails so we can all learn something

[35cz8]

Ray, I have owned this car for a VERY long time and always planned on restoring it when I retired. Well. I retired about 10 years ago but 6 months after retirement, we took in 4 of our grandsons to raise and that pretty much put a halt to my plans LOL. Anyway, two of the boys are now old enough and big enough to start learning about the oldies so we will be working on it together. I have several other old MOPARs that I hope the boys will take enough interest in to restore later in their lives.

Jason, I agree that open communication and info is by far the better way to go. Not only does it give everyone the chance to learn, but also gives everyone the chance to give advice in to make suggestions.

[R.White]

Sounds like fun, Bob.

By the way; if your avitar is anything to go by, with a building like that to house your cars, Man, you sure mean business!!

Ray.

[35cz8]

Sounds like fun, Bob.

By the way; if your avitar is anything to go by, with a building like that to house your cars, Man, you sure mean business!!

Ray.

Thanks Ray, I had to wait for 35 years to get my dream garage to house my cars. It is quite full now and I am making room to do the restoration on my coupe LOL. It serves as my mechanics garage, my parking garage, parts storage, carpentry shop and general storage for everything my wife and I collect LOL. I do like it though and look forward to using it. As I said in a previous post, I have several old MOPARs and my avitar is a picture taken of them when I first moved them in.

Bob

[1936 D2]

Hi Bob,

Have been reading this thread with interest. I do not have nor have contact with any coupes but the differences in the '36 models are of interest to me.

I see that the rear seat "pin" is the same as those on 4 Dr Touring Sedans, the highest production models. So if you can scrounge up one of those getting parted out, maybe the pin will be good enough to purchase. If the seat frame was left in place I would hazard a guess that the pin would be fine even in a rust junk yard version. See photo of the "pin" in a nicer 4Dr Tr Sed.

[36 D2 Coupe]

Now THAT is useful information. Thanks very much for posting that picture. I will seek out owners of '36 Dodge parts cars in the hope that someone has a spare seat anchor pin that we can use on our RS Coupe. Any of our thread followers have such a beast?

Best,

Jim

[35cz8]

Very interesting 1936 D2, Now I have to wonder if that pin is in fact for the RS bottom cushion. Why on earth would Dodge have put that pin on the floor of a sedan if it is for a rs cushion? Do you know if it is being used for anything on your sedan? I guess Dodge could have made all the rear floor pans the same to save changing - I don't know. Does anyone have any ideas on this pin? WOW, more to wonder about LOL. 1936 D1, Like I said in a previous post, my rs cp came from a wrecking yard and has been stored outside since about 1955 when it went into the yard and the seat was gone when I found it in in about 1974 and the pin in mine is still fairly good. I would think that you would be right and a sedan in a wrecking yard or parts car might just have a good pin. I still would like to know - FOR SURE - if that pin is for a seat cushion. Great info, thanks for your input, this is what the forum is all about.

Bob

[1936 D2]

Jim: No problem. That is what this forum is all about!

I have sent an email to another Forum member who MAY have a line on a "donor car" that may still have the piece you need.

Bob: I am sure the pin is for the seats in both models. It IS used to both center and lock the front edge of the seat down in the "Sedans" AND "RS Coupes" when replacing the seat bottom in its position. I think this is a remnant from the "2Dr and 4Dr Sedans" (not "Touring Sedans") where the rear seat was removed to get to the storage area behind it. It is not as "needed" in the "Touring Sedans" though because the rear seat was rarely removed. But that's how it comes out. You lift the front of the seat bottom, it gets released from the spring pin, the front lifted up and the whole seat slid forward releasing it from the "slots and tabs" in the back. I think that's why you see so many car wreck photos with the back seat cushion loose and out of place. It would just pop out!

[35cz8]

1936 D2, I have a 1935 Chrysler 4dr Airstream and now I feel drawn to go and see if it to has a pin for the back seat. This is indeed a learning thread. Thanks to all for your info.

[1936 D2]

Cool! The Airstreams were "similar" so who knows?

I WOULD take Vic up on his info. The car he mentioned could be a perfect donor for the "pin". Maybe the owner, John Kaye, could cut out a 6" square piece of the floor pan and over the lip toward the lower floor. That "L" shaped chunk may then fit right in your car, and would be a very solid fix!

[36 D2 Coupe]

There is a 1936 Dodge in my area that is being parted out. You can reach the owner, John Kaye at jfogpond@yahoo.com. He may have some parts you need.

Good luck,

Vic

Thanks for the lead Vic. I'll get in touch with John and see what he's got and maybe ask about a couple of other things as well.

Jim