My official 1936 D2 sedan resurrection thread

[Pete in PA]

Spent a couple hours with the Dodge yesterday.  Definitely nothing before or after the "3022" that is stamped into the firewall.

 

I started to remove the non-stock wiring under the hood and it seems that the box mounted on the firewall near the steering column (see pic below) was being used as a relay for the headlamps.  I say this because of the wires connecting it to the dimmer switch.  I've made marks on the wires and relay so I can draw a schematic and see if/how the setup worked.  Something to do on a cold winter day...  LOL  Lots more wiring to remove.  Most circuits are connected to the turn signal unit behind the instrument panel.  I'll be using that again but will fabricate a much nicer harness.

[jpage]

There might be 2 reasons for all the headlamp wiring. They may have swapped out the original light switch and needed more connections or I see that they have replaced the original highbeam switch with an aftermarket and didn't want to try to rewire the original harness. Originally, the high beam switch had bullet connections.Personally, I would recommend just purchasing a new harness which has all the correct gauge wire, color coded for easy installation. It may cost a little more up front but will save you a lot of time and aggravation and it could be a lot safer for your car in the long run.

[Pete in PA]

Like I said before, the very first new part I bought for my D2 was a Rhode Island wiring harness.  I haven't installed it yet but as of today I have a much better understanding of what it is connected to and how it is routed.

 

The box on the firewall was definitely being used as a hi/lo beam relay switching device.  Just one of the many reasons that I know this is that today I traced the original hi/lo beam wires from the dash and found that they were cut and taped back.  Plus I'm pretty sure that the switch shown below in the 1st photo is an "added later" switch.

 

At this point I have no doubt that my car is an early unit, late November/early December is my educated guess.  The cylinder head has an "11-19" casting date and the transmission case has an 11-16 casting date.  Even the left rear leafspring cover has a clearly visible 11 35 stamping but I can't read the middle of the number.  The engine number is D2-41226 so I need to figure out where that is in the production run.

 

I now have the car supported on jack stands at the rear end and ramps at the front end and was able to survey the underside quite nicely.  While things look very good overall the floor pan at the front is a mess and I'll have to replace that.

 

Onward and upward...

[Pete in PA]

Looking at my recently-obtained copy of Krause Publication's "Standard Catalog of Chrysler 1924-1990" I see that:

 

1) 1936 model year Dodge production began in September of 1935

2) the 1936 Dodges were introduced on November 2, 1935

3) 1936 D2 serial numbers started at 4 015051 and ended at 4 276687; production run of 265005 

4) 1936 D2 engine serial numbers started at D2-1001 and ended at D2-266089

 

All this info shows that my D2 was built about 39,000 units into a 265,000 unit production run.  Basically in the first sixth of the run.  I look forward to receiving more information from Chrysler Historical!

 

Edited October 4, 2017 by Pete in PA (see edit history)

[jpage]

I finally got to get the tags out and here's what i found. My early car was built on Dec. 19, 1935 and has the serial number of 4072128, which places it roughly around the 57,077 car built, but we are not sure of the building sequence. The engine number was 58567 and the body number is 3523817 and does not jive with the number stamped on the firewall. which does not appear on any tag. The number on the small body tag for this car is D2-114301TS.I have no idea how they numbered these cars.It's listed on the build sheet as Model L.M. Touring sedan-255. It's paint code is 805 and interior is 292. I think paint code 805  was either Mercury Metallic or Stratosphere Blue but it came painted in Avon Green which I think it code 302. The paint code printed on the sheet is blurred and hard to read, which may answer the question about the color.It was ordered with the Group "A" accessory package which included the dual horns, aux. tailamp, wiper and sun visor and the cigar lighter.It was actually delivered to a local dealer in my hometown.I had contacted this dealer, which by the way was terminated after the auto company fiasco, but they destroyed all old records long ago!

    The car that I'm restoring has serial number 4192423 and the firewall tag number is D2-85371TS. Answers to some of these questions may never be completely found out as so much is lost to time. Maybe some one could give us more info. 

[Pete in PA]

My 5 passenger sedan D2's VIN puts it about 20k units before your 4072128  so I stand by my statement that my car was an early production car. The engine number of my sedan is about 17k units earlier than yours so, again, the pieces fit together.  Where are you getting the body number?

The numbers on the small body tag are way, way off compared to mine and it reinforces my belief that that number is related to the sequential production of bodies in that *style* but who knows.  It can't be a coincidence that the body number on my sedan tag ends with an S and the nymber on your touring sedan tag ends with a TS, can it?

 

I have not yet received my info from Chrysler Historical so I can't comment further on paint/upholstery/options.  Hopefully that info will come soon!

Edited October 4, 2017 by Pete in PA (see edit history)

[jpage]

The body number is referenced on the build card and probably is a Chrysler Corp number used to track production. I don't know where the firewall tag number originates from, although it also is marked body number. One might be from the body manufacturer as I think that Budd made a number of the bodies. It's interesting to note that the number on the body tag does not appear anywhere on my build card, only the serial and engine numbers. The "S" on your tag denotes " sedan " as mine denotes "touring sedan",  as your car does not have the trunk. Too, the engine number only appears on the build card and is not stamped anywhere on the car. I suppose, so that the engine number was not intended to be an I.D. number. Your car may show some early parts that were changed later in production. My car had door handles that had only one groove along the length of the handle as opposed to the later cars having handles with 2 grooves. The fan blade was an "X" configuration, different than the more common "cross" style and the trim around the headlamp stands was in 3 pieces as opposed to the later one piece style.It's interesting to see the subtle changes when you can compare cars built at different times in the production run and t different factories.  

[Pete in PA]

My son and I did go to Hershey on Saturday, a beautiful day to stroll and look at beautiful cars.  I was disappointed to see that the only D2 that was supposed to be on the judging field was not there.  The closest thing was a black1936 P2 coupe and I had a nice talk with the owner of that car.  There was a 36 D2 touring sedan all the way at the back of the preservation field (not judged).  It was black, much, much later production than my car, and it seemed to be in about the same condition as my car.  At least teh wiring was as botched as mine and the paint and interior looked similar.  If that guy can show a D2 touring sedan having 175k example built then I sure can show my 5 passenger sedan with less than 5k examples built.  Right?  LOL

 

My overall impression of the judging field (after not having been to Hershey for probably 20 years) is that the crowd looked old to me.  I can't remember when I've seen so many electric scooters or golf carts or guys with canes.

 

But my son and I had a great time.  He was awed by the styling of late-50s to early 60s cars.  The grilles, the tail lights, the instrument panels... Back when there was so much variety.  We'll definitely be back next year and not for just one day.

[Pete in PA]

1) There is currently a D2 2 door touring sedan on ebay for $15k.  Just my opinion but he's dreaming a big dream.  It's far from correct or restored but good luck to him.  VIN is D2225053 which is obviously the engine number so it's a fairly late production D2...  Why do I repeatedly see D2s offered for sale with the engine number given as the VIN?  Do sellers not realize that there's a VIN plate on the RH a-pillar?

 

2) I bought an "Instruction Book" for my car off ebay.  It was being offered by the AACA  library and the only first edition instruction book I've seen for sale.  Printing date is given as September 1935 and since my car was built in mid-November (I think) this seems to be the right edition for me (there are 4 editions).  Penciled on the inside cover is (presumably) the VIN and engine number of the car this book originally came with: 4044675 & D2-31710.  So the VIN is about 9000 units earlier than my car and the engine number is about 9500 earlier.  I'd love to know what body style the manual came with but that's not gonna happen.  Oh well.

 

3) Anyone know when subsequent editions of the Instruction Book were released.  I see from other ebay auctions that the 3rd Edition was dated February of 1936.  I'd like to know what date was assigned to the 2nd edition.  My car could be covered by that second edition.

 

4) As for progress on my own D2, my focus remains on unscrewing the fuel filler pipe from the gas tank.  I think that heat will be the solution but there is NO WAY I'll be using a torch or open flame of any kind.  Can you say KA BOOM!  We had a tool at the shop I work at and I'm told it worked very well.  Until someone cooked it by ignoring the allowable run time spec.  I'm thinking of picking up one of these.  Anyone have any experience with them?

 

http://preview.tinyurl.com/ybyz84ra

Edited October 18, 2017 by Pete in PA (see edit history)

[countrytravler]

1 hour ago, Pete in PA said:

1) There is currently a D2 2 door touring sedan on ebay for $15k.  Just my opinion but he's dreaming a big dream.  It's far from correct or restored but good luck to him.  VIN is D2225053 which is obviously the engine number so it's a fairly late production D2...  Why do I repeatedly see D2s offered for sale with the engine number given as the VIN?  Do sellers not realize that there's a VIN plate on the RH a-pillar?

 

2) I bought an "Instruction Book" for my car off ebay.  It was being offered by the AACA  library and the only first edition instruction book I've seen for sale.  Printing date is given as September 1935 and since my car was built in mid-November (I think) this seems to be the right edition for me (there are 4 editions).  Penciled on the inside cover is (presumably) the VIN and engine number of the car this book originally came with: 4044675 & D2-31710.  So the VIN is about 9000 units earlier than my car and the engine number is about 9500 earlier.  I'd love to know what body style the manual came with but that's not gonna happen.  Oh well.

 

3) Anyone know when subsequent editions of the Instruction Book were released.  I see from other ebay auctions that the 3rd Edition was dated February of 1936.  I'd like to know what date was assigned to the 2nd edition.  My car could be covered by that second edition.

 

4) As for progress on my own D2, my focus remains on unscrewing the fuel filler pipe from the gas tank.  I think that heat will be the solution but there is NO WAY I'll be using a torch or open flame of any kind.  Can you say KA BOOM!  We had a tool at the shop I work at and I'm told it worked very well.  Until someone cooked it by ignoring the allowable run time spec.  I'm thinking of picking up one of these.  Anyone have any experience with them?

 

http://preview.tinyurl.com/ybyz84ra

Some states used the engine number as the vin number. Have a few cars titled that way.

[jpage]

I have 2 owner's books, one a pristine 2nd edition still in it's protective sleeve dated Nov. 1935 and the other, a well worn 1st edition dated Sept. 1935. They are both marked "for cars after serial number 4,015,051 and the only difference that I can see is that the 2nd edition lists the "Standards Of Adjustment" table on one page as opposed to 2 pages in the first edition. I think that you will find that the info is the same in each edition and one book was used for all the passenger body styles maybe with the exception of the convertible,  convertible sedan and the seven passenger sedan. I would imagine that all commercial units had specific instruction books. I also have an "Owner's Service Policy " issued by the J.E.French Co. of San Francisco, CA for a '36 Dodge with serial no. 4097764 and engine number D2-85273 sold 3-28-36. Nowhere on any other form does it state which body style this car is.

[Pete in PA]

Hmmm, the 2nd Edition may be the one that would've come with my D2 but if the contents is the same I guess it doesn't matter.  Safe to say that my car would've come with either the 1st of 2nd Edition manual.  Once I get my info from Chrysler Historical and learn the exact build date I'll have a better idea.

 

I wouldn't expect any instruction book or warranty card to include the body style.  But with the VIN you could learn it from Chrysler Historical.  Except that they won't look up that info without your having ownership documents for that VIN...  Oh well.

 

I was under the hood of my car this past weekend and made a new discovery: the RH inner fender or splash pan is missing!  How did I miss that?  And how is that darn thing attached to the body?  It probably explains why the 36 P2 parts that came with my Dodge included both left and right splash pans.

 

Anyone know if D2 and P2 front fender splash pans are the same?  <fingers crossed!>

[jpage]

If you'er referring to the louvered inner fender, that part comes off so one has access to the valve cover plates. It's bolted to the fender. I think I have one here if you're interested.I think that I may also have an extra splash pan if you need it. I don't think Plymouth will fit; while they look similar, I believe Plymouth fenders are shorter but I don't know if it would affect that part.   

[Pete in PA]

I received my "Service Car Record" from Chrysler Historical Services today.  My uncanceled check for $55 was also enclosed.  They are "unable to do a full decoding of my build card due to projects and limited staff within the archives."  Bummer.

 

But the Service Car Record image from microfilm is clear and completely legible.  I'll post a scan in the next few days.  It shows that my car was built on 11/26/35 with paint/trim codes 105/292.  The engiine number given matches that on my car and that's no surprise.  The body number is given as 41455 (despite the fact that the plate on my car clearly shows 4145S) and the glass as "non-scatter."

 

Surprisingly the destination is listed as the Thornton Fuller Company in Philadelphia, PA and the shipping method is "by boat."  LOL

 

In the box labeled "SPECIAL ORDER NUMBER" appears 161965D and the "OVERDRIVE TRANS." box has a big check mark through it.

 

No idea what all this stuff means but I'm working on it!

 

Remember, my car's PA title shows that it is an out of state car.  So why was it shipped  to a Philadelphia, PA dealer?  Was it originally sold to a NJ or DE resident?  Probably.  The search goes on!

 

[jpage]

You have to take some of the build cards with a grain of salt. My card had check marks on options that it doesn't have and other notations randomly scribbled on it, most of the notations are illegible. Even the color does not match the typed color code, probably because it was marred as well! The 292 code is for the taupe mohair pile interior which I think was the standard offering since all 3 of my cars had the same interior. Does your paperwork not state where the car was shipped from. Philly may have been the closest port to the final destination.It may have been shipped by rail from there. I don't think that they did a lot of long distance trucking at that time as trucks could only haul a small number of vehicles. Do you know if Thornton Fuller was a dealer or shipping agent?

[keiser31]

3 hours ago, jpage said:

You have to take some of the build cards with a grain of salt. My card had check marks on options that it doesn't have and other notations randomly scribbled on it, most of the notations are illegible. Even the color does not match the typed color code, probably because it was marred as well! The 292 code is for the taupe mohair pile interior which I think was the standard offering since all 3 of my cars had the same interior. Does your paperwork not state where the car was shipped from. Philly may have been the closest port to the final destination.It may have been shipped by rail from there. I don't think that they did a lot of long distance trucking at that time as trucks could only haul a small number of vehicles. Do you know if Thornton Fuller was a dealer or shipping agent?

BOTH of my 1931 Dodge Brothers coupes were ordered with wire wheels. BOTH came with wood spokers. It was the Great Depression so they used whatever they had in order to get the car out.

[Pete in PA]

I'm just beginning to research the info on my D2's microfilm record but it's already interesting.  For one thing, the Thornton-Fuller Company is listed as being at 34th and Curie Streets in West Philadelphia.  That is currently the site of the University of Pennsylvania Hospital.  Any trace of the buildings on that site are long, long gone.  I hope I can find an old photo of that site/address.

 

For another thing (that I find even more interesting) I found an internet reference to the Thornton-Fuller *Auto Assembly plant* extant in 1926 at a nearby address.  What?  Thornton-Fuller was a company that assembled autos?  And they ordered and/or sold my D2 in November of 1935?  The story behind my D2 may be even more interesting than I expected.

 

 

[Pete in PA]

From a 1917 issue of "The Accessory and Garage Journal" found online: "William C. Mullin has become service manager of the Thornton-Fuller Automobile Co., dealer in dodge Brothers and Simplex cars at Philadelphia.  He has been in the sales end of the local organization for some time ande takes over the service following a trip to Detroit to study the organization end of the business."

 

So I have now established that the Thornton-Fuller Company, the dealer my D2 was shipped to in late November of 1935, had been in business for quite a while.  At least as as early as 1917.

 

 

Interesting reading about the auto industry at this time.  Here's a link to the article:

 

https://books.google.com/books?id=Ph9aAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=Thornton+Fuller+auto+assembly+company&source=bl&ots=ya0wRvmw7D&sig=KSQYvjVCMEwaku2gv5R_H9CSzqQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjropnao5jYAhUBU98KHbO5AMQQ6AEIODAD#v=onepage&q=Thornton Fuller auto assembly company&f=false

[jpage]

Many of the dealers at that time had been in business for quite awhile , albeit some fell to the depression and model changeovers. One local Ford garage used to be a Cadillac assembly plant back in the teens and 20's prior to becoming a Ford dealer. We also had a Packard garage which ,as I understand it, also built early units. We had a truck manufacturer here, Trabold that lasted into the 40's I think. The original factory building still stands. We had a large Chrysler dealership here that began by building their own automobiles in the early days but it never really got off the ground. The company started out as a machine works. I think though, by the late 20's , very few companies were assembling cars other than maybe specialty units or the very few privately owned makes that may have existed, and by the mid 30's all of the big 3 corporations shipped fully complete cars with the exceptions of special custom body styles or trucks. It is interesting to find out some of the history that is behind some of these longtime dealers. Unfortunately, many of the early companies that still exist, no thanks to Obama for many that don't, have destroyed most if not all of their old records. In the service entrance to the Ford garage that I mentioned earlier, you can still see the small  tiles of the original showroom floor and I'm told that there are 2 large turntables that were used to assemble the Cadillacs still present.

[Pete in PA]

Another find: From a December 14, 1911 issue of The American Machinist I  found archived on the net I read "The Thornton-Fuller Automobile Co., of Philadelphia, has been incorporated to manufacture and sell motor vehicles by S. S. Thornton, L. Fuller, and William Fuller."  So it seems that the company was originally founded in late 1911 to assemble and sell vehicles and then evolved into a Dodge Brothers/Simplex dealership.  My D2 was, therefore, probably just a regular vehicle ordered for stock and sale on their lot.  I'm hoping I can find some so-called tax maps that show exactly where the dealership was located.

Edited December 20, 2017 by Pete in PA (see edit history)

[Pete in PA]

I've scanned my D2's microfilm record:

 

 

[jpage]

I think that you'll find that the check in the  overdrive box is in error. Mine looks the same way. Apparently, at the end of the line, the last inspector would check off on the order number to confirm that the vehicle was finished ; sometimes they are signed or initialed. It's too bad that an organization like the Chrysler Heritage Society is unable to function. I had rec'd  a good bit if info from dimensional drawings and specs., production figures and prices and optional equipment lists with prices.

Edited December 21, 2017 by jpage (see edit history)

[Pete in PA]

My life has been pretty interesting since January when my dad put mom in a "home" and contacted an auctioneer to empty the family home and sell the property.  I won't get into the gory details but there has been precious little time for any D2 project progress.

 

Today, however, I was inspired and had a couple of hours to  myself so I went to the garage to advance the fuel tank removal process. 

 

When jpage visited a couple of weeks ago and looked at my car he suggested that I remove the left rear fender to gain more access to the fuel filler pipe.  Seemed like a good idea and even if I didn't gain much access at least I wouldn't have my head crammed inside a dirty fender while fighting with a stuck pipe.

 

I can say with authority that there are 16 bolts holding the left rear fender to the rest of the car.  Twelve of those bolts screw into stamped nuts that are clipped to the body.  I got all 12 of those out without too much trouble.  I felt very, very lucky.. There's also a bolt/nut holding the extreme rear end of the fender to the body and I was not so luck with that.  The nut has eroded away to become a rusty cone and access is tough.  I'll need to bring some other tools to the garage to deal with that sucker.  I'm thinking die grinder.  Also, at the extreme front, lower edge of the fender are 3 bolt/washer fasteners clamping the fender to the running board.  With the nut facing forward and blasted by dirt and water I found the same problem I saw at the rear: the nut was very badly deteriorated and there will need to be some destructive force applied to cut away the nuts.  Wish me luck.

 

Since my efforts to remove the fender were thwarted I settled on something easier: removing the left tail light assembly from the fender.  At some point in the last 83 years that left tail light got bashed by something and it was hard enough to break the stanchion in half and deform the fender.  The fender can be hammered flat but I will need a replacement stanchion for sure,   I thought a previous owner had done me a big favor by including a tail light assembly from another car (NOT the Plymouth parts car he stripped) but once I got my broken one removed it became clear that the replacement part is not the correct one for my car.  The shape/size of the base where it contacts the fender is slightly different and the angle at which the tail light pod sits is also slightly different.

 

My left stanchion bears number 635417-LH while the loose part that came with the car bears number 641006LH

 

Several questions for the group:

1) anyone have a spare 635417?  Ha ha, I know.  But I had to ask.

2) anyone know what other D2 body styles used that same 635417?

3)what year/body style does 641006 fit?

 

Thanks for any input!

Edited August 13, 2018 by Pete in PA (see edit history)

[jpage]

Pete, According to my '36 Dodge parts book the left hand tailamp bracket should be no. 635419 and the right bracket no. 635418 and these are primed parts. The book also shows that these are new numbers, not previously used on Dodge cars. They fit 2 and 4 door sedans, 2-pass. coupe, bus. coupe and the conv. sedan. There are different numbers listed for painted parts also but they are the same thing. I think that, since your car was built early in 1935 that those parts are carryover from '35 as none of those numbers appear in the '36 parts list. My book is March  16 '36 which superseded  Nov. 15 1935. If you could find one of the earlier parts books or some one who has one, it might list those numbers. There was probably a design change sometime after your car was built. Sorry you had so much trouble getting those old bolts out. I remember that mine were fairly hard too and I had to replace several of those fender nuts, which are still available new. Getting the cars apart is one of the hardest things about repairing them, second hardest is finding the money and time! I just picked up a really nice set of the running board cores but now can't find anyone in the states that rebuilds them. Not sure if Hunley Acuff is still in business.Sometimes the process just gets harder and harder!  Just keep at it! It's a great car!

[Alan Cutler]

1 hour ago, jpage said:

Pete, According to my '36 Dodge parts book the left hand tailamp bracket should be no. 635419 and the right bracket no. 635418 and these are primed parts. The book also shows that these are new numbers, not previously used on Dodge cars. They fit 2 and 4 door sedans, 2-pass. coupe, bus. coupe and the conv. sedan. There are different numbers listed for painted parts also but they are the same thing. I think that, since your car was built early in 1935 that those parts are carryover from '35 as none of those numbers appear in the '36 parts list. My book is March  16 '36 which superseded  Nov. 15 1935. If you could find one of the earlier parts books or some one who has one, it might list those numbers. There was probably a design change sometime after your car was built. Sorry you had so much trouble getting those old bolts out. I remember that mine were fairly hard too and I had to replace several of those fender nuts, which are still available new. Getting the cars apart is one of the hardest things about repairing them, second hardest is finding the money and time! I just picked up a really nice set of the running board cores but now can't find anyone in the states that rebuilds them. Not sure if Hunley Acuff is still in business.Sometimes the process just gets harder and harder!  Just keep at it! It's a great car!

 

Was told by Vic that his was the last Hunley did...I tried to call and got a disconnect message. 

 

I called Kris, but boy is he expensive...http://www.runningboardrubber.com/

[Pete in PA]

Fender removal was accomplished this afternoon.  A Dremel tool with a 1/8" carbide ball cutter made short work of 4 severely rusted nuts cutting a deep groove in each of them.  Then I grabbed each with a Vise Grips and used a 1/2" wrench to loosen them.  The fender has definitely had some work done to it in the last 83 years and I will have a local body shop look at it tomorrow and see what they can do.

Meanwhile I will use my improved access to add some penetrating oil and heat to the inlet tube threaded area.  Should be interesting.

[Pete in PA]

And the fender...  The front, lower, outboard corner of the fender is slightly bent and there's been some crude dollying of the forward curve.  Really can't complain for an 83 YO car and at least all the damaged areas are easy, easy to access.

 

Hmmm, my program is showing that the pic I want ot upload is 2.13mB but this site keeps saying 9.77mB max.  I'll try later.

Edited September 23, 2018 by Pete in PA (see edit history)

[jpage]

Let's hope you can get that tube out without destroying the tank. I have an extra if things go south.

[Pete in PA]

The worst area of the fender is at the back end where the taillight mounts.  Obviously this car got rear-ended or backed into something   The taillight stanchion was broken and the fender was deformed.

[jpage]

The left rear fender on my car looked good until I stripped it and found that all the moulding along the bottom and 2 large dents in the side were filled with bondo. Alot of hammer and dolly work and it looked almost as good as new. The right fender was almost like new but the fronts are a different story, after ridding them of  a gallon of bondo they looked like the car was used in a demo derby! Fortunately, little rust but a lot of damage!

[Pete in PA]

In a surprising (and delightful) development, my son and I were able to (ahem) *persuade* the fuel tank in my D2 to exit the vehicle this afternoon.  This took a combination of jacking the vehicle up by the frame on the LH side, profanity, contorting my body into positions no one approaching 60 should have to do, and some other stuff I'm too delerious to recall.  I had given up my idea of unscrewing the fuel filler neck while the tank was in the vehicle due mostly to concerns about my personal safety.  Due to applying heat to the joint in confined quarters with old fuel in the tank, etc.  Can you say "KA BOOM!"
So junior and I went to the Dodge today and decided to give it our all regarding the tank.  At some point you just gotta say "It's coming out."  And it did.
So it's a mess inside as expected.  If you stand it on one end and then tilt it to the other it sounds like a cup of rocks are sliding from one end to the other.  The fuel level sender is also a mess.   I'm gonna need a new tank to proceed.
Jpage who's your guy for making new fuel tanks?  I'm gonna need to talk to him!

Edited June 28, 2019 by Pete in PA (see edit history)

[Pete in PA]

Wow.  In even *better* news for one day I was able to unscrew the filler neck tube fro the tank!  I set the tank on end and used a small torch to heat the threaded area all around the tube.  I kept one of my hands capped over the filler tube opening to prevent an unpleasant series of events that would have sent me to the hospital.  Well after two circumferential trips I grabbed the filler neck pipe with my chain Vise Grip and that pipe unscrewed easily!  Now why oh why couldn't it have done that a year ago when I was struggling to get that tank out of the car?  Some questions will never be answered.  Unbelievable!  Something awful is bound to happen now.  Oh crap, here comes my wi....

[Dodgenz]

I have only just seen your thread re the tank dilemmas. Glad you got the tube out, I've taken both of my tanks out of my two cars and had to unscrew the filler tube each time. I think I heated one first (I fill the tank completely with water before I work on/weld them - has worked so far!). I then used a bar in the slot across the top, I guess that's what the slot is for. Believe it or not I've found these tanks really easy to get out - my '49 Daimler is a nightmare in comparison! That's because nothing would ever need to be fixed on a British car!

 

This is my tank cleaner...  A few shovelfuls of shingle and a steady cement mixer then disappear for a few hours or so. Works quite well, you just don't want close neighbours. Previous models were running off the PTO of a tractor (in 'land drive'  - i.e. jacked up while in gear) with a ground mounted frame and a wind powered one. Of course I could use tank sealer, but where's the fun in that - plus i'm not entirely sure I trust it).

 

 

[Pete in PA]

Where were you last year when I was struggling with this filler pipe issue???  I wasn't even sure the darn thing unscrewed at all and all of my efforts might be pointless.  LOL  Oh well, better late than never.

Your rig for abrasive cleaning looks very interesting but my capital innvestment in the necessary machinery would be huge.  Also I live in a more densely populated area and the noise would certainly bring more attention to my, uh, "operations" than I'd be comfortable with.

The tank does seem to be quite robust but I'm sure that using it as a giant rock tumbler might cause some perforations.

I'd consider doing something similar but my tank also has physical damage from the car backing into/driving over something or some bonehead putting a floor jack under it.  I'd have to find a way to undo that damage which seems unlikely.  I do, however, remember some antics from my late teen years when I "helped out" at a local junkyard.  We had to remove all gas tanks before a junk car went to the shredder and we created a huge pile of tanks.  Well one lazy summer day when our minds were wandering into dangerous territory someone got the bright idea to light the gas tank pile on fire.  This was my first experience with the American expression "here, hold my beer and watch this..." which often ends badly.

So i climbed partway up the pile with a 5 gallon can of old gas and ran a trail of it (Wile E. Coyote style) away from the pile and around a block wall at the corner of the shop area.  Someone lit the gas trail afire and we waited expectantly.  And waited.  And waited.  The gas trail led to the tank pile and the pile did start to burn but nothing happened.  Then, just when we were sure that nothing was *going* to happen there was a mighty explosion and I think one of those tanks shot 100' into the air.  We all watched it go through its arc and come smoking back to teh ground.  It had turned from a rectangular tank into one that was pretty much spherical.  But it didn't rupture!  I was impressed.

So maybe this is a strategy I might employ to get my Dodge tank back into shape.  Or not.

[JACK M]

Don't ask me who has them, but I am pretty sure there are replacement tanks for that car.

 

Yep, a Google search shows steel repros and polypropylene tanks right there in the interweb.

[36 D2 Coupe]

I've been trying to figure out how to get  the gas tank out of our coupe for a long time - with about 5 gallons of 40 year old gas in it. Your suggestions actually worked. Today I jacked the car up until there was about 2 feet of clearance under the frame and set the frame on jack stands. That allowed the rear springs with the weight of the rear axle to sag enough that the end of the gas tank cleared the left rear spring. This in turn allowed the filler neck to just squeak through the space it had occupied. You need the car up this high so that the free end of the tank will drop far enough to let the filler neck come free. After fretting about it for a long time, it turns out to be not that difficult. The car had to be made so that this operation could be done at a service station. The missing element in my case was a hoist that could lift the car by the frame.

Like yours Pete, some idiot in a service station backed it over a hoist block. They cut it in half, hammered it out roughly and soldered it back together. I was in college at the time and didn't know enough to push for more than the cost of repairs.

Next issue is to see whether a tank I found is the right one

[Pete in PA]

Congratulations!  I didn't think it could be done but after trying repeatedly (and failing) to get that darn inlet pipe to unscrew I had had enough.  That tank was *going* to come out.  And it did.  Did you find a good used tank or a new one?  The only new "gas tanks" I've seen are like boat tanks that sit on the floor of the trunk.

[Pete in PA]

OMG someone please pinch me so I know I'm not dreaming.  A short while ago I had to run an errand and I stopped at The Dodge Garage (tm) to revel in the fact that the tank was out of the car.  I got on my creeper and slid under the car to survey the situation and everything looked great.  Then I noticed the circular hole that would be above the fuel sender area and knew that I had not revealed that hole.  A PO must have gotten into the cargo area eons ago and removed the metal disc that once covered the hole.  Time to check inside the car...

Now I had briefly looked back there when I first bought the car but I didn't see anything interesting.  An old fuel pump in an AC Delco box, some old tire chains in a metal box.  Whatever.

But today when I got into that area and took a closer look, I realized that something about that tire chain "box" looked familiar.  And then it hit me...  I wasn't looking at some improvised metal box made out of a 1 gallon can like my grandfather did, I was looking at a battery box cover!  Yes, a battery box cover repurposed as a tire chain holder.   Excellent!  And here I was looking around the internet for a replacement battery box cover when the one shipped with my car was still in it!

[36 D2 Coupe]

Great find on the battery box! Now keep your eyes open for the piece that covers the center opening. About the same shape as the opening and covers the flat area around the opening. 10 1/4" W x 4 1/8" L  x1/8" thick. Slightly curved around the ends. Mine is held in place with a pair of wing-headed screws and has a rubber lining - It has a rolled down edge all around . Interesting that yours has the end eaten out, same as mine. Batteries are sure corrosive!

I dug out the gas tank I had found at a swap meet at least 15 years ago and it looks as if it is the same as the old one EXCEPT I have to transplant the filler neck from the old tank. That is a job for a professional. I know my limits. I'll need to check to make sure it's clean inside before we get too carried away.

[jpage]

Hey Pete, glad to see that you are making some progress. I truely thought that you'd never get that out! Unfortunately, the tinner that made my tank is defunct. maybe you could find one in your area that could make a new one, although they may be afraid of liabilities today! I need to get off my duff and get back to my car too! Just the left rocker panel and 2 front fenders and I'll be ready for paint. Now that I hear that Huntly Acuff is out of business, I may have to cast my own running board mats. Did manage to get a nice pair of board cores. LeBaron Bonney is gone now too which really makes it hard to find good material for the interior. I'll bet you could make a new end piece for the battery box and replace the bad section quite easily, but finding the top plate might be a little harder. I don't think that I have any of those. My box top only has one wing screw as the other end slips under the edge piece. Good hunting!

Edited July 1, 2019 by jpage (see edit history)