"the steep learning curve " 39 dodge sedan !

[builtfercomfort]

Can you move those new lights outside of the bumper guards? It might look better?

[TodFitch]

Can you move those new lights outside of the bumper guards? It might look better?

I think I would prefer them where they are rather than outside the bumper guards.

 

By the way, it is fairly common around here for people to use period or period looking fog lamps for the front turn signal lights.

[T120]

I've enjoyed reading of your progress to date and comments,and I must say, I'm also impressed with your skills and enthusiasm - definitely not a "cookie cutter" project.

[sig]

thanks for the compliment ralph, very much appreciated

the turning lights I was thinking of using the little pilot lights that go on top of the wings (they´re off at the moment) and having some extra lights mounted on the big rear bumper at the back??. then the standard red glass lights can stay where they are. I´ll probably move the licence plate off the boot (trunk) also to show off the rear curves better.

 

anyway I´ve reached the "pain in the neck " stuff that usually comes with a body drop. I´m rebuilding the front radiator support and structure around it.of course the radiator is now 10cm lower and the fan now fouls on the top hose. so I flipped the radiator forward (which looks much slicker anyway!) but I´ll have to move or reverse the top outlet somehow. I think its steel not brass Although I havent checked yet..any ideas folks ?

[wayfarer]

If you have a competent radiator repair shop in the area they should be able to the move the connection to the side of the tank. Perhaps they could install a different one that will help with the top hose fitment.

[sig]

mate there´s no competent anything around here!..it only has 4 rivets holding the cast piece to the brass: i´m wondering whether it would still work if it was turned upside down, and the tube goes up and over??..does it need gravity? surely the water pump would keep circulation as long as the radiator is topped up??

 

in the meantime I fixed the radiator surround and cleaned everything up, the front of the chassis arms were finally reinforced from the suspension install and now there is no flex at all if i jump up and down on the end of them.

 

also got dug into the nose piece ( a bit scary cutting into that !), there was rot behind the shiny parts so I put new metal in on both sides.

Edited April 1, 2014 by sig

[Desotodav]

Sig, I was looking at your radiator photo (post # 154) and I thought that you'd have problems connecting that top hose and avoiding the spinning fan. Would your 'up and over approach' work as I suspect that it would give you a higher fill level in the radiator? Have you considered a thermo fan?.... i know it takes away from that original look, but you could certainly avoid your fan/hose clearance issue that way.

[wayfarer]

mate there´s no competent anything around here!..it only has 4 rivets holding the cast piece to the brass: i´m wondering whether it would still work if it was turned upside down, and the tube goes up and over??..does it need gravity? surely the water pump would keep circulation as long as the radiator is topped up??

 

 

 

Sorry to hear about the lack of help. Keep in mind that in order to replace rivets you will need access to the back side (inside of the tank). While you don't have a big pressure issue to deal with you do need it to be leak free.

As to inverting the piece, remember that you need the radiator cap to be the highest point in the system in order to purge air.  I would be worried about trapping air if the hose has a high loop in it.

 

You are doing some great tin work and perhaps you could brush-up on your soldering skills as well.

[sig]

well I thought about the repro thermo things and indeed they would be the logical thing to do..but...they always seem to be plastic!..so I jumped in and pulled the plug on the radiator. the cast piece was soldered or braized in and came off with a bit of heat . I scribed the fan turning circle and figured out the minimum position of a new exit. then welded up a stainless tube onto a steel plate ( I thought there might be issues braizing onto stainless directly) and it now clears the fan by about half an inch or so. and still not stupidly high on the radiator..now as you said wayfarer I need to brush up with the torch!! or maybe they have a new way of doing those things these days??

 

meanwhile I picked up the steel from the laser company for the running boards and cut one to size to see how she looks..quite pleased..they are perferated and I´ll be bolting on half moon profiles for the ribbing.

 

ps notice now building blocks holding all the panels..its all bolted on !!

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

that's the way John Wayne would have done it...

[casper50]

That car has come so far in such a short time.

[casper50]

This car has come so far in such a short time.  Amazing.

[wayfarer]

Not too sure, but my experience/recollection is that solder adheres better/easier to copper/bronze than to steel. Perhaps if you mount a ¼ brass plate to the top tank and bolt the new part to it, it might make life a bit easier.  No doubt, others will opine.

[greg g]

Check your available motorcycle accessory shops for after market signal lamps. There are quite a few designs that are made to blend into front fairing line that might give you a nice bright lamp for mounting on the front wings. Or you might find something small enough to fit in the head lamp assembly behind the lens. Alway liked the looks of the one year only 39 headlamps.

[Smokeywolf]

Nice work SIG

I done an apprenticeship as a sheet metal worker welder so a say this talking from experiance.

Stainless steel does not like to be heated it work hardens and will crack with that length of tube attached

I understand you have a deadline

But consider using the old position fit a square to round transformer in the original place remove the steel fan blade and fit an electric one the fan blade currently fitted will have a reduced cooling affect because its out of position to the radiator's core

The water flow is in at the bottom and out at the top

So the cooling affect needs to be at its best at the bottom of the rad

And in Spain that's important.

Soft Solder sticks are best for your application because of the low temperature.

Next is silver solder

Then bronze

Keep up the good work

[martybose]

Not so fast, Smokeywolf; the water flow is from the engine to the top of the radiator, and from the bottom of the radiator to the waterpump.  Nevertheless I would still put an electric fan at the bottom of the radiator.  The top will be hotter, so you will get more heat transfer from the greater differential, and the fan will help complete the cooling at the cooler bottom of the radiator.  I have a shrouded pair of small pusher fans at the bottom of my radiator, with no engine fan, and it works fine in 100+ temperatures.

 

Marty

[Smokeywolf]

Hi Marty

I think we have said the same thing

Flow from the bottom of the rad to

the water pump

engine block

Top of the engine

Thermostat open top of the rad

Then recycle?

[martybose]

My apologies.  When you said in at the bottom and out at the top I thought this was referencing the radiator, not the engine.

 

Marty

[sig]

all useful comments thanks guys..the radiator is on hold at the moment until I can concentrate better. I had to get the ford out from inside for final finishing, and also turn the dodge round to attack the bad side...which really is bad !!...fells great to be able to clean the floor under the cars and get my workshop back for the furniture. 3 weeks to go till the hot rod show !!

 

[builtfercomfort]

Looks like good progress. Hooray! Encouragement!

I still think that visor is too big and should be straighter across the front. Right now the area of most shade is in the middle, not where the driver sits. And could you see a streetlight with that installed?

[sig]

for me the visor is more about the style than the practicality, I still have good forward visibilty but no Its unlikely that I´ll be seeing any traffic lights !

 

been busy, passenger side wings repaired, and rear inner wing which was aweful ( 4 m of weld approx). rear wing widened by nearly 2 inches like the other side,, and welded on.

i´ve also made some reverse smoothies from some scrap renault wheels, and the filler primer is on to get rid of some pock marks

 

very tired!

 

[sig]

ok so today was the turn of the ass of the car!...rear bumper brackets adapted and bumper fixed on, 2nd fender skirt made and fitted, holes filled in boot (trunk!) and where the number plate light was (which was nearly rotted through). the number plate is now on the bumper . I stuck some lights that I had from the old lambretta on to see what it might look like (until I find some proper nice turning signals and reversing light.

 

starting to look like a proper car!!

 

[casper50]

Sig how many people do you have working on this car?  If only you you work really fast.  Looks nice.

[sig]

haha ! just me...speed is what you learn after 20 years being self employed in spain...if its not done well and quickly you won´t get paid !....actually even if you do, often you don´t get paid !!!

[casper50]

Get paid up front or tell them to find someone else.