1948 Dodge D24 Grill Remova;

[Ed McDermott]

Hi

I am trying to remove the front grill from my 48 Dodge D24.  I have removed the smaller nuts from along the top of the inside of the grill so it is loose and can move away.  I have also removed two bolts (one on each side of the inside of the grill).  The problem is the bottom.  I am not sure or is it easy to see what holds it in.  It seemed like the bolts in the bottom pan in front of the radiator were part of the bolts holding the grill in place so I have removed most but not not all of them.  Then earlier owners have covered the metal and bolts with some kind on rust preventer or undercoating which needs to be removed before a socket will slip over the bolts and it is extremely had to reach some of them.

My question is what holds the bottom of the grill in place, and hopefully then be able to remove the grill?

Thanks in advance for any help.  Below are pictures of the outside and inside for reference.

Ed

[Doug&Deb]

It’s been 9 years since I had my D24 but I think you’re on the right track. I think it’s attached to the valance panel on the bottom. If you haven’t broken any bolts you’re really lucky. I remember snapping several when I removed mine.

[Ed McDermott]

Thanks.  A few of the smaller ones did break.

[Dan Hiebert]

Yes, as Doug&Deb notes, the bottom of the grill is also attached to the valance panel.  Access those bolts from under the car.  I didn't break the bolts, I broke some of the brackets they screw into.  The current grill in my car is a replacement that was pulled by someone else, they broke the brackets as well, so I only have two bolts holding the grill onto the valance panel.

[Ed McDermott]

Thank you.  By the valance panel do you mean 1) the metal plate that goes from the bottom of the radiator forward to the bottom of the grill or2) the panel between the bumper and underneath the grill.  In my car there are bolts (maybe 1/4 20 size) going from the top of the plate (#1) to underneath which I am now removing but very difficult to get out because of the coating mentioned.

I will relook at everything.

 

I have recently noticed a number of YouTube videos on 1930 Terraplanes.  Really nice. One from a guy  "Bad Chad" north of you.

[Dan Hiebert]

Some call the panel(s) I'm talking about "gravel shields", but I've always called them valance panels, even though Dodge called them stone deflectors.  I'll go with stone deflectors here.  They're the panels that fill the gap between the bumper and body/grill.  The panel that fills the space between the bottom of the radiator and grill is the "radiator front dust shield".  There is a "lower radiator crossbar" that goes between the lower inner corners at the front of fenders.  For reference, the front of the dust shield attaches to that crossbar.  The lower rear of the grill is also attached to the front of that crossbar, you have to access the nuts from under the car, at the rear of the crossbar.  They're kind of a PIA to get to because they're in the bottom of that u-channel that the crossbar is made from.  The stone deflector is attached to the bottom of the grill from underneath as noted above.  The brackets at the bottom of the grill accommodate the screw holes for the stone deflectors, as well as the studs that mount to the crossbar.  So, to sum it up, there are two rows where the bottom of the grill attaches to the car, from underneath through the stone deflectors, and from the rear through that crossbar.  It took me a bit to get my head around that when I took my grill off the first time, then a while to remember that when I did it the second time - both many years ago.

 

[Ed McDermott]

Thanks, that clears things up.

  Yesterday I removed the nuts (broke of all) from the crossbar.  I was reluctant to remove the stone shield as I had removed it last summer and sanded, primed and painted it.

Did not remember what everything there looked like.  So today its on to the stone shield.

 

Thanks again very helpful.

Ed

[Ed McDermott]

Grill out after some issues.

Attached is an image of the back side of the grill with the bolts or bolt holes annotated for anyone in the future who maybe trying to remove the grill.

Ed