The Ford Barn

olcurmdgeon · 06-25-2012, 06:28 PM

Other than the "cutout" on the front, are '50 and '51 ford passenger car hoods interchangeable?

46fatford · 06-25-2012, 07:31 PM

Yes, a friend installed a 51 hood on his 49 to go with the 54 pontiac grill.
Matt

George49Ford · 06-25-2012, 08:43 PM

For a good example watch the Robert Mitchum movie Thunder Road, '49 Hood on a '51. They changed the grill and called it a '50 in the movie.

ford38v8 · 06-25-2012, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by George49Ford

For a good example watch the Robert Mitchum movie Thunder Road, '49 Hood on a '51. They changed the grill and called it a '50 in the movie.

George, I don't have the movie to check, but I do know that JC Whitney sold chrome tail flares for use on the 49 & 50. Could this have been what was in the movie? It just seems odd that a car would be modified back a year or two instead of forward.

51 MERC-CT · 06-26-2012, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by olcurmdgeon

Other than the "cutout" on the front, are '50 and '51 ford passenger car hoods interchangeable?

It's not just the "cutout" that is different. The shape of the hood where it meets the grille is different. This is an example of someone trying to just 'fill in' the 'cutout' to match a '51 grille.

georgewarren · 06-26-2012, 06:53 AM

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Did the same thing many years ago, (hammer welded)and the hood matched the 51 grille perfectly; maybe the car in the picture was the result of shrinkage from the welding (or maybe I just remember it wrong, after all, this was 50+ years ago!)

George49Ford · 06-26-2012, 11:59 AM

For Ford38v8 - If you ever get a chance at Thunder Road, it's hoot. You'll have to suspend belief a little bit (what movie doesn't) watching R.Mitchum cut the steering wheel and do a complete 360 rollover (in front of the cops) and drive off in the opposite direction - with no damage to the car. But the car is definitely a '51 (dash and steering wheel,V8 emblem on front fender, chrome trim ob rear fenders) There is one scene where you get a good close up of the hood and you can see the faint outline of where the F O R D letters were. Why all the trouble to made a '51 into '50, No idea. Maybe somebody out there knows.

TonyM · 06-26-2012, 12:14 PM

Maybe the car was already modified when the movie people got it for their work.

TM

ford38v8 · 06-26-2012, 01:28 PM

George, here's an idea... Movie companies contract with suppliers for whatever props they need, and may have specified a number of '50 Fords, in anticipation of wrecking a few. For a car buff, this kind of thing is obvious, but the general public isn't looking at cars very close. A "B" movie can't be picky on the details!

06-25-2012, 06:28 PM	#1
olcurmdgeon Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 13	are hoods interchangable Other than the "cutout" on the front, are '50 and '51 ford passenger car hoods interchangeable?

06-25-2012, 07:31 PM	#2
46fatford Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 338	Re: are hoods interchangable Yes, a friend installed a 51 hood on his 49 to go with the 54 pontiac grill. Matt __________________ "..Nothin' outrun my V8 Ford" (Chuck Berry) S.M.I.B.

06-25-2012, 08:43 PM	#3
George49Ford Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Carson City, NV Posts: 179	Re: are hoods interchangable For a good example watch the Robert Mitchum movie Thunder Road, '49 Hood on a '51. They changed the grill and called it a '50 in the movie.

06-26-2012, 06:53 AM	#6
georgewarren Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Suffolk, VA & Key West, FL Posts: 119	Re: are hoods interchangable Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Did the same thing many years ago, (hammer welded)and the hood matched the 51 grille perfectly; maybe the car in the picture was the result of shrinkage from the welding (or maybe I just remember it wrong, after all, this was 50+ years ago!)

06-26-2012, 11:59 AM	#7
George49Ford Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Carson City, NV Posts: 179	Re: are hoods interchangable For Ford38v8 - If you ever get a chance at Thunder Road, it's hoot. You'll have to suspend belief a little bit (what movie doesn't) watching R.Mitchum cut the steering wheel and do a complete 360 rollover (in front of the cops) and drive off in the opposite direction - with no damage to the car. But the car is definitely a '51 (dash and steering wheel,V8 emblem on front fender, chrome trim ob rear fenders) There is one scene where you get a good close up of the hood and you can see the faint outline of where the F O R D letters were. Why all the trouble to made a '51 into '50, No idea. Maybe somebody out there knows.

06-26-2012, 12:14 PM	#8
TonyM Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: West Hammond, Illinois Posts: 2,793	Re: are hoods interchangable Maybe the car was already modified when the movie people got it for their work. TM

06-26-2012, 01:28 PM	#9
ford38v8 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 6,646	Re: are hoods interchangable George, here's an idea... Movie companies contract with suppliers for whatever props they need, and may have specified a number of '50 Fords, in anticipation of wrecking a few. For a car buff, this kind of thing is obvious, but the general public isn't looking at cars very close. A "B" movie can't be picky on the details! __________________ Alan