Topic: Woodhaven stamping plant assembly

[bluestang65]

I need to replace the hood on my 65 GT convertible because the one on it is not original.  I found one with trim on it which I believe is from a '66 model, but the date would be close enough to my car to work.  Question is: was Ford using the Woodhaven plant for Mustang hoods in 1965?  Is there any other differences in the '66 hood that I need to be aware of?  Most of the metal in my car dates out in the third full week of May 1965 where this replacement is the second week.  Should I restamp a NOS or Ford tooling hood instead, or keep looking?

[CharlesTurner]

There's a major difference between a '65 and '66 hood.  I believe it was the same time the "crash triangles" were added that Ford made a change to the under structure of the hood.  The difference is in the hood pin attaching area, the left to right length of the hood.  '66 has 4 long scalloped area where '65 is flat in that area with small divots on the edges.  Someone should have some pics.

As far as Woodhaven, it's typical that these 'W' stamping plant codes were used on service replacement parts.

[bluestang65]

Thanks... Do you know when the change was?  Did your 65 GT convertible have the scallops in the hood, or was it flat?  My GT convertible was built just a couple days from yours.  Here's the pictures you were talking about:
65:

66:

[CharlesTurner]

The top pic is a correct '65 hood.  The pic below is a '66 style hood, which also was the predominant version that was serviced by Ford.  The hood was not correct on my old '65 fastback.

[bluestang65]

I mean the Caspian Blue GT convertible you built that was a May production car.  Was the 65 style hood used through model year 65, or changed out late in the year to the 66 style/service replacement?

[CharlesTurner]

The GT convertible is Arcadian Blue, but yes, it had the top version.  That car has the original hood still on it (actually all of the sheet metal is original.)  http://www.early-mustang.com/charles/vert/5_15/5_15_05%20002.jpg

The change to the '66 style hood was sometime in the Fall of '65 during '66 production.

[bluestang65]

Do you still have that car?  Are the restoration photos up anywhere?

[CharlesTurner]

Both cars were sold, although I do have a '65 K fastback now, which was caspian blue originally.

The GT convertible pics are up on the web, but just in a folder view.

http://www.early-mustang.com/charles/vert/

[outlawincorporated]

was a really lovely car with great attention to detail that many cars now a days lack.

cant wait for the next example latter this year.

PHILL  BERESFORD.
MELBOURNE.
AUSTRALIA.

[CharlesTurner]

was a really lovely car with great attention to detail that many cars now a days lack.

cant wait for the next example latter this year.

It was a good car when it was done, but realize I completed it 5 years ago!  Learned a lot since then.  It would probably pale in comparison to the K convertible I'm doing now, although the GT is still a very nice car.  The car is currently near the LA area in CA now, in a collection.  My blue A code fastback went to Switzerland.