Topic: 64.5 with 65 hood

[ilhusker]

I can understand that challenge....I just explained it to my guy doing the body work...and he is really good at this whole Mustang thing!  Will be a great conversation (argument) point! 

[sdgrant]

For those looking to verify a hood, please note that I have seen two examples of 1st generation hoods with the folded corners pried open to appear like a 2nd generation hood on two very early cars. This was done before this research was published, and existence of the 1st generation hood discovered. The corners on these modified hoods are much sharper, and the corners are not as neatly integrated into the hood's tooling like a true 2nd generation example.

It was sad to see a very special and rare 1st generation hood destroyed to fake a 2nd generation hood.

[Hawkeye]

So if the original hoods had those edges folded under, why did they have the beveled headlight buckets?  I always thought they were beveled to accommodate the edges of the hood coming down.  Was a reason ever discovered about why the changes, from folded, to unfolded and then back to folded?

[sdgrant]

No documented information on the hood changes. Also no evidence regarding the relationship between beveled headlight buckets and the hood corners. Plenty of speculation, but no documented information I've ever seen.

[DM_1964]

Dom, that's the typical 64.5 hood with front corners turned out.  The date code looks like a May (5) date.

The areas that were identified with the squares show the dimples, which wouldn't be on the first version hood.

The first version hood was phased out sometime in later April '64

Thanks Charles, at least it's the typical 64.5 hood. Trying to find a first version hood I'd probably need to cast Tom Cruise for another installment of Mission Impossible 

[65Ford]

Some background:  1st generation hood - day one production in March until late April 1964. Folded corners (like a '65 hood), no dimples stamped into leading edge (later examples had four dimples for strength stamped into the leading edge of the hood).

2nd generation hood - late April 1964 until late August 1964 - unfolded corners, four dimples stamped into leading edge. This is what most enthusiasts identify as "the '64 1/2 hood."

3rd generation hood - late August 1964 until July 1965 - folded corners, four dimples stamped into leading edge.

An 09D car would definitely have the 1st generation hood, with no strength dimples stamped into the leading edge, and folded corners like a '65 hood.

Thank you for clarifying this.  I have a 2nd generation hood, unfolded corners, four dimples stamped into leading edge date code July 30.  Unfortunately, it is not the original hood for my Oct 2 schedule build SJ fastback.

[DKutz]

Ok I took some pictures of the hood today.  This is a March 30 1964 build.  Seems right according to this post.  I did not take pictures of the dimples, or lack there of.

[DKutz]

Another

[CharlesTurner]

Need pics of the area where the hood pin attaches, from end to end.  That's where the dimples would be.

The pace car I restored seemed to have a hybrid hood, had the dimples, but the ends weren't completely turned down.  That was a late April build date though, so it seemed possible.