Hot Rods Differance in 39 deluxe and 40 ford front fenders

I have had a bunch of 39s and 40s over the years and one thing I always could never quite grasp was the difference in the front fenders. Most people do not know there is quite a difference. The 39 deluxe had a deeper curve in the fender between the headlight and grille than the 40 did. I have only seen perhaps a half dozen in my life. More 39s had the 40 type fenders than a 39 fender. So what happened with this scenario, did Henry have 2 different manufacturers? I know as frugal as he was he surely would not make a dye change from 1 year to the next. Also, why are the 39s so few and far between? I wish some old timers from that era that knew the story could chime in. Any info on this appreciated.

 

They weren't only stamped from one die. Probably had some reason to change, and they did it mid-year of '39. Maybe some dies didn't get changed til later. Maybe some areas of the country have more of the early fender than other areas. There are hundreds (thousands) of do***ented running changes of Ford parts. The '39 fender must just have been a small enough change to not warrant an official "change".

 

My book from the Early Ford V8 Club mentions this. Early 39 fenders were more concave between the grille and headlight and the later fenders was flatter in that area. They said the change was around March 1939 and factories were told to use up the early fenders and it was alright to mix early and later design on the same car. They don't tell the reason for the change. There were running changes in these cars all the time, usually to save time or money or material.

 

Driver Side is a '39, P*** Side is '40.

 

So these are early fenders, right? So a '40 standard hood would have a different curve along the bottom?

 

no, the hood has nothing to do with the fit to fenders

 

The only difference i knew of, was the opening for the headlights. Takes a bit of t******* to install 40 buckets on the 39 fenders.

 

So only contour 1 changes, and contour 2 where the hood mates up is the same?

 

I want to fill and peak my hood to try to match the hood on Marty Moores car. This is a '40 standard hood.


I have looked at my own hood, and a bunch of photos of filled and peaked hoods, and I believe the contour at the front of the '39 deluxe and '40 standard hoods are different.
Heres a filled and peaked '39 hood, and my own '39 hood.


To me, it appears that the vertical line at the front of the '39 hood breaks earlier, and curves at a broader radius than the '40 hood. I want to use a '40 standard hood to fill and peak, I think its tighter radius at the top will lend itself better to duplicating the look of the hood on the Marty Moore car.
Heres another '40 hood side on for comparison.

Does anyone else think this is right? I dont want to go to the effort to hunt up a '40 Std. hood to fill and peak unless I am on the right track here. Another guy on the "76th anniversary of the '40" thread mentioned that the trim piece didn't exchange between the '39 deluxe and '40 Std. hoods, so that would tend to make me think I am right on this, and the hoods are not exactly the same at the front.

 

This picture really shows the difference in the two fenders pretty well. Looking at your 39's fender pictures I am not sure you have the 39's. Take a look in some good light to compare them to this picture. The coupe I had 40 years ago had one of each. I always thought they were a little different but didn't know why until it was explained to me at a swap meet about ten years ago. As others have said it make no difference on how the hood fits.

I am no expert but I think this hood has been modified to lay that nose back a little.

I would say this is a 40 convert and the hood could be either 39 Deluxe or 40 standard.

 

George, I think you have 40 std front fenders. To my eye it appears that the headlight opening is more proud on the 39, seems to almost create it's own "pod" for lack of a better description. It might just st be the lighting, but the top of the headlight opening looks smoother, like the 40 pictured next to the 39...?

 

I'm good either way, my main concern when I first read this was that I would land my '40 standard hood, then find out it wouldn't fit the fenders.

 

Well, its actually sorta a '39, but you are also sorta right, if that makes sense. Quite the story behind this car...

As a general rule, I am not a big custom guy, but I fell in love with this car the first time I saw it.

 

What do you fellas think early or late fenders on this 39? Thanks. TEB

 

Kind of hardto tell from that picture but the DS fender reflection would indicate the 39 deluxe fender.

 

Great looking car! Pretty nice custom in any decade. Thanks for posting the story in a readable size text George.