Technical 35/36 Ford Coupe grill and hood interchange?

Hello, I recently bought a 35 Ford 5 window coupe and would like to find out if you can advise on what it takes to swap out the grille, hood sides and hood tops from a 36?
Will my 35 hood sides be the same as the 36?
Can this possibly be as simple as locating a set of 36 hood tops and the 36 grille and converting it from the 35?
Any advice and guidance is always appreciated from the Hamb.
Also any suggested books on these two cars would be great too so I can study up some more as I build this car

 

The whole front clip is different.

Need 36 Fenders as well, plus inner fenders and the piece between 36 fenders and grille

 

Hi Dooley,
I have one piece front fibergl*** fenders on it right now. Are you saying that the front fenders on the 35 and 36 are different because of the grill with between the 35 and 36? Thanks for your reply so far

 

Totally different fenders. Not just where the grille fits.

 

@Dooley is correct. '35 fenders are one piece, while '36 fenders are actually 2 piece...totally different.

 

OK, I understand about the fenders. Now the question is where the fenders bolt up to the front end of the car is the width of the 36 real wider than the width of the 35 grill? Is it possible to just get a 36 grill and have it all top and then run the 36 hood tops and 36 hood sides or will my 35 hood sides work with a 36 hood tops?

 

Everything is totally different, just look at a picture of a '36 and compare it to your '35. Interchange of grill is no where near close or feasible. Need all '36 sheet metal and fender braces. Radiator is different too.

 

As mentioned the entire front clip is different between the two years.
Vic

 

Of course you could get out the cutting wheel, hammers and welder - and 'have at er' if your skills are up to the challenge.

 

Oh OK, that may be an option as my skills are up to the challenge. Check out my Merc build on the ham and you’ll see what I mean. Thank you all for the responses

 

When I was 16 years old in 1960, I had a '36 "Tudor" that had been hit in the front. I could not find any '36 parts, so when I found a complete '35 front sheet metal ***embly at the local junkyard, I bought it. As I remember it after all of these years, It bolted right on.

Like everyone else has said, I don't think you can "Mix 'n Match", but the whole thing should interchange.

 

Ok this is all great info and the consensus seems to be that parts don’t interchange but a complete clip will bolt up so now I’m on a mission to find the appropriate clip etc.
Thank you all again

 

Good luck
I've seen hoods and sides for sale here and ebay pretty cheap too.. don't forget Ford Barn Forum as well

 

Here's you a drawing with dimensions for 35-40 car, 35-41 pickup. Take a look through this and see if the 35 dimensions are the same as the 36.

 

This is a great Book

 

+1 on this. Lots of great information in that book.

ironandsteele.com​

 

Mixing 35 and 36 front sheet metal is about interchangeable as Apple and Orange peals. Everything is different except where they meet the cowl

 

seem's you see a lot more 36 fords around than the 35, i prefer the 35 front over the 36, those indy type cars built with a 35 grille were some of the best looking race cars on the planet

 

I think that the reason you see all 36 fronts being used is because that is what I want for my 5 window. As a result, all I find for front end parts are 35! Lol
But I do think 35 rear fenders are nicer looking. And I would gladly mix the two (I need rear fenders, too).

 

Here's where you find your '36 frontend stuff: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...sheetmetal-other-parts.1114832/#post-14090597

 

35’s are cool.

 

And the cowls differ, one of the ways to ID a 35 or 36 body.

 

^^Yep, the 35s sides of the firewall extending down were flat and 36s had an X stampted into them; presumably for more strength. But, Ford, being Ford; used what they had on many occasions. I bought this 1935 in 1984 and it had a flat panel on one side and an X in the panel on the other side! It had been a hot rod since probably just after the war. I took it back to the original builder and really made his day! He originally chopped it himself and leaded in the trunk lid.
BTW, he owned a junkyard and put the 36 front clip on it at the start.


That's him and his wife the weekend I took it back "home." It was his wife's normal grocery getter; hot flathead and all!
The experience of seeing their reactions was priceless!

 

Hood shelf had 2 styles, and X sides had 2 styles also, but at the end of the day 35 and 36 nose sheet metal will bolt on to each variation

 

I think late 35 got the x as well as 36.
Seen a few 35s with it that didn't swap front ends

 

Also worth mentioning, the rear fenders are different 35-36 also. If you look at the side profile the rear of '36 fenders arch up as they flow back, '35 fenders swoop down and back.

 

Would that fender difference require '35 & 36's tail light brackets that differ as well?

 

Yep they sure are. Also sedans had longer stands than coupes.

 

The late 35 X sides use hood welting down the back edge like used on top. They were later changed to rubber bumpers in the back edge of the sides for 36

 

Rubber baby buggy bumper