Re: Help ID hood and ornament. Clipper?

Posted by HH56 On 2019/10/26 21:51:07

Basic Clipper bodies were the same from 41-47. The major difference was in grill and some chrome trim such as the hood strip and ornament plus slightly different parking and tail light bezels on the prewar cars. Dash was the major visible change between 41 and 42. The 42 dash carried thru to 46-7 as did the bodies. The postwar vertical part of the grill changed to the wide spacing and hood had a different hood ornament and was minus the strip. The silk screening on the postwar instrument faces changed to a finer and more refined less blocky font than the 42 version. The postwar speedo lost the color changing needle but all 42-7 Clipper instruments and switches will fit and work -- just look different if interchange is between pre and postwar.

The hood and fenders were the same shape for all models thruout those years but the fenders and hood were shorter on the 120" wheelbase cars because of the wheelbase differences being reflected in front of the cowl. The 48-50 cars were a heavy facelift of the 41-7 Clipper bodies and some of the unseen body and mechanical parts will interchange. Not too much that is visible will and those few pieces that might bolt in will be obvious. Wheelbase difference on those models was also in front of the cowl so again the short and long fenders and hood.

In 51 the bodies changed completely and I don't believe there is much if anything in the body that will interchange with the pre 51 models. Wheelbase difference was now reflected in the body with the extra length placed just ahead of the rear seat instead of in the fenders and hood. Almost all of the 51-4 body pieces will interchange over those years as long as the wheelbase is taken into account but trim and model details will obviously be different.