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1947-8 ford cars


Guest b4bear

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Guest b4bear

Have tried several times to find the visable difference in 1947-8 ford cars,,,no luck...anyone there know ?

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The only external difference that I know of is in the door lock covers. The 47 has a skinny teardrop while the 48 has a drop center circle. I might have it reversed but I think that's how it is. Internally,the dashboard's different and the ignition key left the 47 steering column and went to the dash in 48.These changes might not have been exactly at the model year or the calendar year but at some point,

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Guest b4bear

Thanx, Dave...the switch key is the first positive thing I have seen posted. I will also check out the door key slots as I see these two years....b4bear

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Guest b4bear

David AU...sorry...some 47's have this strip, also...think it has to do with the model..{standard, deluxe,etc.] Is that au at the end auburn university by any chance ?

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  • 10 months later...

According to the book Ford - the Complete History, there were running changes from years 1946-48. Some of the differences usually mentioned are the parking lights mounted up high on the 1946 and early 1947 models, whereas they moved below the headlamps on the late 1947 and 1948 models. Likewise, the same is true for the two chrome strips on the trunk lid below the license plate for the 1946 and early 1947s. The single strip above the license plate as in the yellow convertible is for late 1947s and 1948s. The chrome fender moldings are beveled on the 1946/early 47s, not beveled on the late 47s/48s. Grilles on the 46/early 47s had red highights, which disappeared from late 47s/48s.

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For some reason, I couldn't view some of the photos posted above showing the instrument panels. The gauge clusters with red numerals are for the 46/early 47s, and the goldish numerals are for the late 47s/48.

post-44221-143143067738_thumb.jpg

post-44221-143143067736_thumb.jpg

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One of my favorite stories about the design of the '42 (and there the '46-'48) Fords involves the front fenders. E.T. Gregory was proud of the full shape of the fenders. But when the sheet metal stamping boss (I forget his name at the moment) came to look at the clay models, he said he couldn't form sheet metal into such a large, full shape as shown on the clay model. So he scored a horizontal line in the clay model showing where the fendor had to be broken into two pieces, to the horror of the designers standing nearby. In '42, the break line was on the side of the fender, above the wheel arch. But after the war, the break line moved to the top of the fender, where it wouldn't be visible from the side any longer. Seeing that the dies were carried over from the pre war period, it must have really irked the designers that they essentially re engineered the fenders.

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Guest prs519

Yes, and on the 42, they were worried the Japanese would disapprove of the styliing, and hence, camouflaged the car so the Japanese would not bomb it! Ho! Shows what paranoia can do to large numbers of people. Thanks for the great pictures, Dave.

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