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Old 06-04-2020, 01:56 AM
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Default Quick Question please

Local guy here has a 1956 Pontiac. Big car, I'm not sure of the model designation.

He needs another hood for it. Our question is, is a 1955 and 1956 hood the same?

In other words, is the 1956 hood specific to 1956 or can he get one from a 1955 car?

Thanks

Ian

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Old 06-04-2020, 07:17 AM
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1955 and 1956 hoods have different part numbers. Your friend can look at a master parts catalog on the pontiacsafari.com website: http://www.pontiacsafari.com/MPC/ Hoods are in group 8.000, right at the top of this page: http://www.pontiacsafari.com/MPC/Pag...32_Group08.pdf

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Old 06-04-2020, 12:42 PM
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Looking at pictures of '55 and '56 cars on the internet I would say yes they would interchange but my Hollander book says no they won't. They may be like '61 and '62 cars you can interchange the whole front clips but not just the fenders and hood etc.

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Old 06-04-2020, 06:08 PM
PontiacJim1959 PontiacJim1959 is offline
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Should work. Totaled out the nose on my '56 40 years ago. Put a 1955 hood/fenders on it. No issues.

What you will note is the the "Pontiac" script between the hood chrome strips is different, and as I recall, the hood chrome on the '55 sits on top of the hood sheet metal, the '56 hood chrome is sunk into a channel so as to be more flush with the hood sheet metal.

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Old 06-04-2020, 07:29 PM
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Thank you for your replies.

I'll pass that information on. Very helpful

Cheers from Down Under

Ian

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Old 06-09-2020, 08:02 PM
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There are 4 variations of hood ornaments, Two for each year.
Standard and optional/accessory. in this case, '55 and '56 vary in detail greatly.
I don't know if the bolt patterns are the same but all four "jet age" ornaments look close in size.
Standards were full chrome whereas the accessory ornaments utilized acrylic/plastic.
I also don't know if either of the accessory ornaments were offered with illumination.
JM2C

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Old 06-10-2020, 12:46 AM
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The suspenders [stripes] on a 55 are closer together than 56 and the 56 stripes sit deeper into the hood, almost flush with the hood's surface. I believe if you removed the stripes on both cars the channel for the suspenders are deeper on the 56. Also, the opening at the bottom of the hood, just above the chrome molding is wider on a 56.
I think hood hinges and their attachments and latches are the same.
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Old 06-10-2020, 08:05 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Hamlin View Post
There are 4 variations of hood ornaments, Two for each year.
Standard and optional/accessory. in this case, '55 and '56 vary in detail greatly.
I don't know if the bolt patterns are the same but all four "jet age" ornaments look close in size.
Standards were full chrome whereas the accessory ornaments utilized acrylic/plastic.
I also don't know if either of the accessory ornaments were offered with illumination.
JM2C
I cannot comment on the '55 but they had the standard chrome version and lucite version which I believe lit up, but yes, the '56 also had 2 hood ornaments. The basic/standard chrome version which you see on 98% of the cars, and the version with the lucite front section. It is a bolt on as I installed one on my '56 40 years ago that I pulled off a convertible in a junk yard. Yes, they do light up and one of the reasons I had to have one. A bulb fits under the ornament and shines it's light through the clear lucite. I can't recall how the light fit and if I had to drill a hole in my hood for the light socket fitment. Very cool at night going down the road. The picture is the 1956 ornament with its clear lucite front.

If you look at the many Pontiac hood ornaments with the amber lucite Indian Head, I am sure they are all illuminated from underneath. I have a 1951 ornament with the amber lucite Indian Head. The light was a single wire socket with the bulb and fitted into a hole in the hood under the ornamant so as to illuminate the amber head. The lucite often cracks or checks, but some reproduction pieces are made for replacement.
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Old 06-10-2020, 08:15 PM
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1955 optional ornament lights up as well.


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