Technical '33 ford grille -'34 ford grille,How do tell them apart

well, I searched it and all I can come up with is the '33 is skinnier on the sides of the grille.
Since there so expensive , I'd like to know for sure how to tell......

 

Geez I was gonna post up an answer but I think all this time I've had a 33 grill for my 34 haha

 

The 33 grill slightly curves towards the bottom and 34 goes straight at a angle.

 

The 33 grille has a curved sweep to the teeth. The 34's teeth are straight.

 

The 33 has a small curve at the bottom if you are looking it from the side and the 34 is straight.HRP

1933



1934

 

thanks ....
any measurement differences that could definitively tell them apart

 

^^Nope I was wrong and have been for years aparantly. Listen to these other guys haha. Turns out my car has the wrong grill on it. Woops.

 

The 33 reveal surround around the bars is thinner and more petite looking when visually comparing the two grilles. Is it grill or grille? Grille I believe, people use it both ways.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1934-Ford-G...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
is this a '34 ford grille

 

Well thanks 2345.coupe for posting this thread. Just figured out that the car in my avatar has the wrong goddamn grill on it haha. Oh well if anyone has a 34 grill for sale at scumbag pricing pm me please.

 

Simply put the '34 looks way better!

 

Now to add another wrinkle. The grilles and hoods actually changed late in the '33 model run. Most '33s got the curved grille, skinny grille surround, curved hood side louvers, and single latch on each side. Late '33s, about the last couple of months productio, got the "'34" parts--straight grille bars, thicker grille surround. straight hood side louvers. and two hood latches on each side. The V8 emblem for '34 has a triangle shaped background, the '33 emblem does not.

 

And just remember, each Grill has it's own specific hood that goes with it.
33 Grill, emblems, and 33 Hood and hood latches, and 34 Grill, emblems, and 34 Hood and latches.
The brackets on radiator that mount Grill are specific to each, ( hood latches ).

 

All good information — I am a 33 lover but the original parts, hood and grille, are all expensive to purchase. Rootlieb and Nottingham offer nice repo's.

 

The 34 grille also has a stainless trim ring that goes all the way around the inner edge of the shell where the bars meet the outer shell. There are several holes in the shell where the trim ring snaps into the shell. The 33 does not have this ring. I never heard of any 33 cars having the new 34 grille and hood ,not arguing just never heard that before. Usually it was the other way around , the first of the new model year got left over parts .

 

Another way to tell, unless it has aftermarket hood sides.. the louvers in the hood sides for a 33 have an arc to them, and the dog on the hood ornament, was a male. Henry's wife was offended, so the 34 was given the female treatment, and the hood side louvers are straight. That is if there is a hood ornament, even on there

 

The swoop of the '33 makes for a 'definition' of the lines...it begins with a swept back look, and the grille carries it through...

The '34 looks like someone tried to do a quick copy of the beautiful '33, and left all the style in carvings all over the design studio floor! "Watch that nose...it's starting to 'flatten'..."
"Aaah, that's close enough...they ain't gonna notice it, just put 2 hood latches on it an' move the inside door handle back to the middle..."

Anybody that doesn't see that has their eye somewhere it doesn't belong.
Scares me, if they're that slanted... imagine when they get in the voting booth!

 

thanks for all your help guys, I knew I could count on you. Turns out the ebay grille is a '33.......curved at the bottom.

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder,personally I prefer the 33. HRP

 

Oh yeah.

 

When you think you have all the parts to switch your 33 to a 34 (or vice versa), and are ready to bolt them on, you should be aware the cowls are different too. The latch points at the lower sides don't work with the opposite years. A 33 has small bent over hooks on the cowl side. A 34 has notches punched in the sides for hooks to fit into.

 

Actually the 34 is redesigned to be stronger than the 33. Don't forget the headlights are different also, 34's got shortened so the hood didn't hit them as easy. There are way more differences between 33 and 34, you'd be amazed.

 

thanks johnyboy, I'm just learning about a few of them now.

 

No, no, no! You are confusing it with the '33!

 

Yes, the 1933 is the better looking one. Crank hole is round on the '33 and has bars under it, the '34 is oval and blends into the surround. Bob

 

I think a full fendered '33 roadster is just about the ultimate...

 

Correct; the 33 hood side louvers are swept like the 33 grille , whereas the 34 hood side louvers and grille bars are comparatively straight.
Another thing to note is that the 33 and 34 hood tops will not interchange with each other year hood sides and grille's as the hood top lengths are 3/4" difference. You'd need a complete hood and grille to do a year model swap over w/o a lot of work. This is why you don't see 33 hoods w/ 34 grille's, etc.

 

Funny part, people didn't really start building and valuing '33 grills and hoods until the late seventies and early eighties, when Boyd Coddington and a few others started the whole "high tech" kinda thing. Want proof? Look at all the car featured throughout the fifties. Pretty rare to see a '33 grill. Sixties? Pretty rare to see a '33 or '34 featured anywhere! Seventies, they're back again, but again mostly '34s.... Eighties? HEY, look at all the '33s!

Some of my old guy buddies tell tales of finding nice '33 three windows, and not even driving them before putting a '34 grill on...I have to say I agree.

 

Yep, the 34 grille (and doors) got swapped onto 33's with great regularity. Same went for 35's get changed out in favor of 36 front ends.

 

You would think there would be more grilles than bodies today. Bob