'33 vs '34 Fords
- Thread starter scicala
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35fordtn
Well-known member
Dash, bumper bolt location, curvature of the hood louvers, hubcaps, headliner sides, dash knobs, and the obvious ones you mentioned. Personally I feel like the 33's have a more attractive style the way the louvers, front of the door and the grille have more matching angles. The differences are subtle to those not in the hobby but to me they really stand out. It's a similar comparison to 35 and 36 pickups
34fordy
Well-known member
My vote goes to the 34 as I like the hood and grille more. I would love to own either but find the swoop in the 33 grille a bit "snipey." Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess. Now I must admit if I get the opportunity to own a 33 I will probably need to change my mind, which I gladly will ! LOL
34fordy
Well-known member
When I bought my 36 pickup I thought the larger grille and especially being chromed made it look too big. I was thinking of installing a 35 grille but with the requirement to use the smaller 35 radiator I did not do it. Now the chrome grille has become a defining factor in my love for the 36. It seems to be what a lot of folks like also. It's very easy to become "kennel" blind."
Love the one you're with!
deuce lover
Well-known member
33 headlights have deeper or longer buckets than the 34.Now look inside and see the remarked difference in the instrument panels of the dashboards.
DavidG
Well-known member
Add to those lists the front cross member, outside door handles on phaetons and roadsters, closed car door latches and locks, window channels and mechanisms, fenders, front fender brackets, and running boards on early '33s, fuel pump, engine splash pans, generators, air cleaners (V8s), bumper bolts (thread size and shaped of head), front fender aprons and front fenders on all '33s, radiator pans, and grille attachment brackets on radiator.
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alchemy
Well-known member
34’s are easy to tell even if you have an absolutely stripped down body with nothing bolted to it. There is a divot at the top edge of the firewall for the hood side to sit in. The rear wheelwells have a crows foot stiffening rib. And the lower hood latch fits in a hole with a flat top edge and the foot of the cowl.
Karl Wescott
Well-known member
I have to disagree a bit, iirc the stamping for the window opening in the doors is the same 1933-34, with a web added 1934 for the "roll rearward" feature. This leaves the 1934 window and the garnish molding about an inch shorter than 1933.
Add to the list, hood latch mount on cowl has a distinctive different stamping, the wheelwells on coupes at some point gaining "chicken tracks", and the large number of variations of the inner fenders.
Many of the differences may be more on the order of "running changes" than definitive model year changes.
I await Davids edition of the 1933-34 book!
ford38v8
Well-known member
I was about to say everyone forgot the carb, but there it was, in post #1.
Just about all first year models have issues to be resolved, and many are also the most beutiful. An exception to that is the '53 Ford over the '52, the style refined and perfect. The '49 and '50 definitely over the '51 stylewise, but again, the '49 had first year issues. The '33? Lots of improvements in the '34, but I'll vote for the '33 for style also.
mercman from oz
Well-known member
Note differences in Cowls - 1933 (blue) & 1934 (green)
petehoovie
Well-known member
itslow
Well-known member
You aren't the only one.
Ford especially took a step back with the back-end of the '34 Victoria.
petehoovie
Well-known member
rockfla
Well-known member
Nope, they attach differently AND the 33 has a spring loaded lid that pops open when you pull the ash tray out. Just learned about those this weekend. Here is a 33 ash trayDash ashtrays???...'33 & '34 - They look the same to me...
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