Front nose swap and cb option

[9t3lightning]

Group
Had the chance to buy a 79 cv will that front nose fit my 90? Grill headlights etc.
Also car has a factory cb is this rare? Worth having?

[sly]

you will need the header panel and everything attached to it, but yeah, it should mount just fine. I'm not sure the filler panel will bolt up for the current bumper though.

[gadget73]

Hood is different too. I forget which is which, but I want to say the earlier hood is longer than the later, so you get a gap if thats not changed. Either that or it overhangs. I forget which but there is a difference and it looks really stupid with the wrong hood on there.

Factory CB is rare, whether its worth having is debatable. If you're looking for functional communication, no its not all that great. If you want it for a conversation piece, then its a neat thing to have. If you want a CB that works effectively, you'd be much better off buying one and using a real antenna instead of the original AM/FM/CB combo thing that Ford used. Those were very inefficient. Even the factory CB would work a lot better with a real antenna.

[marquisman]

The gaps between the newer hood and old header don't line up. Right around the grille and headlight area.

[9t3lightning]

Ok thanks..
Too much to deal with and then paint etc...but do like the 79 look
And thnx for the info on the cb never even knew ford offered it . But then 79 smokey and the bandit was still big as we're
Cb's lol

[slack]

I just swapped an '87 nose on my '89. Like everyone said, you need the header panel, the bumper fillers, the bumper and hood. The curved lines on the '88-91 hoods is a thinner width than the older hoods. You could actually use the 88-91 bumper with the older header panel but I thought it made the bumper look smushed in and just plain awkward as the earlier ones stick out further.

My fenders did have the holes marked for the fillers. You just had to drill them out. (There were little notches where the filler screws go... not sure if that's normal).

I'm currently up to the painting part. I'm trying to save up some cash for that as it's probably the most expensive part of the project. All in all though, if you have the parts it's no more than an afternoons work to do the swap.

[87gtVIC]

I just swapped an '87 nose on my '89. Like everyone said, you need the header panel, the bumper fillers, the bumper and hood. The curved lines on the '88-91 hoods is a thinner width than the older hoods. You could actually use the 88-91 bumper with the older header panel but I thought it made the bumper look smushed in and just plain awkward as the earlier ones stick out further.

My fenders did have the holes marked for the fillers. You just had to drill them out. (There were little notches where the filler screws go... not sure if that's normal).

I'm currently up to the painting part. I'm trying to save up some cash for that as it's probably the most expensive part of the project. All in all though, if you have the parts it's no more than an afternoons work to do the swap.

so your 89 fenders accepted the 87 down fillers with just a relocation/drill holes for screws?

[slack]

Actually the drill holes in the fender where in the right spot. They were little "dimples" basically that didn't go all the way through. I just drilled through them. I wish I took a picture of it. I left the holes in the plastic fillers in the same spot and used three nuts and bolts on each one to bolt it up to the fender.

[87gtVIC]

Cool. They attach from the factory with thin screws with odd sized bolt heads.

[slack]

Yeah, I took the bolts off the donor fender I got the fillers from. I was going to use them but forgot them when I was putting it on. ...I still probably having them laying around somewhere. lol.