Factory TuTone hoods in 73

From the factory in 71 and 72 if a car was ordered with function ram air the car automatically received the TuTone hood and twist locks. I know this to be a fact.

Dealers could easily add twist locks to any NASA hood or could add the TuTone paint scheme or could add both of these.

However, in 1973 Ford made it a factory option to order the TuTone hood on NON-functional NASA hoods. I know this to also be a fact. What I don't know is if the TuTone hood option on the non-functional ram air hood came with twist locks.

Anyone know the answer?

They did come with them it was part of the paint package, mine is an example of this!

Thanks for the confirmation.

Any others?

Don,

If interested I have the 1973 Illustrated Facts booklet, licensed by Ford, that shows this option and exactly what it includes. I can scan it in later tonight when I get home and post it up.

Mine came came with twist locks from the factory.

John J

The hoods locks always came with the 2-tone hoods: ram air cars in 71-72 ,and ram air or "sports decor" cars in 73.

The locks could not be optioned separately, nor could the hood paint.

Hmm. Mine has the paint, no locks. It has been repainted though.... I need to order a marti for it.

JohnJ,

That is a beautiful car! I would sure love to own that one!

I am not disagreeing with your statement that your hood paint and hood pins were factory installed, but I am wondering what kind of documentation you have that leads you to that conclusion. There are several visible clues that would normally indicate that the paint and pins did not come on this car from the factory:

A) The only way to get the hood paint and pins on a 73 Mustang was to order the "sport decor package" or the functional ram-air option. On a mach 1 the "sport decor package" was a little less expensive because some of the content was already included on the mach 1 package. Likewise, on a non-mach 1, the package was a little MORE expensive because some of the required content from the mach 1 was a part of the package. And if functional ram-air was ordered on a non-mach 1 (only available on 351 2V engines), then the "sport decor package" became a mandatory option.

Specifically, the "sport decor package" included:

1) Black or argent-painted hood tu-tone

2) Twist-style hood lock pins

3) Black honeycomb-texture grill (mach 1 grill)

4) Lower bodyside black or argent tu-tone paint

5) Body-colored dual sport mirrors

6) Camera-case textured back panel applique with bright trim (oddly, NOT the mach 1 honeycomb panel!)

Your car has the standard grille, when it should have the mach 1 grille.

B) The hood paint is incorrect. it comes in too narrow along the curved character lines in front of the scoops, and the rounded corners are much too "sharp". Specifically it shows the "Mustang Monthly" influence with the front edge of the paint being too far back on the hood.

C) The hood pins show a tell-tale sign of being installed after the car left the factory: distorted sheetmetal abour 2-3" around each hood pin. At the factory, the holes in the upper sheetmetal of the hood were 3 1/16" in diameter. When most people mount hood pins on thier Mustangs, they typically use a 3" holesaw. When mounting the hood pins, this slightly undersized hole causes the sheet metal to distort somewhat as the pin is being tightened down.

Again, I want to say I really like this car and please don't take offense that I pointed out these observations. I debated if I should even post this, but I think the more people that understand what to look for then the better the overall hobby will be.

Mine came with them.

BT

Not sure if we are saying the same thing or not? But...73s had a separate option that you could purchase the Tutone paint which also included the hood locks for $18. See a pic of my invoice below for documentation.

Jeff

Kit you might be right about the hood pins. The hood is listed on my Marti report. I Also have what I think is a copy of the dealer invoice which list tutone hood paint. The car has been repainted so I am not surprised that the hood paint was not correct. This was a Ford company car and is listed has special purpose vehicle for Ford marketing division. I am sure the original owner could have had the hood pins installed.

John J


Jeff you got a deal on the hood paint. Mine is listed 34.00 dollar option on my vert.invoice.

John.J

Not sure if we are saying the same thing or not? But...73s had a separate option that you could purchase the Tutone paint which also included the hood locks for $18. See a pic of my invoice below for documentation.

Jeff

Click to expand...

Jeff, This is an example that shows exactly what I'm talking about. On all the documentation I've seen it only lists "TuTone Hood Paint" with no mention of twist locks. So that's why I asked about the twist locks. Several members and at least one original owner of 1973 cars with this option say twist locks were included as a part of the 1973 only non-functional ram-air, TuTone hood option.

I'm inclined to say that the 1973 TuTone hood option did indeed come with twist locks as a part of the package.

Don,

If you look at the Mustang Recognition Guide page 211 it states "The Tu-Tone hood option includes the NASA scooped hood, black or argent (depending upon the body color) hood paint, and twist-type locks".

Jeff

Jeff, This is an example that shows exactly what I'm talking about. On all the documentation I've seen it only lists "TuTone Hood Paint" with no mention of twist locks. So that's why I asked about the twist locks. Several members and at least one original owner of 1973 cars with this option say twist locks were included as a part of the 1973 only non-functional ram-air, TuTone hood option.

I'm inclined to say that the 1973 TuTone hood option did indeed come with twist locks as a part of the package.

Click to expand...

I believe the tutone hood paint was only $18 on the Mach 1 because other mandatory content ( grill, mirrors) was already part of the Mach 1 package. $34 for the tutone paint on a convertible probably covered the cost of adding the grill and maybe the lower bodyside paint.

I have all the original ordering guides and salesman source guides for 71-73 Mustangs,and they spell out in excrutiating detail all the myriad differences in what was actually available depending on what combination of options and equipment was ordered. Some of the mandatory options as well as some of the restricted combinations are very confusing to understand why it is only available one way but not another. But if you think about each example long enough, it seems to make some sense once you figure out thier reasoning.

Another oddity most are unaware of is that many of the unique options listed only for a Cougar could be optioned on Mustang simply by putting the code on the order sheet, even if it wad not listed as an "official" Mustang option. Of course, it had to be things that would just bolt right on without any mods.

I ordered my car in late August of 1970, and I put two "Cougar" options on the order, and it came through with both of them without so much as a peep of anything from the factory: 4-way power seat, and automatic seat-back releases. I think the seatback releases were later added to the Mustang sheet.

Funny, two regular Mustang options I did order did NOT come through on the car: rear defrost and intermittent wipers.

It has been several years since I looked at those guides, but one thing I seem to remember clearly is that the tutone paint and the twist locks always came together, and niether one could be ordered seperately.

However, I have seen at least one factory publicity photo of a ram-air equipped fastback or mach 1 with hoodpins, "ram air" callouts, but WITHOUT the tutone paint. It may have the never-produced prototype for the 71 BOSS 302.

But, I have never seen a factory-produced car like that in person.

I believe the tutone hood paint was only $18 on the Mach 1 because other mandatory content ( grill, mirrors) was already part of the Mach 1 package. $34 for the tutone paint on a convertible probably covered the cost of adding the grill and maybe the lower bodyside paint.

I have all the original ordering guides and salesman source guides for 71-73 Mustangs,and they spell out in excrutiating detail all the myriad differences in what was actually available depending on what combination of options and equipment was ordered. Some of the mandatory options as well as some of the restricted combinations are very confusing to understand why it is only available one way but not another. But if you think about each example long enough, it seems to make some sense once you figure out thier reasoning.

Another oddity most are unaware of is that many of the unique options listed only for a Cougar could be optioned on Mustang simply by putting the code on the order sheet, even if it wad not listed as an "official" Mustang option. Of course, it had to be things that would just bolt right on without any mods.

I ordered my car in late August of 1970, and I put two "Cougar" options on the order, and it came through with both of them without so much as a peep of anything from the factory: 4-way power seat, and automatic seat-back releases. I think the seatback releases were later added to the Mustang sheet.

Funny, two regular Mustang options I did order did NOT come through on the car: rear defrost and intermittent wipers.

It has been several years since I looked at those guides, but one thing I seem to remember clearly is that the tutone paint and the twist locks always came together, and niether one could be ordered seperately.

However, I have seen at least one factory publicity photo of a ram-air equipped fastback or mach 1 with hoodpins, "ram air" callouts, but WITHOUT the tutone paint. It may have the never-produced prototype for the 71 BOSS 302.

But, I have never seen a factory-produced car like that in person.

Click to expand...

Kit, we need scans of those original ordering guides and salesman source guides for 71-73 Mustangs for the Historical Documents section that a few of us are working on.

Two questions... Which cars received the lower paint on the 73 models? Second question, what cars in 73 could have the hockey stripes?

I had no idea about the Cougar power seat. Very cool! I wonder what Marti says about that. Ha!

1) I believe it was only the convertibles that could get the lower body paint in 73. I have seen several of those, but no other body style. I am not totally shre though.

2) as far as the "hockey sticks" go on 73s...I have always had a conflicting view of that. They are not listed in the ordering guide I have, but it is an early guide. Ford regularly made addtions and subtractions to many susequent ordering guides in the same model year, so it is possible they added them sometime after intrkduction of the 73s.

My problem the "hockey sticks" on a 73 is that they just don't fit! The new-for-73 front bumper clearly caused Ford to redesign the Mach 1 stripes for 73, something they probably would have preferred not to do on such a "lame duck" model. Every other change shows that they were saving money where they could, not spending more. The Mach 1 for 73 doesn't get any secondary lower body paint, so that saves a little right there. The taillight trim and back panel moldings also got no black trim paint in 73...another savings.

The front section of the "hockey stick" looks terrible on a 73...too many incongruous ckrners in a small area. The thicker side view of the front bumper is the issue. I cannot imagine that Ford would ever offer that.

But...........there is a relatively well-known yellow 73 coupe with "hockey sticks" that has been featured in several msgazines over the years. I think it is owned by a woman named Prunella Grunze ( or something like that). It is always described as an original-owner low-mileage original. But, it is clear that some wierd custom-looking paint was done on the side of the front valance, and an extrs section of decal not normally in the "kit" had to be added to make it work. I have always assumed the dealer did the stripes before the first ( and only!)owner bought it.

Dealer-modified cars don't mean squat to me regarding originality. That is no different thanany "day two" mods a new owner makes after delivery. Only what rolled out the factory door do I consider original.

I will make an effort to get my old books out of storage and scan them whenI get a chance