96 explorer hood on a 91?

[4x4hauler]

im starting a whole custom front end, i was at the junkyard and they have a 96 explorer with most of the front end parts still on it, my question is will the 96 hood fit with the 91 wiper cowl??what kind of body work will it take to make it fit??

 

[ExplorerDMB]

From just the looks of a 1st and the 2nd gens -- I would have to say no. Maybe someone else has thought about this and can give you a more definate answer.

-Drew

 

[96limitedX]

yes it will fit..the 2gens actual steel part of the cowl is the same shape..so im gonna say yes.(there has been a few members that have put 95-01 front ends on 91-94s)

 

[ExplorerDMB]

so im gonna say yes.(there has been a few members that have put 95-01 front ends on 91-94s)

Woulnd't there be a lot of body work though. Rick has done the swap, but he's changed out the whole clip -- would the hood just fit right where the pre-exsisting stuff was?

-Drew

 

[CDW6212R]

Sorry guys, but no. No one single part can be swapped. The front clips, from radiator support to cowl, is at a different height. They are about the same height at the cowl.

The height of the fenders, and the clip underneath, is different at the front, by three to four inches.

To swap front end parts, you would need to swap all of the parts, not counting the bumper. You would need at least the top half of the donor front clip. Whether you clipped the whole thing, or tried to section them, and merge them, is another matter.

I am rebuilding my 93 Limited, by merging it with a 99 Limited. I am using the front third of the 99 clip, from the 2-3 body bolt area. I was planning to use all of my 93 body, until I discovered the front clip sectioning work. I am hunting a 95-01 front end, and a 95-98 Limited bumper. By just painting them, they will bolt onto the 99 chassis. Regards,

 

[4x4hauler]

im doing a whole 91 to 96 swap, fenders, hood, lights, headerpanel. your saying none of this would work?

 

[CDW6212R]

All of the top mounting bolts for the fenders won't bolt to the other gen. clip, maybe the backmost bolt. The 91-94 radiator support is three to four inches higher at the front corners. To mount the fenders, grille, header panel, you would need matching front clip parts(radiator support, side inner structure).

For the later parts, you will have to cut down the top most surfaces of the 91-94 fender mounting points, and all of the top of the radiator support, minus perhaps the hood latch area.

I was going to cut up both of my front clips, below the headlight bucket area, and up at an angle to the cowl area. The cutting and sectioning would have been hard, and tedious. It was a couple of weeks ago when I finally discovered the bumper differences, and started to consider using a whole front end, to match my 99 clip.

Can you not get some or all of the 95-01 front clip? The sectioning that I mention would be easier for you, because you are not changing any other drivetrain parts. I want the whole 99 chassis, so clipping my 93 was part of my plan to start with.

 

[4x4hauler]

if i get these parts, hood, fenders, header panel, lights, grille. what other parts will i need? i keep on getting convused, also how hard will this be, i dont mind a little fab

 

[CDW6212R]

Can you visualise what the body will, look like with all of those body parts removed? That underneath body work is the shell, which the body parts bolt to.

The underlying body(front clip) is what Ford changed in 1995. The body parts are a matched set, you already understand. The front clip, which the body parts bolt to, is different from 95-01, to match those body parts.

Look at the radiator support on each body. Look at the upper surface, where the factory stickers are, the descriptions of the belt routing, AC charge, spark plug gap, etc. The 91-94 top piece is almost flat. That same are on the 95-01 is three to four inches lower on the end thirds, and higher in the center.

Do you have an email address where I can throw a couple of pictures to you? I have several pictures of both my 93, and my 99. I should be able to find a couple that show the front clips. Regards,