1955 rear hood grounding clip purpose

[Hilde]

1955 Thunderbird. What is the purpose of the grounding clip at the rear of the hood? There are no electrical components on the hood. Is it possibly to ground static electricity that builds up as the car is moving?

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[Ward 57]

Yes, it's a grounding tab using the hood for radio interference.

 

[4VE]

I just looked at mine and don't see a grounding clip. Unless converted to 12V, it is a 6V positive ground vehicle. Exactly where is this clip. I can't find one on mine.

 

[swatson999]

Why would this make any difference at all? Isn't the hood grounded via the giant hood supports and bolts and springs at the front?

 

[Hilde]

I just looked at mine and don't see a grounding clip. Unless converted to 12V, it is a 6V positive ground vehicle. Exactly where is this clip. I can't find one on mine.

The clip is mounted at the rubber insulation strip, on the passenger side, just forward of the wiper mount shaft, where the rear of the hood rests on the body. If yours has one, the hood will have a scratch in the paint where it touches the clip. My '55 T'bird is original 6V. JimRC says it's for radio interference. That makes more sense than anything else I have heard or read.

 

[Hilde]

Why would this make any difference at all? Isn't the hood grounded via the giant hood supports and bolts and springs at the front?

The hood is hinged, and the hinges are lubricated with some kind of grease. the grease would inhibit conductivity. I also have an old Jaguar which also has a similar hinged mounting, and it has a braided ground wire grounding the hood to the main body. JimRC says it's for radio interference. That makes more sense than anything else I have heard or read.

 

[swatson999]

The hood is hinged, and the hinges are lubricated with some kind of grease. the grease would inhibit conductivity. I also have an old Jaguar which also has a similar hinged mounting, and it has a braided ground wire grounding the hood to the main body. JimRC says it's for radio interference. That makes more sense than anything else I have heard or read.

Still...between that and the rear pins that go into hood latches, it seems like there'd be plenty of grounding. Granted, RF stuff is like black magic, but I'll hazard a guess that this little clip was more gimmicky than anything useful (sort of like the springy things that were supposed to go inside the wheel bearing caps). 🙂 Just IMHO, of course.

Now, a capacitor on the VR, the generator or the coil? THAT could make a difference to radio noise.

 

[Hilde]

I agree with you, but who knows what the Ford engineers were thinking back in 1954.

 

[Ward 57]

I agree with you, but who knows what the Ford engineers were thinking back in 1954.

You have to remember that automotive radios at that time were still a work in progress. As far as I know only the 6v cars used that grounding tab. The generators and I assume solid core spark plug wires put out a lot of radio noise. Making sure the hood had a good constant ground helped as an R/F shield.
Later came resistor plugs and wirers and better filters in the radios to silence ignition interference.

 

[paul5456]

56's also used the grounding tab

 

[doug7740]

The clip is mounted at the rubber insulation strip, on the passenger side, just forward of the wiper mount shaft, where the rear of the hood rests on the body. If yours has one, the hood will have a scratch in the paint where it touches the clip. My '55 T'bird is original 6V. JimRC says it's for radio interference. That makes more sense than anything else I have heard or read.

Here is a picture of the grounding clip that Hilde is referring to.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[swatson999]

That looks to me like a good way to put nice gouge in the underside of the hood.

 

[Hilde]

In fact, it does scratch the paint on the underside of the hood. right down to the bare metal, but just at the two little raised corners on the clip.

 

[swatson999]

In fact, it does scratch the paint on the underside of the hood. right down to the bare metal, but just at the two little raised corners on the clip.

If it didn't, it wouldn't be much of a grounding mechanism.

Sounds like a good place to create rust...no thanks 🙂.

IIRC, these were after-sale options that the Ford dealerships could install to try to solve a radio noise problem, but not installed from the factory anyway. Do I have that right, from my reading of the service bulletins? The Electrical Installation Manual has a page with all the optional RF noise reduction items shown: generator condenser, voltage regulator condenser, hood grounding clip, springy gizmos for the wheel bearing hub caps, and (IIRC) tying a knot in the wire from the coil to the distributor cap. Somewhere I saw a condenser on the coil, as well, not sure if it's on that page. I think they were all options for the shop to try if needed.

 

[doug7740]

For those who do not have the Electrical Installation Manual, attached is what swatson999 is talking about.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[swatson999]

Thanks...I just didn't have a scan handy. I'd forgotten about the fuel gauge sender condenser (caused us all sorts of puzzlement when we first found that while checking fuel gauge accuracy!).

 

[Thunder rd]

1955 Thunderbird. What is the purpose of the grounding clip at the rear of the hood? There are no electrical components on the hood. Is it possibly to ground static electricity that builds up as the car is moving?

Many cars have this it like belt and suspenders as hood vibrates across dissimilar metal copper wires etc it builds voltage sort of tesla effect. The grounding diverts the voltage to battery .this is rare but some engineer thought it can happen . The carb vapor locks gas fumes you rase an ungrounded hood touch the carb if you wake up you might be in the hospital missing a few fingers at best. 1 gallon of gas equals don't got me but I think its 11 sticks of dynamite. Ihave personally see a dip stick blown through a hood. Newer cars don't have them except throttle body injection . Because gas vapors don't get in engine compartment normaly . Could help radio also because you don't want random voltage going through it.

 

[CSPIDY]

Many cars have this it like belt and suspenders as hood vibrates across dissimilar metal copper wires etc it builds voltage sort of tesla effect. The grounding diverts the voltage to battery .this is rare but some engineer thought it can happen . The carb vapor locks gas fumes you rase an ungrounded hood touch the carb if you wake up you might be in the hospital missing a few fingers at best. 1 gallon of gas equals don't got me but I think its 11 sticks of dynamite. Ihave personally see a dip stick blown through a hood. Newer cars don't have them except throttle body injection . Because gas vapors don't get in engine compartment normaly . Could help radio also because you don't want random voltage going through it.

More likely to happen in a very dry climate

 

[ICON 56]

I never seen this ground clip until my friend had it on his 56. It got me thinking to order one.

 

[Ward 57]

I never seen this ground clip until my friend had it on his 56. It got me thinking to order one.

If you still have the original radio and it still works it couldn't hurt. If you like listening to AM ( I do ) , my issue is with the automatic volume control. It's kind of erratic But it's nice to exercise it. My wife was amazed at how tall the antenna was when I fully extended it for her. Yup, old school..