"The Swan"

[1969k10stepside]

If you ever wondered where the swan came from that is on the 71 4x4 now...well,I found a pic of the truck it was originally(as in before I bought it) on.
It was on my old long gone 71 2wd I sold years ago....Well,I sold most of it.The grill and hood I kept,along with some other parts.I kinda miss owning 2wds now
Here is some pics of it while I had the bed and some other stuff off while I was doing some work to it

[1969k10stepside]

now it sits high on the 71 4wd....

[Slammed70]

Ive seen those on quite a few old trucks...I know JC Whitneys sells them too.

What they mean or represent though I couldnt tell you, Im probably too young.

[1969k10stepside]

This swan was made years before JCWhitney sold them.And this is real chrome too(just a little oxidated)

[Slammed70]

Wow, I dont know then dude. Take it to a gas station real early in the mornin, or some place else where old people hang out. And wait for them to gimp their way up to you and tell you how much they love or hate your truck (depending on what you've done to it), and after they're done telling you about the one the had back in the day.

Ask them if they know anything about "the swan"

[1969k10stepside]

A fellow member and I believe that its a ornament from a Packard.It closely resembles one

[BACKYARD88]

Someone else agrees
http://www.antiquemystique.com/images/7416_jpg.jpg
http://www.packardclub.org/html/hood-orn.htm

[68shortstep]

Showing my age here:

I can remember lots of the "hot cars" that the cool guys with DA haircuts were driving in the 50's (before I was driving) had the aftermarket swans/birds swapped on the hood. I also can remember seeing them for sale in the Western Auto stores & the JC Whitney catalogs. Some had plastic wings which could be lighted at night, from a parking light type bulb concealed under the body of the swan, for the ultimate in being a "cool-cat."

The 55 Chevies had a 50's stylized bird (eagle ?) as the stock hood ornament. Course, those were taken off, immediately............. Too much like your parents' car.

On the old Packards, from the linkie above, those radiator/hood ornaments were called a "Cormorant" bird. Don't know why that name sticks in my mind, but it does.

My uncle, at 95 years-young has a chrome Cormorant on the hood of his 1941 Packard 120 model woodie-wagon (a no-kidding unrestored original) that he still gets out & drives occasionally, & almost every year he takes it out to the Super Chevy show in Springfield MO. Some of you may have seen it there. It always collects a BIG crowd at that show, even if it's not a Chevy.

About 10 years ago, he drove it from Springfield to Kansas City, cleaned the bugs off from the drive, and won the People's Choice Award at the World of Wheels auto show. He needed the big-old long wagon to carry home the 8-foot tall trophy.

He always says that old car wasn't ever worth very much money. He was the second-owner, and I think he said he paid all of $ 45 for it (plus an old non-running Chrysler) in 1943. I think maybe you'd need to add SEVERAL zeros after that number, today. No, I won't inherit it, darn it. One of my cousins will probably Barrett-Jackson it, when he's gone.

Wish I could track down one of my photos of that Packard beauty to post. Maybe someday.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[LEEVON]

must be an arkansas thing??? My truck came from arkansas with one of those swans on the hood, and everything else was stock. Go figure. A pain to weld up too.

[1970bowtie]

i think older peterbilts had them on the hood, could be wrong though

[special-K]

JC Whitney had a whole page of novel ornaments years before these trucks were ever concieved.

[msgross]

"i" before "e" except after "c" Tim...

Being from Northern Indiana all i'll say is it's a Southern Indiana (aka Northern KY) thing, the swan that is!

[CrashEd]

You really not flyen unless you have a flyen duck to guide your way.
Sign of speed.
Ed

[1969k10stepside]

Originally Posted by msgross

"i" before "e" except after "c" Tim...

Being from Northern Indiana all i'll say is it's a Southern Indiana (aka Northern KY) thing, the swan that is!

The P.O. (was about 50 when he bought it new) put this on because he had a ornament on all his 10 and 18 wheelers.And no,he wasnt from Kentucky...lol.

[msgross]

With enough airspeed that puppy will catch some lift and rip your hood off!

[dan42]

Originally Posted by 68shortstep

Showing my age here:

I can remember lots of the "hot cars" that the cool guys with DA haircuts were driving in the 50's (before I was driving) had the aftermarket swans/birds swapped on the hood. I also can remember seeing them for sale in the Western Auto stores & the JC Whitney catalogs. Some had plastic wings which could be lighted at night, from a parking light type bulb concealed under the body of the swan, for the ultimate in being a "cool-cat."

The 55 Chevies had a 50's stylized bird (eagle ?) as the stock hood ornament. Course, those were taken off, immediately............. Too much like your parents' car.

On the old Packards, from the linkie above, those radiator/hood ornaments were called a "Cormorant" bird. Don't know why that name sticks in my mind, but it does.

My uncle, at 95 years-young has a chrome Cormorant on the hood of his 1941 Packard 120 model woodie-wagon (a no-kidding unrestored original) that he still gets out & drives occasionally, & almost every year he takes it out to the Super Chevy show in Springfield MO. Some of you may have seen it there. It always collects a BIG crowd at that show, even if it's not a Chevy.

About 10 years ago, he drove it from Springfield to Kansas City, cleaned the bugs off from the drive, and won the People's Choice Award at the World of Wheels auto show. He needed the big-old long wagon to carry home the 8-foot tall trophy.

He always says that old car wasn't ever worth very much money. He was the second-owner, and I think he said he paid all of $ 45 for it (plus an old non-running Chrysler) in 1943. I think maybe you'd need to add SEVERAL zeros after that number, today. No, I won't inherit it, darn it. One of my cousins will probably Barrett-Jackson it, when he's gone.

Wish I could track down one of my photos of that Packard beauty to post. Maybe someday.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

That's a pretty cool story. My dad had a '41 Packard Convertible when he got back from Europe, in '46. He said someone had rolled back the odometer and it was thrashed, but he like the car; it looked nice. Traded it in for a '49 Merc. Those were the days.

[1970bowtie]

check this out
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...ev=/images%3Fq

[CrashEd]

I had a 72 f*&# when i was younger that i got it in a trade deal. I bolted a old chrome and rust air cleaner to the hood cut it with a axe shot it with a 22 lots of times took it mudden had it air born a fue times all while drunk. Id have to say it was the funest truck to tear the Sh!t out of and it was tough for a little while LOL!! And i have know idea why i put a air cleaner on the hood i guess it was just handy with a bolt close too.
Ed

[1969k10stepside]

Well,the truck sat for 17 years in a backyard never started,and it had been on since 71 when the truck was bought,as said from some locals.They all remember the truck.And they remember it sitting there rusting away for years.

[Canadian694x4]

I've seen those mostly on old "Pete's"...

[1970bowtie]