njsteve, your explanation for the blacked out hood is correct, but that is just the <u>engineering dept</u> speaking.
The MARKETING guys explained the flat black paint as being a "No Glare" surface, so that the sun wouldn't blind you when driving. This was from the AMX ads, but the Mustang and some other cars also had flat black paint on metal hoods. The concept came from the Air Force, as an aid to the pilots.
Sorry that I don't drink, Cliff.
BTW, my brain is also a treasury of useless information.
