Side mount spares - Left, Right, or Both?
 

After 45 years I'm finally getting around to restoring my late '31 wide bed steel top pickup. Its rough. Mechanically, everything that could wear out is worn out and the body is mostly dents and rust. The bed, rear fenders, and cab are definitely late '31 , but I'm finding the rest of the truck is sort of a mix. The left and right splash aprons are 2 piece like 1930?
The apron nose of the left is spot welded to the left front fender which I guess would be 1930. The right front fender could be a '31 because it was made to be bolted to the right apron nose instead of welded.
The frame appears to be Feb 1929 according to the chassis number.
The front cross member must have been replaced because it is a 30-31 cross member and was fastened with .25" bolts.

My truck is currently set up with side mount spares on both front fenders.
I was wondering what would have been the typical arrangement for the spare tire/s on a closed cab pickup, left, right, or both?


Also, what is the probability that a late '31 pickup would have 2 piece aprons.

Re: Side mount spares - Left, Right, or Both?
 

I believe that all CC pickups had single piece splash aprons and had only a spare on the left side as the right side was left for carrying a ladder.

Re: Side mount spares - Left, Right, or Both?
 

Model "A" trucks were a mixture of parts from the year of manufacture and leftovers from the prior year. Typically trucks had one spare in a fender well.

Re: Side mount spares - Left, Right, or Both?
 

Judging Standards, Area 22, page 12.
Left, (driver side) mounted spare tire carriers were standard on "A" commercial vehicles. Both left and right mounted spares became available as options on all "A" chassis beginning in May of 1928.
So your truck has the optional dual side mounts. Someone else will have to chime in about 2 piece aprons.

Re: Side mount spares - Left, Right, or Both?
 

Sounds like your truck was wrecked, from the description of the bolted front crossmember, ect.They used what they had to repair. What are you try to build? Show car, or a fact simile. In any case, your truck has character. Wide bed pick up’s did come with an array of mixes, but I wouldn’t think it would have come from the factory with two different running board fender arrangements. But, who knows? I wouldn’t have taken possession of it that way new. Well, not without a steep discount.

Re: Side mount spares - Left, Right, or Both?
 

I was a teenager when I got this truck back in 1970. I think it must have had a rough restoration back in the 40's or 50's to be useful for a business. The original frame probably had enough damage to warrant switching to another frame (1929). Even the 29 frame is a little bent ahead of the front cross member.
With this truck my goal is to make a fun, mechanically sound, driver with an okay paint job. I lean towards keeping things original, but with this Frankenstein I'm not too concerned about judging standards

Re: Side mount spares - Left, Right, or Both?
 

You should add your general location to your profile. You can never tell how or when it might pay off. I have an early '31 RDPU and it has one left side fender well.

Charlie Stephens

Re: Side mount spares - Left, Right, or Both?
 

I believe the PU trucks all came from the factory with a driver side side mount installed.
certainly a passenger side mount could be added by the dealer, but the passenger side mount really makes any adjustments to the distributor or the carburetor a royal pain...something to consider. You almost have to remove the wheel to get to anything on that side of the engine.

Re: Side mount spares - Left, Right, or Both?
 

Thanks for the responses. I posted this question to help me decide which of my front fenders and aprons I should repair or replace.

Re: Side mount spares - Left, Right, or Both?
 

It is a common held belief that the 1930-1931 pickups were supplied with a left mounted spare tire only. This is not the case. However, left side mounted spare tires are much more common.

I have never seen a dual side spare tire set up on a pickup, except in one case where the truck was very clearly modified to reflect the owners own tastes.

My closed-cab pickup has a right side mounted spare tire.

It was built in Long Beach California in September 1930. The cab has an August 1930 date stamped onto the cross member ahead of the seat. It has one-piece side splash aprons, which were introduced in September '30.

This truck is unrestored and it has never been apart. If you look at the frame, you can see that there are no holes on the left side for a spare tire mount. You can also see that the mounting bracket on the right side is riveted to the frame (the factory method).

Because Long Beach was (at that time) a brand new assembly plant (opened April 1930 I think) with extended fabricating and assembly capabilities, and because the poor economy was kicking in hard, Ford Sold vehicles per customers' requests...such as a right side spare tire. It's possible, but I cant confirm, that my pickup was built per special request.

I have seen at least two other late 1930 pickups with the same right spare tire set up, but they were not built at the Long Beach plant.

Re: Side mount spares - Left, Right, or Both?
 

Well here you go mine 1930 has on both!

Re: Side mount spares - Left, Right, or Both?
 

Gary-

Its hard to see some of the truck, but is this a Deluxe model? I'm asking because it has the Deluxe (like the cars) radiator shell and cowl band (maybe headlight buckets too?).

The Deluxe pickups are extremely rare (as you know). Maybe the dual side mounts were more common to these expensive trucks?

Revised: Weren't the Deluxe pickups only made in 1931?

Re: Side mount spares - Left, Right, or Both?
 

RHD commercial vehicles had the fender well on the drivers side as USA but of course on the right fender . The bracket was factory riveted to the frame . If you do have a LHD pick up with a riveted bracket on the right side and if it is 30/31 check to see if the steering column holes are present on the right side . 28/29 frames are drilled both sides and 30/31 are normally drilled one side only with some early exceptions . Many cars were imported to USA by returning service men ( Huge USA airbases in the east of England still in use today) many converted to LHD and a new hole drilled in the frame .

John in lovely sunny day in West Drayton London with youngest daughter .