Luggage Rack Mounting Brackets

[jfcrash]

Does anyone know of a source/vendor that may sell the mounting brackets and hardware for a 1935 Ford luggage rack ??

Does anyone have any info from which I could fabricate a pair of brackets?... or even have a picture of what they look like ?

Thanks, Jim

[JM 35 Sedan]

jf, there are two different length luggage rack brackets for '35-'36 passenger cars. Long set required for trunk back sedans and shorter length version for slant/flat back sedans, coupes, roadsters and cabriolets. A friend recently had a set made by wire burn/laser/water jet cutting (not sure witch method was used) using originals as a pattern.
Bob Drake has luggage rack sets shown in his latest big catalog. It doesn't say which length brackets come with this set. The picture in his catalog shows what these brackets look like. Maybe a call to Drake might lead you to the company making these sets and they may be willing to sell you a set of brackets separately. Worth a try as long as you don't have to call all the way to China .

[DavidG]

Girtz Welding (now Superior Car Parts) used to make the reproduction luggage racks and their brackets, but evidently no longer do so judging from their on-line catalogue.

[Don Rogers]

Please note that luggage racks were not made to fit coupes, cabriolets and roadsters. They were designed for sedans, phaetons, and conv sedans. The shorter brackets (48-18590/91- A) were for flat back sedans, phaetons and conv sedans while the longer brackets (48-18590/91- B) were for the touring sedans.

[VeryTangled]

I've collected a bunch of photos because we purchased an original luggage rack and most of one side bracket at Hershey 2011 and we were researching options. Eventually an original was donated (by, guess who?) to serve as a pattern and a replacement was fabricated by an expert smithy. I think dad was in contact with a supplier who used to do this work but things were vague and or expensive. Eventually when we did the mock-up with the one old and one new brackets there is interference with the tail pipe and we still need to do some modifications to either the tail pipe hangar or the luggage rack bracket before we can bolt things up.

Photos to be uploaded on Monday.

-VeryTangled/Jeff

Edit: I was incorrect about the donated bracket. When we purchased the luggage rack it came with one bracket, and the two links, I think.

[JM 35 Sedan]

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Originally Posted by Don Rogers

Please note that luggage racks were not made to fit coupes, cabriolets and roadsters. They were designed for sedans, phaetons, and conv sedans.

Don, can you please explain your posted statement in more detail? I have seen luggage racks on '35-'36 coupes, cabriolets and roadsters. Some of these were on high point show cars that received Dearborn Awards at EFV-8 Club national meets. The 1935-36 Ford Book (1st/2nd printings) state "These racks (Part No. 48-18575) were available for all models except Sedan Deliveries and Station Wagons. Special brackets were made for touring sedans." Catalogs that I have for reproduction luggage racks do not list them for just flat back / touring sedans. What am I missing? I have a '35-'36 luggage rack that I was planning to use on my '35 5w coupe. Are you saying these racks were not originally intended to be used on coupes, cabriolets, and roadsters even though they may happen to fit or are you saying they will not physically fit on these models? Would appreciate some clarification on this. Thank you.

[FL&WVMIKE]

Years ago, back in the 60s, I found an original trunk rack, but it had no brackets. I contacted the company who was reproducing the trunk rack later, and they sold me a pair of brackets, only. I do not remember the company's name. They fit my Cabriolet, perfectly.
MIKE

[Don Rogers]

Jim & Mike, While visiting the archives about 2 years ago I noticed that the engineering release for the 35/36 Luggage Rack assembly (48-18575-A) listed only the 700, 730, 740, and 750 models. There were no boxes checked for 710, 720, 760 or 770. That peaked my curiosity so I checked the engineering releases for the brackets only. The 48-18590/91-C brackets showed that they were used only on the 700, 730, 740, and 750 body styles. The 48-18575-B rack assembly and 48-18590/91-B brackets indicated use on the Touring Sedan body styles only.

I went back and checked my Chassis Books and sure enough....page 48 of the Nov 35 Chassis Book and page 131-132 of 28-36 Chassis Book confirm this finding. Since that time, I have found no reference in writing to the Luggage Rack being used on Models 710, 720, 760, and 770.

I changed the reference on page 124 of The 1935-36 Ford Book to reflect this finding before the 3 printing of the book came out and listed this finding in the corrections listing for the 35-36 Book on the Early Ford V-8 Club website.

[jfcrash]

Thanks for all your comments so far.......

My interest is for the 1935 Phaeton (48-750) on which I have seen pleanty of luggage racks.

In the next several days I will call a couple of the vendors that carry the complete racks in there catalogs and see if they will share their source with me and so I can call them direct for just the brackets..if not I will still try to make them.

This is not a show stopper as I have pleanty of loose ends to complete so I can get the Phaeton registered and inspected this spring/summer...

Jim

[Dave/Green Bay]

Jim:
If you don't find any let me know as I have a luggage rack on my Fordor touring sedan. They are the long brackets. I can trace the brackets for a pattern it all else fails. Let me know Dave/Green Bay

[Planojc]

I have an original rack and brackets on my 35 Cabriolet that fits perfect.

[VeryTangled]

Some bracket photos. More to come.

-VeryTangled/Jeff

[Bruce/CT]

This may be a dumb question BUT not having seen a trunk on a car WITHOUT a rumble seat....how does the car's trunk lid open? I'm guessing that the luggage trunk has to be lifted off; not easy if full.
Just wanting to know.
Thanks & Happy New Year.
Bruce/CT

[VeryTangled]

More luggage rack photos from '35 and '36 Fords.

-VeryTangled/Jeff

[VeryTangled]

I probably have more, and can get photos of the bracket we had made.

-VeryTangled/Jeff

[jfcrash]

Thanks again for all your support so far…

I called Mac’s and Early Ford V-8 Sales this am, they each get their complete luggage racks from a USA mfg…. probably the same place …Neither would say where, but, both guys will check with their vendor after the holiday for just the bracket kit…seems hopeful.

Jeff thanks for the photos, seeing them makes me hope they will be made available from the mfg….It seems I never took pictures of the luggage rack at any of the car shows I have attended…thank you.

Dave if I do have to make them, I will take you up on your offer.

Jim

[flatheadfan]

John-

I "think" I can shed some light on the restriction of luggage racks for some '35 models. Ford made three different tire carriers for '35s (1433-A/B/C). Each of them had a slight angle variation dependent on the angle of the rear back panel of the car. As an example, if you used a luggage rack on a coupe, the rack could not be tilted downward because the rack's edge would hit the locking tire band. To get around this you have three choices namely, 1) remove the locking band and use only the locking hub cap. 2) Use only the locking hub cap and the strip below the cap. Not the portion that connects to the carrier. 3) Notch the carrier rack to allow for the locking strip to clear or 4) Change the carrier to a different body model carrier.

The rack clearance is not a problem with a '36 because the locking tire band is not used on the '36 carrier. So, clearance between the rack and the carrier is ample.

This probably doesn't make any sense but enclosed pictures should help.

Oh yes, one more thing. I have a repo on my '35 and an original rack on my '36. Note the wood inserts on the backside of the rack. These inserts are seldom found on repo racks.

Hope this helps.

Tom

[Carl]

I have a pair of 35-6 main brackets like those shown in pics #8 & 9 by Very Tangled. They have slotted frame mount holes to allow for in or out rack assembly movement. That might solve the clearance problem as related by Flathead Fan. Of course, you're limited by the curvature of the bumper irons, too. Just my 2 cents...

[Henryat1140]

I think we have a bracket left over from our project, it would be the longer one, suitable for a trunkback model. It can be modified to use for the slantback/roadster/phaeton by cutting out a section.

Let me know it you are interested. I asked the supplier using Macs as a go between whether they would sell just the brackets, the answer was $265 for the brackets. We fabricated one by having it laser cut then shaped, but the end result was we didn't save much money.

If you are interested in the spare bracket, PM me.

[DavidG]

According to the original engineering drawing for the '35-'36 rack assembly on file at the Benson Ford Research Center, no wood strips were used on the back of the racks. There are some differences shown between the '35 and '36 racks and bracketry to add to their strength.

Judging from the Very Tangled photos above, the rack and brackets on the black '35 are the '35 version. The brackets on the maroon '36 are the '36 version, but the rack is the '35 version (the difference in the two rack versions being how the brackets are attached to the rack).