rumble lid to trunk conversion

[Vin-tin]

Would it be difficult to turn my '29 sport coupe, which originally had a rumble seat, into a business coupe with trunk lid?
As you can see from the picture, I pretty much have a clean slate to work with. The lid, panel below lid, rain gutters, and even the floor in the rear is gone.
I have a chance to buy a decent original rumble lid for it. Can that be converted to a trunk lid?
What other parts not mentioned above would I need for a trunk to work.
What parts make up the latch structure area?
Pictures would help also.

[KGBnut]

It is not a terribly difficult conversion, but personally, I think that homemade pickup box conversion is way too cool to mess with. What a great piece of personal history.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

Ken

[wrndln]

As you noted, all sport coupes came with rumble seats. Since you can buy a rumble lid, if it were my car, I would install a rumble seat in it. I had a 29 sports coupe back in college a loooong time ago. It is your car, so you can do what you want. Note: I do believe standard, business and special coupes should have trunks as that is what they came with. A sport coupe is unique in that it has a fold-in rear window flap that allows the people in the front to talk to the rumble seat occupants, whereas all other 28/29 coupes have a solid glass rear window, so the rumble seat occupants are basically isolated. I think sport coupes with rumble seat are the coolest model A coupes made. Just my opinion.
Rusty Nelson

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Changing to a trunk is fairly easy, as the hinges are a simple design.
Bill W.

[Mike V. Florida]

If you fell the need to change the bed to anything, my vote is to keep it as a Sport Coupe should be, with a rumble seat. With that said, I'm with KGBnut, that is way cool and a real conversation starter. I wonder how many people would come up to you and say they had one just like it?

[Russ B]

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Pickup conversions like this one were often seen in northern CA where I grew up in the 50's. They made it easier to get gas during WWII. A trunk would look much nicer in my opinion. It is easy enough to get all the parts you need from Snyders or Brattons and probably a number of other parts suppliers. Be ready to modify the aftermarket sheet metal as its fit is most likely not perfect.









I converted the rumble in my cabriolet to a trunk and used the rumble lid. Just use care when filling the holes for the rumble handle and latch to minimize any sheet metal warpage. Cutting a hole for the latch can be done more accurately once the body sheet metal and striker are all in place.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by KGBnut

It is not a terribly difficult conversion, but personally, I think that homemade pickup box conversion is way too cool to mess with. What a great piece of personal history.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

Ken

BUT, it's SOMEBODY ELSE'S "HISTORY", which don't mean SQUAT!! I'm glad I DON'T know ANY of Vermin's HISTORY! He's MY CAR, now!
Bill W.

[Steve Plucker]

Originally Posted by wrndln

As you noted, all sport coupes came with rumble seats. Since you can buy a rumble lid, if it were my car, I would install a rumble seat in it. I had a 29 sports coupe back in college a loooong time ago. It is your car, so you can do what you want. Note: I do believe standard, business and special coupes should have trunks as that is what they came with. A sport coupe is unique in that it has a fold-in rear window flap that allows the people in the front to talk to the rumble seat occupants, whereas all other 28/29 coupes have a solid glass rear window, so the rumble seat occupants are basically isolated. I think sport coupes with rumble seat are the coolest model A coupes made. Just my opinion.
Rusty Nelson

Well Rusty, I think they take a close second to a 1929 Business Coupe with Oval Windows

Pluck

[Vin-tin]

Russ, thanks for the pictures. They help a lot. If you have any more i'd love to see them.
So all i'd have to do to the lid is change the handle location? Are all of the other holes for mounting a trunk already there?
Does the trunk latch area below the lid only consist of the outer panel below the lid, and the inner structure you have pictured?
I thought there's also a brace in there to mount the spare tire to.

Thanks to everyone else who gave me "their" opinions. All of you guys aren't saying anything to me that I haven't already run through my head a million times. Yes, the p/u bed is unique and there's no other one like it anywhere. Yes, I should probably keep it a sport coupe.
Honestly, I think the p/u bed looks funny on it, and i'd get more use out of a trunk than I would a rumble seat.

This is what i'd like it to look like: (no oval window)

[wrndln]

Steve,
We will have to disagree on whether sport coupes with their neat (is that a dated term or what?) landau irons or oval window business coupes are the coolest. Maybe there should be a survey as to which one is the coolest. My vote would still be for a sport coupe. Right now it looks like the vote would be tied.
Rusty Nelson

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

To me, "THE COOLEST" car is the one I OWN! I have NO desire for a rarer model & I don't have room for another one.
Bill W.

[5window]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

To me, "THE COOLEST" car is the one I OWN! I have NO desire for a rarer model & I don't have room for another one.
Bill W.

Bill, it's a rare person who is happy with what they have and not wishing for more. I would judge you to be a very lucky, and very wealthy, man. Good for you.

[C26Pinelake]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

To me, "THE COOLEST" car is the one I OWN! I have NO desire for a rarer model & I don't have room for another one.
Bill W.

A wise man that knows what he has and is content. Glad you are happy my friend !
Wayne

[700rpm]

Originally Posted by 5window

Bill, it's a rare person who is happy with what they have and not wishing for more. I would judge you to be a very lucky, and very wealthy, man. Good for you.

Happiness is not necessarily getting what you want, but wanting what you get. Wisdom from my dad.

[700rpm]

I've been gathering the parts to convert the rumble on my 29 bus. coupe (avatar) back to a trunk. I think I have everything, but right now there is a curved sheet metal panel at the lower rear to accommodate the rumble setup. It's pop-riveted in, and I don't know if I need to remove it for a trunk conversion, or what I'll find if I do. Not to hijack this thread, but it might also help Vin-tin if you all could share your thoughts and experiences on this.

[Vin-tin]

700rpm, I feel your pain. Like you, I have no idea what any of this should like other than the pictures and explanations that you guys give me. I don't know anyone in my area that has a '29 trunk coupe that I could look at.
Pictures are worth a thousand words, so keep them coming. I'd like to see detailed pictures of the original floor area and the inner structure of the trunk latch area below the deck lid.

[Dennis Pereira]

I'm working on the trunk of a 1929 standard coupe . I just started back on this project and trying to make all the pieces fit . Here's some photos of where I'm at . Maybe this will help if something is the wrong place someone will let us know . This was a coupe pickup also and was hacked up badly .

[Steve Plucker]

This would be a excelent restoration article for one of the Model A Magizines...The Restorer or Model A News.

GUYS...They are hurting for restoration articles like this!

Pluck

[Dennis Pereira]

Originally Posted by forever4

Your cross-car 'L' bracket is installed upside down.

1930 Model A Coupe Trunk Compartment Construction
www.fordgarage.com/pages/trunkconstruction.htm

I think in the photo with one screw I was trying to find the right screws . I'm not sure how it ended up but everything fit . Now I have to walk back out to the barn and look lol .

[700rpm]

Originally Posted by Dennis Pereira

I'm working on the trunk of a 1929 standard coupe . I just started back on this project and trying to make all the pieces fit . Here's some photos of where I'm at . Maybe this will help if something is the wrong place someone will let us know . This was a coupe pickup also and was hacked up badly .

Thanks Dennis. Pix 2, 3, and 6 helped a lot for me. I can't orient 4 and 5.

[Dennis Pereira]

Originally Posted by 700rpm

Thanks Dennis. Pix 2, 3, and 6 helped a lot for me. I can't orient 4 and 5.

#4 is the L bracket that screws to the outside lower panel below the lid Bracket might be upside down #5 is the upper edge of the curved panel sitting on the L bracket .

[Vin-tin]

Dennis, your pictures will help me a lot also.
Forever4, thanks for the link. I visited your pages already in the past and somehow missed this. I assume the '28-'29 construction is the same as your '30? Your pictures show the kind of inner structure details i'm looking for.

Since repo parts require a lot of modification to make them fit, it might be easier to make them from scratch. I did that with parts of my '30 ccpu, but I had the old rusted parts to copy. With my coupe, I don't have anything to copy. I would love to find original pieces, in any condition, just to use as a pattern.

[Steve Plucker]

Originally Posted by Vin-tin

Dennis, your pictures will help me a lot also.
Forever4, thanks for the link. I visited your pages already in the past and somehow missed this. I assume the '28-'29 construction is the same as your '30? Your pictures show the kind of inner structure details i'm looking for.

Since repo parts require a lot of modification to make them fit, it might be easier to make them from scratch. I did that with parts of my '30 ccpu, but I had the old rusted parts to copy. With my coupe, I don't have anything to copy. I would love to find original pieces, in any condition, just to use as a pattern.

Call Bert's in Denver!

Pluck

[H. L. Chauvin]

A Coupe with a neat rear box always looks good & comes in handy.

I installed a neatly crafted wood box with operable tail gate & flared sides as a teenager in my newly acquired 1930 Coupe which already had a shabby box installed.

With the box overhanging the rear bumper, I later thought about what could possibly happen in just a light impact rear end collision with or without seat belts.

Maybe I could possibly be caught between a steel gas tank with attached steering wheel & a forward moving wood box; so I decided to give up on the box for safety reasons.

May not make much sense to some, but appears one thinks differently about safety after having children & grandchildren.

[Dennis Pereira]

Originally Posted by Dennis Pereira

I think in the photo with one screw I was trying to find the right screws . I'm not sure how it ended up but everything fit . Now I have to walk back out to the barn and look lol .

Originally Posted by forever4

Your cross-car 'L' bracket is installed upside down.

1930 Model A Coupe Trunk Compartment Construction
www.fordgarage.com/pages/trunkconstruction.htm

Forever4 you were right I flipped it over and the inner curved panel fit much better and didn't feel like a springboard when I mocked it up . Thank you .