Pro's and Con's of relocating the spare tire?

[Charlie Stephens]

Originally Posted by 700rpm

Ron, I'd say if you're going to keep the trunk, put the spare on the fender. If you put in a rumble seat, leave it in the back. I personally wish my 54A had the trunk, and have been trying to find original trunk hinges for it since I bought it, so I could convert it back.

We definitely have a different view on this, but there is no right or wrong. I would say put it in the fender if you put in a rumble seat. That way you can add a luggage rack and people can sit in the rumble seat. Or maybe a trailer hitch with a Mullen's trailer.

Charlie Stephens

[28ACoupe]

If we can come up with one to look at, I can probably duplicate them pretty easily...

Originally Posted by 700rpm

That's it basically, but there are some support plates and countersunk holes involved as well, from what I have heard from others. Bob Huset says he has a set of hinges and the support that he'll sell me, if he can find them. It's been about 8 months since he said that though, so if someone else has some left over from their conversion to a rumble, please send me a PM. I'm still looking.

[John LaVoy]

The doors on Model As were small and with side mounts getting in and out is a challenge, but the other down side is working on the engine, you work around the wheel or take it out of the fender to do any work in the engine compartment. It is the reason my sedan does not have side mounts, even though I think they look neat and have them on my other car!

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Having the spare in the rear is also better weight distribution.

Now, if I could get rid of my spare tire, it would be easier to get in and out of the car.

I gut(pun intented) front, rear and duel side mounts


Living large in WV.
dusty

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by Bob-A

I'm 6 ft tall and weight about 225 lbs. Getting into my '29 roadster with sidemounts can be a real exercise in contortion. Especially if the top is
up........ If your car has sidemounts, leave it that way. If not....don't change to them. Unless you've got the parts to do it with out butchering
a fender.

Bob-A

I'm 6FT 300# and its all about proper entry and ejection, finesse is everything. Now my small feet(8.5) do help........but you know what they say about small feet


Size matters in WV

dusty

[garyaodell]

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The spare in the fender does get in the way, but if you are going to put one on the fender I would recommend putting it on the passenger side so it does not get in your, the drivers, way.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Charlie Stephens

If I had a 4 door and needed to add a luggage rack to carry things I would move the tire. If I had a rumble seat and needed to add a luggage rack to carry things I would move the tire. There is no way I would go to all the work to move the tire just to get easy access to the trunk. Having said that I guess I am lucky I have a pickup and the only place for the spare tire is in the fender (of course there is the right fender or left fender or both decision to be made).

Charlie Stephens

I have a fordor, luggage rack and trunk, with the spare on the rear.

[700rpm]

Originally Posted by Charlie Stephens

We definitely have a different view on this, but there is no right or wrong. I would say put it in the fender if you put in a rumble seat. That way you can add a luggage rack and people can sit in the rumble seat. Or maybe a trailer hitch with a Mullen's trailer.

Charlie Stephens

Those are good ideas, Charlie. I'm gonna have to adjust my thinking.

[Lycoming-8]

I drove our Feb '29 Business coupe as a daily driver for nearly four years. All during that time I fairly frequently needed access to the STOCK trunk, and found the tire was really not in the way. During this same time, I had a picture of a '28 or '29 Business coupe that had belonged to my Dad's college room-mate. It had at least one fender mount spare on the driver's side (side pictured), and I proceeded to collect the parts necessary to eventually make the conversion. However as has been mentioned above, I came to realize that with a trunk there really was no need for the fender mount, and it actually tends to make a visually unbalanced look on a coupe!!

Mine has stayed the same as it was built.

[Ron Lachniet]

I have fender mounted tires on my tudor and I can't tell any difference getting in or out and working under the hood is about the same. It really makes the trunk on the back look better. It is harder to clean around the spare tires but other than that I am happy with the setup.

[1931 flamingo]

As Ron stated above, I don't have a problem with mine (dual sidemounts) either. The doors don't hit the tires so they don't interfere with getting in and out and how much time do you spend under the hood??
Paul in CT

[Mark W.]

I'm in the camp for "leave it on the back" but to each their own. I think that so many were "restored" into having side mounts that the rear-mount has personality.

As for using the rumble seat, I've had a 72 year young friend hop right into there saying it was fun to re-live his childhood memories of his dad's car and he is 6'-6" tall... I've also gotten in the back just to see how it felt and I'm 6ft, 260 lbs of middle-aged cranky and did not think it was all that bad - the tire gives one more place to lean onto getting over the side.

[kelley's restoration]

Originally Posted by John LaVoy

The doors on Model As were small and with side mounts getting in and out is a challenge, but the other down side is working on the engine, you work around the wheel or take it out of the fender to do any work in the engine compartment. It is the reason my sedan does not have side mounts, even though I think they look neat and have them on my other car!

the engine work is what would stop me
also 6'4" 260 lbs
it is a bit harder to get the grocerys in and out, but i would rather have it hard to grab the milk once in a while than hard to get in and out all the time
tk

[Franchise_24]

Don't they make it in a way that you have the spare tire next to the body of the coupe and then the trunk in front of the spare tire? I swear I've seen coupes like this before.

[hootchmonster]

Originally Posted by garyaodell

The spare in the fender does get in the way, but if you are going to put one on the fender I would recommend putting it on the passenger side so it does not get in your, the drivers, way.

Huh! When my grandpa was putting As together he usually put dual side mounts on, except one, his personal driver that I am getting ready to aquire. It's a '31 Town Sedan with a passenger side mount. He's not around anymore and I always wondered why not that one. Now I know!

[Ron Lachniet]

In the last year I have had my intake and exhaust off, my points changed and my steering box out and my spare tires have stayed in the wells. I don't think they get in way at all when working on my engine.