Stainless or chrome luggage rack

[Model A Man]

The rack I have on my coupe is chrome but the wood slats are metal and wood grained to look like wood. Original or aftermarket?

[larrys40]

Originally Posted by peters180a/170b

Me and the way i think is,,,,,, you have a 1930 [Standard phaeton] Blackwalls ? Correct black top w/ black side bows ... dark color body color ???? i would go for the BLACK luggage rack that folds in the middle. Chrome or stainless will stick out and black will blend in and look AUTHENTIC with a STANDARD Phaeton... its Me...I have a original Deluxe Phaeton rack [CHROME] which i paid for the extra plating. I also have a reproduction the last A+L parts had.. and had that done again with extra plating.[not to many calls for a 180A rack] and different then the roadster.

Peter,
I have a couple of the repro luggage racks from the early 80's that were t he metal woodgrain slat units. Are they close to correct ( at least for reproduction)? I realize the grain may not be right.. how about the rest of them. I have one I would like to put on my 68 C ( I guess I'm going to put sidemounts on it) and one on my 160B Town sedan

Thx.
Larry Shepard

[Bob-A]

As far as I know (which to some people is not very far) the original racks
all had metal strips wood grained. In the book "Those Wonderful Unauthorized Accessories for Model A Ford" page 195. Is an ad. for Handy-Dek luggage racks for Model-A's. I am under the assumption that
The Bellevue Co., maker of the rack. Was subcontracted by Ford for the
chrome rack for use on 30-31 Model-A deluxe cars. The reproduced ad. in the book was originally posted in the Jan., 1930, issue of the "Ford Dealer & Service Field" magazine of the day. Where the racks are offered as an accessory for any Model-A Ford body style auto.

As far as reproduction racks with metal wood grain painted strips as opposed to real wood strips I do not know. I believe a company in Oklahoma reproduced the racks up until the early 1990's. They might have
had the correct original style metal wood grained strips. The new metal
strips that I have I acquired from A&L Parts years ago. I assumed that
they are NOS, but could be RNOS (reproduction new original stock) from
when ever.

Bob-A

[peters180a/170b]

Been in this hobby a long time and heard all kinds of things , good - bad - and never seen it before... I have been told there are 2 manufacturers of the Deluxe luggage racks and 1 earlier then the other on the 180A... True or not ,that's was i was told. I have not studied them all together and only the 180A i know is different then the Deluxe Roadster.[mounting holes on the side for your arms. / and arms too] All ORIGINAL racks had METAL SLATS. Most Reproduction had wood[except 1 guy in the 70's made a rack close to original's] and the ones A+L parts sold had Reproduction metal stats [ flatter then originals.] The Deluxe Roadster had a dark maroon wood-grain which is on the A+L slats which is a real bitch to remove... for the Deluxe Phaeton 180A had a mustard look [same as the """400A"""" wood-grain inside trim... In the 180A News Letter years ago is went into depth the different between both racks...nuts .bolts. lock washers and finish and total complete parts needed.That's all i know folks ..sorry i can't add more. 1 other thing you can tell the difference between original / reproduction racks...as you run your finger to the corners of the racks the original has a drop [like a dip in the metal ] maybe the whole corner 3/4 of a inch in both directions... Also 1 manufacture has a letter stamped under the rack dead center which the luggage box sits on.. not the stat side...

[Bob-A]

peters180a/170b,

Thanks for the correct info.

Bob-A

[ed s.]

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Bluedog , Definitely Stainless .. My chrome luggage rack after 2 years was rusted and pitting .. Stainless costs more but better in the long term ... Ed

[peters180a/170b]

That's why i had both ORIGINAL & REPRODUCTION racks triple plated and paid extra for more chrome.. Your reproduction luggage racks cost around $145.00 give or take a few bucks... Ask a plate shop what the rack will cost to plate.. Well over the reproduction rack price[ if its a good shop] . how much chrome do you think is on a reproduction rack??? that's why they rust out...flash chrome and not show chrome.. p.s. hope the stainless steel don't come from CHINA or Japan... Then you'll see rust too.... ever see stainless forks /knives from those 2 places rust??? i have///