Help with a Trunk
 

I have inherited a trunk for an early era car and need to know what it could possibly fit. I will post pics as soon as my phone decides it wants to talk to my puter again.

But the base dimensions are, 14½x44in. It does have a swept back like it would fit a Tudor or the same without a spare tire, but at 44" wide it won't fit between my 2 drum tail lights and I have no clue where to find a rack that would span that distance.

Any help?

J.C.

Re: Help with a Trunk
 

Re: Help with a Trunk
 

I have a NEATO-TRUNK, but it would require me to buy a WIDER car--LOL
Bill Misfit

Re: Help with a Trunk
 

Well, I could stick the Teacup tail lights on the fenders, but it took me so long to get the right side drum light bracket that I would HATE to remove that AND the spare tire AND custom make a whole new rack just to make this trunk fit.

The more I learn about this Tudor the more it thrills me about having a special car. It has the holes for the left hand brake, body and frame, it has the short choke rod and mounting. I am thinking that if this was assembled a few days earlier it could have been a left brake Tudor. *sigh* So close, and yet so far down the assembly line.

One tidbit, the engine number was stamped 7/11/28, the date on the tank is 7/20/28, go figure, and it was a Chicago assembly. Does anyone have assembly dates for the Chicago plant so I can find the actual assembly day?

And Bill, I still want to use that carburetor when you get it back!

J.C.

Re: Help with a Trunk
 

Bert's sells the largest trunk carriers, about an inch wider than the other major suppliers. If you really want to use the trunk you will need to strip it to wood, bring it and the carrier to a cabinet maker, and have him/her cut it to fit. Ideally, the cuts should be made on each end so the center of the trunk and the placement of the hinges are not affected. Consider an inside, false, removable bottom to place over the carriage bolts. If the trunk is genuinely old, it will have no screws, only small nails pounded in an bent into a curve with a hand dolly. In that case you will need to nip the heads and pull from the curved end of the nail closest to the surface: old, dry wood splinters easily so go slow.

Have the cabinet maker cut it 1/2" smaller all the way around to leave room for decorative nail heads.

Re: Help with a Trunk
 

Hey, Thanks Bud, never thought about doing that, Great idea and I have a friend who is a master cabinet maker.

J.C.

Re: Help with a Trunk
 

DON'T hold your breath, Wizard:eek: But I do have 5, ready to go, wheels/tires/hub caps/ lug nuts, for your SPECIAL AR car:)
Bill W.

Re: Help with a Trunk
 

Wizard-When you strip it down, save the corner patches for patterns. Consider recovering with the same covering on your roof. Use a spray-on glue. Leather should be 1/8" thick and vegetable oil tanned. Use the patterns to cut your corners and the compound curves on the cover. Soak the patches in warm, not hot, water. Nail patches when wet on corners and curves: they dry hard. Do inside in felt, again with spray glue. Save and use original hardware, including any metal tag on the outside or inside which identifies the manufacturer. Get nails from trunk and luggage restorers. If you must use screws, e.g. on the hinges, try to hide the heads under fabric.