Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

i have a 1930 Phaeton with spare on back. Has anyone fitted the chrome or stainless rack as depicted in Bratton's catalogue. Any thoughts on the cost/benefit of stainless vs chrome?
Thanks
Greg

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

I had a chrome one on the roadster. After awhile it started rusting/pitting. It didn't belong on it anyway so I took it off.
I may grind it down someday and paint it.

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

When you recive the rack, remove the nuts off the bolts that hold the strips on and put some locktite on bolts then reinstall the nuts. I found they come loose in about a month.

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

Here is mine after three years. Dirty but not pitted. Needs some teak oil on the wood. Sorry I don't have a quick pic of the trunk mounted on it.

I was told it would look funny behind the spare, but it doesn't. Plus, the rack does not block the spare; it comes off easily.

EDIT: To address Tom's issue below (which is REAL), mine has no sag. In fact, it is slanted slightly in toward the car. Looks perfect.

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

Unless you have a REAL need for the trunk I would not mount a trunk behind the spare. Most of them I see have a bad sag.

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

I installed mine with extra braces to prevent sag. It has only been on the car since Hershey, so I don't know how effective they will be. John

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

Tom is right ! I have one of these racks at the rear of my '31 Dlx Coupe - and it sags very noticeably.

- 29Coupe, can you tell us about the bracket you installed to prevent the sag ? I am sure many of us would like to know how to avoid the sag.

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

These are the brackets I used. As stated earlier in #6, the luggage rack does not sag. I assumed the problem had been solved with these brackets.

http://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/3295

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

i would go SS and have not yet seen the supplied extension brackets sag either

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

NewShirt - My thoughts exactly.

When I had my '30 Std. Coupe, it had one of these racks BEHIND the spare. (requiring two additional 'spacer' extending brackets). It did not sag. It was chrome - and began peeling after three years.

Now my '31 Dlx. Coupe has no rear spare, and the luggage rack mounts directly behind the rear of the car - no extending brackets needed. And it sags ! And too, after several years the chrome is beginning to show signs of pitting and pealing.

The extra expense of STAINLESS STEEL is well worth the extra bucks.

I am hopeful that the extra braces that '29Coupe' speaks of will solve the 'sag' problem. Hopefully he will tell us more about these braces.

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

I made a brace out of 1/4 inch steel, painted it black, and placed it between the luggage rack and the bumper brace. It has only been on since Hershey, but so far it is preventing sag. John

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

Originally the rack's, named "Handy-Dek", were made by The Bellevue Co. I guess Ford subcontracted them for the chrome racks for their 30-31 deluxe version cars. As an add on accessory the rack's were available in either chrome or black enamel. I've taken an old swap meet rusty repop chrome rack, sand blasted it and had it painted gloss black. With the NOS "wood"
grained steel strips and new stainless steel 1/4" carriage bolts. The rack
should look supper and not the same as most everybody else's. Dare to be different.;)

Bob-A:D

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

Thanks for the compliment on my 'cheapo' brackets. John

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

Not true.

These are 3/8" wide brackets that will never bend. They are not cheap. $39 a pair. They are positioned to place the rack at a slight angle in case any sag might occur, which it won't. Two fat guys could sit on it and they would not bend.

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

Thanks for all the great advice guys. It sounds like stainless is worth the extra dollars. I will check out the rack brackets a bit more before I order.

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

Your welcome but I didn't mean it to hurt any body feelings. Truly from my heart.

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

Sorry for giving out BAD INFO I WILL DELETE MY ABOVE POST.

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

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.

Re: Stainless or chrome luggage rack
 

So appears there is not a large weight limit with these racks.