The Ford Barn

joesjalopies · 04-18-2016, 05:09 AM

I am converting the rumble seat in a 36 cabriolet to a trunk. Stock hinges for trunk won't work, and I have tried various others with no results. any suggestions and or photos on how which hinges to use and how to install them?
I really need expert advice and hopefully photos of how to mount them to the body. VERY VERY FRUSTRATED

Joe

Send reply and photos to:

[email protected]

Thanks for any help

Joe

A bones · 04-18-2016, 12:12 PM

Tried to click on your site/Email for info. Nothing happened. To get more response some pix and perhaps your location. Seems like we need a little more engineering than required to convert a Model A. Best wishes.

blucar · 04-18-2016, 01:42 PM

I may be wrong, have been before, that said heres what I know about rumble seats in '35-36 Fords.
My '36 coupe came with the standard trunk lid, in the early '60's I took a complete rumble seat assembly out of a '36 coupe with the thought that I would convert my trunk to a rumple seat..
I never did the conversion because the lower drip gutter has to be removed from the body, thereby drastically altering the drainage of water away from the body/trunk area.
The deck lid on my '36 was punched at the factory to allow for dealer installations with out many alterations to the body. The deck lid hinges would have unbolted from the body and the deck lid. The pivots for the rumble would have bolted into the holes in the body supports and the deck lid.
It could be that your cabro did not originally come with a rumble seat, it was added latter using non stock parts.
You will need to find a lower drip rail assembly to close the gap between the lid and the body.

JM 35 Sedan · 04-18-2016, 02:23 PM

I whould rather have the trunk on my 35 coupes than a rumble seat. I really don't care to have people riding in my rumble seat, and would much rather have a big trunk to carry things in. What I am planning to do is just remove the rumble seat springs/cushion and leave the deck lid hinged as it is already. I think this will give me close to the same trunk space as if I had completely converted to a trunk, but may be a slight bit more inconvenient when loading and unloading.

blucar · 04-19-2016, 01:32 PM

I do not have the seats installed in the rumble seat area of my '39 convertible. There is ample room in the area to carry suitcase, etc. Actually loading/unloading over the fenders is easier than loading over the exterior mounted spare tire. Of course if the externally mounted spare tire carrier has been removed, then the spare has to be carried in the trunk, thereby limiting cargo room.
The spare tire in my '39 is mounted behind the passenger seat.
I think it is a big mistake to remove the rumble seat option from a car.

GSCOV · 04-19-2016, 04:12 PM

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It is a mistake if you leave it alone and are not happy with it. It's your car and do what you want with it. Somebody will give you a good solution. Personally rumbles suck. If people are in them, the corners of the lower trunk panel crack and split where the leaded area is. They are hard to keep clean and short legged people can't reach over the fenders to get at anything. A cooler or folding chairs are very difficult to maneuver. The open cars had these so people could talk to one another when the top was down. But that was 75 years or more ago- -when top speed was 50 and fewer people were on the road. And the driver behind you wasn't late to buy a pack of smokes at Cumbys and pushing you down the road with headphones on and a cell phone in his hand texting. Hey- Gotta vent somewhere.

johndee138 · 04-19-2016, 04:12 PM

I too, have a trunk car that has been converted to a rumble. The mounting points for the trunk hinges are plainly visible across the top edge of the opening. I was sort of toying with the idea of going back to a trunk and researched/located a fabricator in the NW area that will make the rain gutters for me. He wants $850 for the 3 piece set and that doesn't include the installation, hinges, repaint, etc. I figured I was looking at some figure north of $1500 to get back whole again. So...........
I'm just thinking about a piece of angle to screw to the floor to keep water from coming toward the front of the car. It seems to be the path of least resistance.

04-18-2016, 05:09 AM	#1
joesjalopies Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Shiloh NC Posts: 86	need help converting rumble seat to trunk I am converting the rumble seat in a 36 cabriolet to a trunk. Stock hinges for trunk won't work, and I have tried various others with no results. any suggestions and or photos on how which hinges to use and how to install them? I really need expert advice and hopefully photos of how to mount them to the body. VERY VERY FRUSTRATED Joe Send reply and photos to: [email protected] Thanks for any help Joe

04-18-2016, 12:12 PM	#2
A bones Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: CLAYTON DE Posts: 1,350	Re: need help converting rumble seat to trunk Tried to click on your site/Email for info. Nothing happened. To get more response some pix and perhaps your location. Seems like we need a little more engineering than required to convert a Model A. Best wishes. __________________ Enjoy yer day. Tom Hate can't fix what it started.

04-18-2016, 01:42 PM	#3
blucar Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ventura, CA Posts: 2,466	Re: need help converting rumble seat to trunk I may be wrong, have been before, that said heres what I know about rumble seats in '35-36 Fords. My '36 coupe came with the standard trunk lid, in the early '60's I took a complete rumble seat assembly out of a '36 coupe with the thought that I would convert my trunk to a rumple seat.. I never did the conversion because the lower drip gutter has to be removed from the body, thereby drastically altering the drainage of water away from the body/trunk area. The deck lid on my '36 was punched at the factory to allow for dealer installations with out many alterations to the body. The deck lid hinges would have unbolted from the body and the deck lid. The pivots for the rumble would have bolted into the holes in the body supports and the deck lid. It could be that your cabro did not originally come with a rumble seat, it was added latter using non stock parts. You will need to find a lower drip rail assembly to close the gap between the lid and the body. __________________ Bill.... 36 5 win cpe

04-18-2016, 02:23 PM	#4
JM 35 Sedan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Near Rising Sun, Maryland Posts: 10,876	Re: need help converting rumble seat to trunk I whould rather have the trunk on my 35 coupes than a rumble seat. I really don't care to have people riding in my rumble seat, and would much rather have a big trunk to carry things in. What I am planning to do is just remove the rumble seat springs/cushion and leave the deck lid hinged as it is already. I think this will give me close to the same trunk space as if I had completely converted to a trunk, but may be a slight bit more inconvenient when loading and unloading. __________________ *John* *"Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts". Albert Einstein*

04-19-2016, 01:32 PM	#5
blucar Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ventura, CA Posts: 2,466	Re: need help converting rumble seat to trunk I do not have the seats installed in the rumble seat area of my '39 convertible. There is ample room in the area to carry suitcase, etc. Actually loading/unloading over the fenders is easier than loading over the exterior mounted spare tire. Of course if the externally mounted spare tire carrier has been removed, then the spare has to be carried in the trunk, thereby limiting cargo room. The spare tire in my '39 is mounted behind the passenger seat. I think it is a big mistake to remove the rumble seat option from a car. __________________ Bill.... 36 5 win cpe

04-19-2016, 04:12 PM	#6
GSCOV Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Connecticut Posts: 979	Re: need help converting rumble seat to trunk Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) It is a mistake if you leave it alone and are not happy with it. It's your car and do what you want with it. Somebody will give you a good solution. Personally rumbles suck. If people are in them, the corners of the lower trunk panel crack and split where the leaded area is. They are hard to keep clean and short legged people can't reach over the fenders to get at anything. A cooler or folding chairs are very difficult to maneuver. The open cars had these so people could talk to one another when the top was down. But that was 75 years or more ago- -when top speed was 50 and fewer people were on the road. And the driver behind you wasn't late to buy a pack of smokes at Cumbys and pushing you down the road with headphones on and a cell phone in his hand texting. Hey- Gotta vent somewhere.

04-19-2016, 04:12 PM	#7
johndee138 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 522	Re: need help converting rumble seat to trunk I too, have a trunk car that has been converted to a rumble. The mounting points for the trunk hinges are plainly visible across the top edge of the opening. I was sort of toying with the idea of going back to a trunk and researched/located a fabricator in the NW area that will make the rain gutters for me. He wants $850 for the 3 piece set and that doesn't include the installation, hinges, repaint, etc. I figured I was looking at some figure north of $1500 to get back whole again. So........... I'm just thinking about a piece of angle to screw to the floor to keep water from coming toward the front of the car. It seems to be the path of least resistance.