Cars with Sidemounts

[Bud]

I recently saw a vehicle with dual sidemounts, but there were no holes behind the rumble seat area for the typical rear mounted spare tire bracket. There was no hole in the sheet metal panel below the deck lid and there were no holes in the bottom sill.
Were cars that came from the factory with dual sidemounts set up with special panels and sills that had no holes? Or is it more likely that this car was restored this way?
I am under the impression that there were special plugs that screwed into the tapped holes for the rear mounted spare tire bracket. Is that what it should have looked like?

[midgetracer]

Most likely the vehicle had reproduction parts without the holes drilled. I believe that all original cars had the hole and the D nuts in the subrail.

[olut]

especially vehicles from South America were restored with the remove of the side mounts and having a rear mount instead. The reason is, that it was common practice, that the side mount arms, which were mounted onto the frame, got loose and all the weight came to the finder, making them cracking. the rear mount should have at least the lower row of screws going through the rear cross bar for more stability, many south american restoration did not consider that.
As far as I know, there was mostly a choice at Ford to have side mounts or a rear mount...

[Jacksonlll]

Side mounts were all dealer installed. Thats what i have always heard. Anyone know for sure?

[HoarseWhisperer]

Driver's side side-mounts were installed at the assembly plant as seen in archive images.

[Gunmetal blue2]

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I had a 29 Murray town sedan with twin side mounts and the bracket on the back was gone, but the studs were there for one. Nice car first Model A I had 47 years ago.

[DougVieyra]

All cars from the Ford Factory would have the three holes for mounting the rear spare-tire carrier. When the carrier is not used, Ford supplied, or the Dealer supplied, the proper plugs to fill the empty space left by the removal of the Carrier's bolts.

Many Model A's have been restored by less-than-knowledgeable body men. When a rear tire carrier is not used, they just fill the holes (with who knows what) or use a replacement panel that had no holes. The holes should be there if the restoration is done properly.

Generally very few people opted for the optional side-mounted spare, if for no other reason than the extra cost. It cost more for the welled fender, and then there was an extra cost for the side-mount carrier arm & bracket, and then there was the labor cost of installation (hole drilled in R.B. Splash apron, etc.). And remember, this car was sold at a time when American was beginning the exciting doldrums of the Great Depression. Ford was the lowest price car available, and for those of the Great Depression, every dollar was tightly accounted for. Unless there was a distinct need, the extra cost of the sidemount was quickly dismissed as being unnecessary.

[HoarseWhisperer]

The plugs....

[d.]

the Restoration Guide/ Judging Standards state that factory side mounts were riveted to the frame...dealer installed side mounts were bolted to the frame. Yes, the factory installed side mounts.

[phonconn]

My 29 Closed Cab Pickup was ordered from the factory with a right side mount only as I think it often got in the drivers way of getting in and out of the truck and often a pickup was a one passenger vehicle most of the time.