Anybody ever try to retrofit a 34T Coupe with a rumble seat?

dholck
dholck Expert Adviser
in HUDSON
What about retrofitting a 34T coupe with a trunk into a rumble seat?  I know reproduction rumble seat hinges and seat springs are available for 34 Fords, Chevys etc. I have the bumper and fender steps from back when those were available. Presumably the trunk lid could be reworked to use as rumble seat lid? Is there more to it than that and it is not feasible?  

Comments

  • RichardD
    RichardD Member
    On a 34 Plymouth the whole trunk lid must be changed, since the RS lid is half as long as the T lid that goes down to the bumper. And welding is needed to fill in the lower part. I have a business PE coupe that I would love to be a RS coupe. Alas, it is a big deal. The Hudson is most likely the same configuration.
  • dholck
    dholck Expert Adviser
    From the images I see online, the opening looks to be the same - just with the lid hinged the other way. What I need to do is find a RS coupe and look at it - makes me sorry I did not take a closer look and take more inside pictures when I was parked next to a 35 Hudson convertible coupe at the National in 2013. I'd look up where the nearest 34 or 35 rumble seat coupe is, but that vehicle registry thing on the HET Club site does not appear to work. 
  • 33kc1989
    33kc1989 Senior Contributor
    Personally I'd rather have a trunk.  
  • Uncle Josh
    Uncle Josh Senior Contributor
    I'm staying with a trunk on my 40 and getting some drawer slides rated at 350# and making a box that slides in and out like some of the coupes had.  Then I can take it to the truck show also.
  • tombia
    tombia Member
    Check your lid and if it has embossed areas on the inside panel at the lower part or half way up it is a easy job also the uprights on the body between the floor and the upper body will have holes for hinge pins in them. If these things are present then its easy, if not good look.
  • dholck
    dholck Expert Adviser
    TKS - yes, those things are all there; embossed areas, holes in the uprights, holes at the top where a rumble seat latch would attach. I have always thought that it looked like it was manufactured to use either as trunk or rumble - just never did anything about it over the past 45 years.

    "Easy" you say ...using Ford reproduction hinges and springs? Certainly there are not going to be any Hudson or Terraplane parts out there.



  • bob ward
    bob ward Senior Contributor
    The hinges - pivot is probably a more accurate term - are just fancy bolts. 
  • tombia
    tombia Member
    Both the hinges and the pivots are easy, hinges are made of 11ga steel and are kind of a triangle, except the inner that is bent at a 90 degree angle. pivots are 7/16 bolts. kind of hard to explain, but if you email me your snail mail address I will draw you a picture. Springs can be made of thick foam on a plywood base
  • PAULARGETYPE
    PAULARGETYPE Senior Contributor
    HI I HAVE A SET OF HEAVY PAPPER PATTERNS TO MAKE THE HINGES TO INSTALL A RUMBLE SEAT IN 34/35 HUDSON OR TERRAPLANE EMAIL ME IF YOUR STILL INTERESTED HETHUDSON1957@AOL.COM PLEASE DROP THE HET FROM MY EMAIL
  • dholck
    dholck Expert Adviser
    Gents; thanks for the info! I am at HETdmholck@hotmail.com. I see that all kinds of reproduction parts are available for Fords, so I'll be interested to see if those parts will work, based on info on Hudson parts.  Old Ford shops and LaBaron Bonney, etc. have hinges, stops, and seat and back springs for Ford rumble seats available.

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