1936 Rumble seat coupe ?'s

1936-5w-coupe

1936-5w-coupe

Junior Member
Hey all, I'm restoring my fathers first car which is a 36' 5w coupe. It is a trunk car but he always wanted a rumble car. He bought it when he was 15 in 1964. Its pretty much a jenny and all original. I was curious if some of you can show any up close pic of the rumble seat latch and braces under the window? Also if anyone has or knows of any original parts for that section of a rumble seat 35-36 please let me know. I have the rear pieces that turn down and all the original stops and hinges for a rumble seat car. Its about ready for paint and this is the last thing I'm looking for. Im just looking for the forward pieces to finish my fathers car. Thanks in advance for a great site and always valuable information!

Matthew
 
have you looked at the catalog places....have an old Sacramento Ford that has the latch, striker, handle, etc....so they might have those parts now....or calll some of them and see if they have them but not shown in catalog.....good luck....Mike
 
I'm going the other way. Previous owner was converting a from a trunk to a rumble seat and I am going back to a trunk. I have the seat and hinges extra to get rid of.
 
Wow I have 2 rumble seat cars no one sits back there. I would give anything for a trunk car just for transporting stuff when going to shows...just my 2 cents
 
I have a 5 window 36 rumble seat coupe that I can get pics
tomorrow and email to you if you will PM your address.

Marvin Fagan
214-697-8430
 
Pm sent. Any other pics or info would be very much appreciated. I'd rather use original parts and not repop stuff.

When the conversion is done it will be visually identical to an original rumble car. A lot of work has been spent on this to be done right and not just a hack job. It's what my father always wanted and was his first car then passed too me. It will never be sold so there was no worry about what anyone else thinks. It will be enjoyed!
 
TonyM said:
Save the trunk Coupes!!!!
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Hear Hear!! I would love to get rid of my rumble seat and have a trunk instead. Unfortunately, the rumble seat opening and the trunk opening were not the same in '39. Simply exchanging the hinges and latch hardware ain't gonna do it. I wonder why it took, "Henry", until 1939 to realize rumble seats were no longer the way to go?
 
Deuce Bob said:
Wow I have 2 rumble seat cars no one sits back there. I would give anything for a trunk car just for transporting stuff when going to shows...just my 2 cents
Click to expand...

I feel the same way. I have two '35 coupes with RS's and wish they were trunks!! I plan to remove the cushions and just use the back as trunk space anyway.
 
One of the BIG problems in reversing a rumble seat conversion is finding the lower drain troughs (left and right). They are extremely hard to find. And, if you are skillful enough to make them they will still require some extensive body work on the panel below the trunk opening which can easily warp with heat. Removing and changing hardware is the easy part.

Tom
 

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Here is a close-up on the reinforcement under the rear window of a '35 coupe.

Hope this helps.

Tom
 

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As a new owner of a 35 3W RS Coupe I am in full agreement with the 'wish it was a trunk' gang. You need to be a mountain goat to get in or out, if you put luggage in there you have to clamber in to get it and pass it out to an assistant. If you have a passenger back there you need to drive slow to keep them sane and have you looked how close that hard edge is to your nose? One sharp tap on the brakes and hospital here we come.

An idea that had it's day in the 20s and shouldn't have hung over to the 30s.

But I love my coupe!
 
is this an original setup for a rumble car? The two supports on the side and the middle support for the latch? If anyone has pics of this area for a 36 this is what I was looking for.
 

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I've had three rumble seat cars and will never own another one. An absolute waste of good trunk space when going on a tour and you carry luggage.
 
The 36 Ford rumble seat did not have a drain trough, but it had a piece of sheet metal across the back to allow water to drain back through the original holes made for the trunk model drain hoses. The drain trough was used for the roll down rear window.

The 36 seat does swing up to get access to the rear of the car but it is a long way from the trunk, since that area behind the seat is the foot well area for the 2dr. and 4 dr. The trunk area is behind that area.
 
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It's interesting how often this subject comes up. I guess no one reads the previous posts from the archives. It's close to 3 to 1 against putting a rumble seat in a car with a trunk.
 
Hey, guys, this gentleman wants to put it back the way his dad wanted it....there's emotion involved in the father/son connection. Maybe no one will every ride back there, but it's important to him that he restore it the way his dad wanted. Just saying....!

I had the honor of working on our '39 with my dad until he passed in 2005....I can't put a price tag on those times together, but it made a lasting emotional connection with my dad.
 
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