'31 Bumper with Side Mount Spare

tmiller6

tmiller6

Senior Member
If a Model A was produced with a side mount spare, would it have been shipped with a full rear bumper or the standard split bars? My car is a '31 SW Town Sedan and I was questioned about this.

My Judging Standards are on my desk 16 miles away.
 
Especially the SW sedan would only have the regular rear bumpers. They were different for the SW sedans.

Side mounts were not very common from the factory. I think I am ok stating most side mounts were done at the dealer, probably when someone wanted a rear trunk. The exceptions were special cars like the 30 deluxe roadster.

Selling the car was all about upselling. The profit was the dealer talking you into accessories.

I believe the only production car with a full rear bumper was the 30 deluxe roadster.
 
I know the Convertible Sedan and Deluxe Phaeton had full rears but I believe a straight bumper would look funny on my car since the split bars are significantly more curved on the 160-x bodies. I'm being told I should only have a single bumper.
 
My 31 Standard Tudor has the rear spare mount and short bumpers. It also has the left side fender mount. The right side is drilled for the mounting bracket but no indent in the fender. I believe this is all factory.
 
I always look to see if the bracket is bolted or riveted to the frame.Riveted= factory,and bolted =dealer or owner modified.I know of a 29 truck with a right side riveted bracket,it was a phone company truck.I also know of an early 31 slant window with a side mount,and a bar between the rear bumpers.It has three plugs where the rear spare mount should go.It's 85 years old so I have no idea if it is factory or not.Were dual sidemounts factory offered on anything at all?
 
If you like it do it.

If you want Ford original, well consider the dealer would do anything if you paid them.

What is correct for JS is another thing.
 
Capt. Dan: "Mine has a bar between the bumper mounting brackets. Could this have been used instead of the full width bumper?"
_________________________

Certainly could and sometimes was. It was an original (non-Ford) accessory at the time the Model A was new.
 
I'm still hoping for a reply like Either bumper is correct when you have a side mount spare. Can anyone quote the Standard or is this going to be my homework tonight?
 
Thanks Don Turley,

Tonight I went through the Judging Guide and also the Service Bulletins. March of '28 they said the dealer can put a front bumper on the back if the customer wants to buy one. Section 15 as you note alludes to both kind of bumpers but it says "if equipped" and doesn't say who gets what.

The smoking gun is Section 16 Accessories. There are three photos of the rear of cars that must have a side mount as there is no rear spare. These photos show luggage racks as the subject. Two of the racks are mounted over split bumpers. The third photo is a Deluxe Phaeton with a full bumper.

I think I have my answer.
 
My 1931 original Victoria had dual side mounts put on at the dealership. It has a full width rear bumper and a trunk rack. I think that a car looks unusual with the 2 split bumpers with out something to fill the middle.
 

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My tudor had a split bumper, this is where it went.
 

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tmiller6 said:
Thanks Don Turley,

Tonight I went through the Judging Guide and also the Service Bulletins. March of '28 they said the dealer can put a front bumper on the back if the customer wants to buy one. Section 15 as you note alludes to both kind of bumpers but it says "if equipped" and doesn't say who gets what.

The smoking gun is Section 16 Accessories. There are three photos of the rear of cars that must have a side mount as there is no rear spare. These photos show luggage racks as the subject. Two of the racks are mounted over split bumpers. The third photo is a Deluxe Phaeton with a full bumper.

I think I have my answer.
Click to expand...
So what is the answer and why was it important ? Wayne
 
And now the question is will a luggage rack fit with the rear spare tire? I have both waiting to go on the '31.
 
captndan said:
And now the question is will a luggage rack fit with the rear spare tire? I have both waiting to go on the '31.
Click to expand...

Of course, but you will need to get the extended mounting bar for the rack.
Planing on doing this on mine...down the road.
 
Need to locate a street scene photo that 's here in the heap having been taken in Boston, Massachusetts around year 1935. In traffic, there is a Model A Ford with both a rear and driver's side mount spare wheel with tire. Also too, back in the 1930s, the streets of America were filled with 1928-1931 A Model Ford automobiles. By mid decade, having endured a few New England winters, most of those cars as shown in old Boston photos had developed a distinct "street patina" with grime, dents and obviously faded paint.
 
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