Folding Trunk Rack

Smitty

Smitty

Well-known member
Anyone have experience with the folding trunk rack? Like to put a rack on the back of my coupe that I can fold up and out of the way when I am not using it. Any other rack options? Thinking I may build my own trunk.

Thanks, Steve
 
Our Roadster has the chrome version with wood strips. Works well, although we leave the trunk on and the wood strips face down most of the time. In one of the many boxes our Victoria came in was a rack that has steel strips. It was (I'm pretty sure) all black paint with wood grain painted on the strips. That's the way I am going to put it back together. My power of observation suggests that (my) all-steel version is about 50 years older than (my) chrome and wood slat rack.
 
I have had a folding rack for many years on one A. I have had rack parts vibrate off and lost on the road with this chrome / wood strip version of the folding rack. I would suggest to anyone getting a new one to loctite the hinge bar bolts.

By the way, does anyone know where to get any replacement parts like the "locking it up bar" and the small carriage bolts for the chrome / wood strip version of the folding rack?

I always carry tons of weight with spare parts, liquids, and tools in one metal "Packard" trunk on one of my other A's. I built a angle iron trunk rack that is bolted on but can be removed easily with removing a couple of back bolts then swingng it down and then removing the remaining front bolts. It is solid and it worked well as a bumper when I got rear ended at a stop light. The rack and trunk took the hit and the A was A-OK. The original crumple zone designed into a car? If you do fabricate one, plan to leave sufficient room to get to the rear spare or plan it so it can be swung down to remove the tire. I also remember seeing one home built Model A trunk rack that was telescoping on heavy duty roller steel slides that you could release a pin then pull it back an extra 6 inches to easily get to the spare. The slides were made by General Devices out of Indianoplis and are used on trailers and firetrucks.
 
Seems I remember seeing a homemade rack that slide under the rear of the car & out of the way when not in use. I thought there were an article in the Restorer a few yrs. ago but don't remember what yr. much less what issue.
 
Bob Winkerink (MAFCA)out of southern Oregon is making a reproduction of the Zip-It rack,
all stainless. It nests under the car and can easily handle 300lbs plus. John Lavoy made up some before Winkerink. A beautiful thing. Bob
 
I have the common folding rack that almost everyone has with a home made wood trunk on it...Works good..trunk can come off in 2 minutes with wing nuts and the rack folded if need be...I run the whole thing all the time now because it helps hide and cover up the 16 gallon fuel cell under the back.
 

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Bruce, I read somewhere that the original racks were all metal, with the "wood" painted on the strips. like the one on your Vicky.
 
I would also be interested in purchasing replacement parts like the "locking it up bar". Mine also vibrated off somewhere.

FYI: If you leave the trunk home you can fit a bale of hay on the rack. Feed store still shaking their head.
 
Here is a trunk rack that was on a 30 phaeton that I recently acquired. It had a metal trunk on it that held a spare tire on it. Does anyone know anything about this trunk rack? Do you think I should restore it and use it or replace it with a repro one. I lave shown it flat and two positions toward closed. I was hoping it would close further and end up vertical, but so far it doesn't quite make it there. All comments appreciated.
 

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midgetracer said:
Here is a trunk rack that was on a 30 phaeton that I recently acquired. It had a metal trunk on it that held a spare tire on it. Does anyone know anything about this trunk rack? Do you think I should restore it and use it or replace it with a repro one. I lave shown it flat and two positions toward closed. I was hoping it would close further and end up vertical, but so far it doesn't quite make it there. All comments appreciated.
Click to expand...

midgetracer ...................
Your trunk rack WILL fold up in the vertical position. I have one exactly like that on a '29 roadster.
It looks like your rack is installed backwards. The shorter portion should be in the rear.
MIKE :)
 
The original zip-it rack had an article in a restorer years ago by Bill Miller on his low mileage 30 eyebrow fendered fordor. Contact john Lavoy. he made up the reproductions a few years back. and may have the reference. Bob Winkerink is in the MAFCA Roster. Bob
 
Thanks Mike, I will turn it around and see how it fits. It was on this way when I bought the car about a month ago. I knew Ford Barn would come through.
 
Our roadster has one of the cheaper aftermarket racks.. It never gets used and is always in the up position.. Its probably frozen in that position by now because nothing has ever happened to it and it doesn't even rattle.. When I get around to turning it back into a Standard model that rack will disappear..
 
If you get the chrome one with the light color wood strips, remove the wood, strip off the varnish, stain it mahogony and revarnish with gloss varnish with a uv screen. It will look much more like an original.
 
It looks like your rack is installed backwards. The shorter portion should be in the rear.

It looks to me like the mounting brackets are installed incorrectly. And as Mike says the small portion should face you when viewed from the rear as per this picture from the service bulletins.
 

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I switched it around and it works perfectly. I plan to restore it and use it. Thanks for the help. It was much appreciated
 
VARCO Inc. in Oklahoma city OK is a manufacturer of chrome plated trunk racks with woodgrained metal slats. They may be willing to sell parts.
 
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