Rumble seat conversion

fundytides

fundytides

Well-known member
I am restoring a 1931 roadster. The rumble seat lid is in terrible condition. I have the opportunity to buy an excellent trunk lid. Can the trunk lid be easily converted to use as a rumble lid. I know that the hole for the lock assembly would have to be filled and a new hole made at the top for the rumble lock. Are any other structural changes needed?
 
fundytides said:
...I have the opportunity to buy an excellent trunk lid. Can the trunk lid be easily converted to use as a rumble lid?...
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Yes, it can be easily converted. No, there are no major changes required for conversion. It's best to use the original hardware. Hopefully it will come with the original lid you are interested in. The original lid and hardware will fit properly. Many people think that a trunk is more functional, and that rumble seats are dangerous. Good luck and let us know how the conversion goes. Bill
 
No it won't be easy, especially if you have never made such a conversion. You've got to drill and fit the hinges to the deck lid . you will have to get some threaded attachments installed in the deck lid. all of the holes must be exactly correct and a hole must be drilled for the handle and latch. all holes must be correctly placed and then you've got to make it all line up. I am an experienced bodyman. Some may tell you that it is easy I can tell you that it won't be that easy for a layman .
 
Purdy Swoft said:
No it won't be easy, especially if you have never made such a conversion. You've got to drill and fit the hinges to the deck lid . you will have to get some threaded attachments installed in the deck lid. all of the holes must be exactly correct and a hole must be drilled for the handle and latch. all holes must be correctly placed and then you've got to make it all line up. I am an experienced bodyman. Some may tell you that it is easy I can tell you that it won't be that easy for a layman .
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My rumble conversion turned out very good, but I tell you it wasn't that easy. I f I had to do it over again I would have left it a trunk.
 
Drive Shaft Dave said:
My rumble conversion turned out very good, but I tell you it wasn't that easy. I f I had to do it over again I would have left it a trunk.
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Dave , I agree.It ain't all that easy and I have wished many times that I had left our 31 standard coupe with a trunk instead of converting to a rumble. Converting to a rumble use to be the popular thing to do. Not so much now .
 


Not so popular now, because most of you used to put kids and grandkids in the rumble, now you want a trunk back to put your walker or wheelchair in .
 
Purdy Swoft said:
Dave , I agree.It ain't all that easy and I have wished many times that I had left our 31 standard coupe with a trunk instead of converting to a rumble. Converting to a rumble use to be the popular thing to do. Not so much now .
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Purdy, advice well spoken... I just did one recently on a coupe I'm working on for one of the guys and it is not easy. Then there's the line up work and getting everything to fit just so. I too agree that a trunk is way more functional. Seriously... how often do you really see people riding in the rumble for any distance at all.

I am looking so forward when I get caught up to do my own 68c.. but the sad part to me is having the rumble as they were instead of the trunk. Since I will be building a super nice tour car I have in my thoughts how to make it look like a rumble but open like a trunk.... I know... it deviates from my purist motives....
Larry S
 
Purdy Swoft said:
No it won't be easy, especially if you have never made such a conversion. You've got to drill and fit the hinges to the deck lid . you will have to get some threaded attachments installed in the deck lid. all of the holes must be exactly correct and a hole must be drilled for the handle and latch. all holes must be correctly placed and then you've got to make it all line up. I am an experienced bodyman. Some may tell you that it is easy I can tell you that it won't be that easy for a layman .
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I have a friend that totally agrees with Purdy. He is not a body man and he took on the project to convert to a trunk from a rumble seat. He now refers to it as his Nightmare project. He doesn't even like to turn the light on in that part of the shop. Wayne
 
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Don't like Rumbles!

Unfortunately my roadster was originally a Deluxe and the deck lid is a rumble type. Tried to swap with guys looking to convert and was offered the worst lids in trade for my runble lid and seat. Now moved on to an early V8 project and the A is put aside for now. People are now completely overscaled for the rumble seat and few adults can get their fat butts pleral into them, much less climb in. Large number of grandpa's think it is cute to pile their precious little ones into that perilous trap. About as lame as boreing holes for cowl lights into cars that never would have had them. Since my car is a late '31, the standard model is quite unusual(hate the word rare, every nitwit in the world has rare for sale on line). Seems that conversion either way would be better as a trade than a modification since the repop parts are not good. Tossing out the seat and using the compartment without may be OK for a modified car. Sport coupes, cabriolets and deluxe roadsters are pretty much stuck with rumbles. Good luck: Fred A
 
I've been wanting and planning to put my rumble back to a trunk on my 54A. Now I'm not so sure I want to attempt that. :(
 
Are there any photos out there of well done Pick up beds added to Sport Coupes etc.? I remember my Dad's little 29 Sport coupe had a pickup box that he built during WWII, But have only found photos from the front of his. He was an perfectionist wood worker and I am sure it was well done. I remember standing in the floorboard next to the gear shift lever holding on to the dash rail with my nose pressed against the window when we were on trips in it! The Sport coupe I am working on has full intact rumble seat and I want to remove rumble lid and seats and build an small pick up bed. Will just save all the pieces if some one would like to put it back as original later. Just thought some one reading this thread might have some ideas or pictures.
And yes I am in same place as Pooch being 72 years old....
 
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700rpm said:
I've been wanting and planning to put my rumble back to a trunk on my 54A. Now I'm not so sure I want to attempt that. :(
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Changing back to a trunk will be a lot easier. If you used the original trunk lid when you converted to a rumble , there will mostly be holes to fill rather than holes to drill . No D nuts or threads to install. The curved inner rear panel will have to be changed back but it is a bolt in panel. When I changed our coupe to a rumble I left the trunk latch in place being as it wouldn't be seen and I just filled the hole where the trunk handle use to be. Some just use a rubber plug . The main problem with a rumble seat is that adults want to ride in it. Adults climbing in an out puts extra strain on the qauarters and right rear fender .
 
I must apologize for my bad advise to your question. For some reason I thought you wanted to convert your rumble seat to a trunk. Thank heavens Purdy Swidft and others read the post right. Find an original rumble lid and it will be easy to reinstall as a rumble. I am still interested in how it turns out. Bill
 
Just a quick post to clear up the confusion. My car currently is a rumbleseat car. The lid is rotted and I have a chance to pick up a good trunk lid. What I wanted to know is if I can make the trunk lid into a rumbleseat lid and if so what needs to be done outside of filling the hole for the trunk handle, drilling a new hole for the rumble handle and installing my rumble hardware on the trunk lid. Also, is there a quick way to tell the difference between a 28-29 lid and a 30-31 lid. I'm not sure that the seller knows what he has. Thanks to everyone for their interest and advice.
 
If you use the search, Marco has photos showing the difference between the years. The 28 29 rumble handle is closer to the front edge of the lid.There is a write up in on of the series of How To Restore Your Model A, Vol. 3. If you use a trunk lid , there are no D nuts to install the hinges that are required for rumble lid configuration. The article will tell you how to work around this.
 
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