Rumble seat hinge spacers

Brother Hesekiel

Brother Hesekiel

Senior Member
I'm finally attacking my rumble-seat-to-trunk back to rumble-seat conversion. It all looks good, goes smoothly and lines up nicely (relatively speaking), but I can't get my head around the square shaped "hinge spacers" that according to the Model A Mechanics Handbook Vol. II (page 4-92, Figure 4-212) go between the post bracket and the hinge itself.

I test fitted everything as illustrated, and wonder why the heck I would have two square spacers dangling there, if they would fit perfectly behind the post bracket and thus reduce the space between the bracket and the hinges. In fact, the hinge spacers are so perfectly shaped and sized, that they look like they belong behind the brackets.

Can somebody confirm that there's no error in the book and, if so, why these spacers would be square instead of round?

Thanks!
 
They are there so you can make an adjustment up, down fore and aft on the lid ,when you get it right weld them to the bracket. Yea, they go between the hinge and bracket.
 
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Not sure if you are using original items or reproduction items (brackets, spacers, etc.).

If I recall the original items have a checker-board look to them stamped into the metal (both sides?) for a better hold when attached where the repros have nothing, they are just flat metal.

Not sure of "round" spacers but "square" spacers for sure.

Pluck
 
My hinge post brackets and the hinges are (to the best of my knowledge) originals. The hardware (bolts, lock washers, nuts, and the squire hinge spacers are reproductions, simply square shaped flat metal.

My car is in the shop but I'm at home and my back went slightly out yesterday afternoon, so I can't take a photo right now, but it looks like there's a large washer welded to the outside of the hinge brackets already. Perhaps that's the reason everything lined up nicely, without me even tightening the bolts.

Thanks for the input to both of you gentleman. But allow me to dig deeper one more time, please.

1) Why square? Why not round? Is there a logic behind it or is it just a "because" that's how they made 'em thing?
2) And then there's the welding issue. If the spacers are supposed to be welded (or at least one of them) to the hinge bracket once everything lined up the way it should, would then not every Rumble Seat car have come from the factory with those things already welded to the hinge brackets?

And while we're at it:
3) Since I want to paint the body (only) next winter and will thus lift it off the frame and take off the decklid, how would hinge brackets, hinges, and the hardware be finished, paint wise?

I apologize for asking such stupid questions. I really don't know.
 
I don't believe the 2 square spacers were ever welded together or to the bracket. I think they were placed together in an iterative process until the lid lined up correctly and tightened so they couldn't move. The checkerboard crosshatching is to keep them from moving once tightened.
Rusty Nelson
 
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