My ranchero has a paded cover over the steel shelf behind your headrest.I think someone made it.Was there factory covers like this and would they have a wood frame. Thanks Al
They were just painted steel .
Thats what I was thinking,but not real sure.They did a nice job and had me wondering. Thanks Al
On my 57 I'm thinking of removing or altering it, to gain some leg room, Mark
Quote from: Frankenstein57 on 2014-02-26 21:41
On my 57 I'm thinking of removing or altering it, to gain some leg room, Mark
Thats the same problem I have but I hate to alter it. I need about six more inches :005:
Well if you do alter it let us know how it comes out.The only thing back there is a spare tire and not many care about those anymore.My wife and daughter just call tripple A anytime they have a problem.
Quote from: electricalan on 2014-02-27 18:01
Well if you do alter it let us know how it comes out.The only thing back there is a spare tire and not many care about those anymore.My wife and daughter just call tripple A anytime they have a problem.
AAA is going to bring you a spare tire when you don't have one? Not here where I live.
In order to move the seat back you would need to find another location for the spare tire. Several years ago I did see a Ranchero where the owner created a well in the bed to caring the spare upright. Looked almost factory.
On my 58 I keep it in the spare tire well under the bed floor, like the wagons. Just takes a little longer to get it out. When I cut up the rust bucket body I gave up on, I cut that piece out from behind the seat. So I can experiment a bit. Mark
I wont have a spare tire most of the time.Maybe put one in the back for serious road trips.I have only had one flat in the last 30 years.I suppose as soon as I dont have a spare I will get my next one.
Did you cut a door into the bed to get to the spare.
No, but I don't have all the bolts in that secure the floor panel down. And I carry a cheap socket set , and end wrenches. The spare I carry is a Lincoln doughnut spare, its on a factory aluminum wheel. Light and compact, yet bigger than most little spares.
Quote from: electricalan on 2014-02-27 19:25
I wont have a spare tire most of the time.Maybe put one in the back for serious road trips.I have only had one flat in the last 30 years.I suppose as soon as I dont have a spare I will get my next one.
Knock on wood, I didn't have a flat for about 30 years either but finally got one last summer in my 60 F-100 and I was sure glad I had a spare.
I've seen a few people hinge the rear floor, there is a lot of storage space in there but I don't want to do that. I just plan on carrying the spare flat in the bed with a hold down like the one on the inside.
I cannot imagine my wife or even myself lifting the bed floor in order to lift out the spare tire stored below the bed floor. That thing is heavy.
Quote from: BWhitmore on 2014-02-27 19:38
I cannot imagine my wife or even myself lifting the bed floor in order to lift out the spare tire stored below the bed floor. That thing is heavy.
Isn't that the truth. I didn't realize how heavy they were when I tried to remove it. I had my son help me take mine out and put it back in.
Quote from: Frankenstein57 on 2014-02-27 19:33
No, but I don't have all the bolts in that secure the floor panel down. And I carry a cheap socket set , and end wrenches. The spare I carry is a Lincoln doughnut spare, its on a factory aluminum wheel. Light and compact, yet bigger than most little spares.
Do you know if the Lincoln doughnut wheel will fit on the Granada front spindle? That would be a great idea if it would.
It fits on my torino rotors, and the stock rear axles. If you can measure the hub I'll compare them.
Quote from: Frankenstein57 on 2014-02-27 20:00
It fits on my torino rotors, and the stock rear axles. If you can measure the hub I'll compare them.
Thank you, I hope someone knows what the hole size needs to be so I don't have to pull a front wheel, my Cragars are a pain so I remove them as little as possible and hope to replace them in the future.
Quote from: hiball3985 on 2014-02-27 18:27
AAA is going to bring you a spare tire when you don't have one? Not here where I live.
You need a spare no matter where you put it. AAA will not bring you one when you need it, and it's a crummy feeling not to have one when you do. Just my opinion.
A lot of new cars here no longer have a spare, instead you get an "emergency tire kit" which consists of a 12 volt compressor and some kind of tire glue. You screw the can of glue to the compressor and it pumps it into the tire and inflates it at the same time, not much use if you get a puncture on the freeway and shred the tyre though! I'm going to look at using a modern space-saver for my Ranchero and carry it behind the front seat in the stock location. I know they look stupid and have a maximum rating of 50mph over 50 miles (or something like that) but at least it should get me home or to a tire shop should I get a puncture.
My bed cover had been cut in half and internal house door hinges (very crudely!) welded on so the front half and rear half could be lifted up to access the areas underneath. I've done away with them and welding both halves back together keeping it stock.
I don't carry a spare. 1) with bigs and littles, which one do you carry, 2) bigs won't fit in the trunk, 3) can't get the bigs off without disconnecting the bags and shocks and lifting the car, 4) have air for the air bags and a plug kit, 5) directional tread...which side to carry, 6) with no spare, I don't carry jack or four way bar.
Bold or stupid, we're Long Haulers on Hot Rod Power Tour with no spare. With the wife's luggage, there was no room for a spare. On Power Tour, one can rely on help. Not so much when out for a lone wolf cruise. **** happens but today's tires should survive typical road trips. If I were to shred a tire, have a new one overnighted to the local tire store and have mounted up...good to go! With tires being date stamped, I don't want a new tire in the trunk that I will never use and the clock running. If I were running equal sized wheels and tires, I would likely have a beater spare in the trunk. This cavalier attitude will likely bite me in the ass someday...we'll see.
If you are carrying a spare, it MUST be well secured. Loose tools, jack and spare become missiles flying around in the trunk at the donut contest. In the back of a pick up, someone will help themselves to the spare!
Didn't the mid-60s El-Caminos come with a hinged cargo area in the front of the box?
If they didn't I saw one at a car show and thought what a great idea that was rather
struggling to get the spare out from behind the seat.
Randy
My trips are all lone wolf so I want a spare. Anything that is round and rolls to get you off the side of the hiway. I'm putting mine in the bed and it will be secured.
When I blew a tire on my truck we hit a piece of semi truck tire that flipped around some how and took out the side wall. And we were out in the middle of nowhere crossing a desert area. I'm not about to sit on the side of the road waiting hours for a tow truck not to mention the danger of sitting there. For some reason cars sitting on the side of the road seem to be a magnet for morons, see it happen all the time.
I also have a doughnut spare in the tire well under the bed. Never liked them in the cab ,made it smell like old tire :001:
Quote from: hiball3985 on 2014-02-28 10:12
My trips are all lone wolf so I want a spare.
For some reason cars sitting on the side of the road seem to be a magnet for morons, see it happen all the time.
Not trying to hijack this thread, but you are so right about morons hitting cars on the side of the road. You should see how many of them have plowed into police cruisers with all kinds of blue/red lights flashing.
Quote from: Ecode70D on 2014-02-28 13:41
Not trying to hijack this thread, but you are so right about morons hitting cars on the side of the road. You should see how many of them have plowed into police cruisers with all kinds of blue/red lights flashing.
Jay, I've seen that happen too. I've seen people hit parked semi trucks, how do you not see something that big?
Quote from: hiball3985 on 2014-02-28 14:40
Jay, I've seen that happen too. I've seen people hit parked semi trucks, how do you not see something that big?
Jim
It seems that somehow the road hypnotizes or mesmerizes them and they aim right for the parked vehicle like they are in a trance. They don't even have to be drunk to do this.
This crazy thing was going on long before texting and driving was invented.
In the academy, we were taught to park the cruiser a little to the left behind a vehicle when pulling them over and approach the vehicle on foot on the left side. The theory was that the cruiser would block us just a little bit from getting hit. The problem is that there is no place to run if a vehicle was coming toward us. Jay
Mine no longer has that space ,I cut it out and rebuilt gas tank with flat top.It now holds 4-5 mor4e gallons.