Hot Rods Rumble seats are cool but worthless as tit's on a bowling ball!

Having had a 39 Ford convertible, a 32 Ford 5 window coupe and a 32 Ford roadster with rumble seats and they are fine for a parade or a Sunday ride in the country with the kids or another couple but when you hit the road going to a event they are in the way, I always ended up pulling the rumble seat cushions out to stuff a suitcase or duffel bag in along with a few tools and the obligatory ice chest, snacks and a couple of folding chairs, they ain't gonna fit with a rumble seat intact.

I eventually changed the roadster over to a trunk, the 39 I just left the cushions out and it was a pita to get heavy items up and over into the rumble seat area.

Any of you guys switch the rumble seat over to a trunk or do you just live with it? HRP

 

I just noticed on Jive-Bomber's post about the Bud Bryan '29 hiboy, that it has a rumble seat. I never knew that.

 

my buddy in high school had a rumble seat in a 31 Plymouth. I always rode in the rumble seat when 3 of us went somewhere. we didn't go too far as it was all stock except for mags. rumble seats are only cool in other peoples cars.

 

I had two 5 widow coupes Both were steel, one with a rumble & one with a trunk, Both good
hot rods. One needed to go, so the rumble seat car was sold And I still own the trunk car. Never liked the rumble seat idea. It was prone to leak when it rained & no good way to stop
the water. It was a h***le to remove the cushions when you went to shows. Lastly my
daughter would not let the grandchildren ride in rumble seat.. Good Car, should have converted it to a trunk & kept it also. 20--20 hindsight !!!! Jerry from N.C.

 

The rumble lid on our '34 roadster I left as a rumble lid, it was actually pretty convenient as opposed to a trunk lid. At least I never bonked my head on it open. There's NO WAY I'd ever have anyone (at least anyone I cared about) ride in one.

 

I agree HRP, I think a rumble seat would be cool for about 30 minutes. IMO a rumble seat devalues a car vs a trunk. If I'm looking to buy, and the car has a rumble seat, that's a negative to me, it will reduce the price I'm willing to pay.

 

My pal Rene' had a 1932 Plymouth PB coupe with a rumble seat, we were in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and we decided to take his car to the restaurant that evening, it was in October and the weather was cool but not frigid when we arrived at our destination it started to rain and we made a mad dash inside, we parked at the side if the building and closed the rumble seat trying to keep it dry.

When we had finished dinner the crowds were starting to mingle around and the rain had stopped, we walked around a few parking lots looking at all the hot rods .
When it was time to head back to the motel Rene' handed me a towel and said you will need this to dry the seat because the rumble seat did take on some water.

I finished up the job and Brenda & I crawled in the rumble seat, Rene' cranked the car and as soon as he pulled off all the water that was standing on the roof insert found it's way in. HRPto our laps - Man that water was cold, we were literally shaking in the bumper to bumper traffic for the next 8 miles.

Getting back to the motel I don't ever remember a hot shower feeling so good

 

Brian, the accident in your wagon had me thinking had you guys been in your old roadster I fear you may not be with us today. HRP

 

When my son wanted to go to the 1973 NSRA NATS in Tulsa, OK. he rode in the rumble seat both ways. Each time it would rain, he crouched down & my wife closed the lid until rain p***ed, then he continued upright enjoying all the sights.

 

My 28 Sport Coupe originally had a rumble seat. My wife thought it would be cool to put it back. Then I asked her if she thought she would like to step on the bumper, then the fender to climb in and out. She looked for a bit then said she wouldn't want to do that. It is getting a trunk. The thought of a rumble seat is much cooler than the seat itself.

 

That’s why I sold it. Now I’m building a nice safe one... [emoji849]


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

I rode in a rumble once with my sister, who had really long hair at the time. That hair got to whipping around and it felt like getting horse whipped in the face...

 

30 years ago I had a 36 ford 5 window with a rumble seat, my kids still talk about riding back there. Hard to imagine these days letting them ride back there. My daughters long blonde hair would fly all over the place and she would inevitably end up on the floor behind the seat hiding from the wind.

 

Made the switch while it was being built. Easy to do as the lid is the same, just needed the pivot hinges at the top and mount the latch at the bottom. Most of the holes already there as it appears Ford made them to go both ways.

Also, I thought the saying was ".Useless as ***s on a bull".

 

Only rumble in my cars is from the exhaust!

 

Both my '32 3W and Roadster were rumble seat cars, now both are trunks.

 

The old forget to sweep water off roof trick Max...lol
I betcha that be chillin, ice cold water and car drivin down the road.
Hope Motel had a good hot bath...

 

Deleted post

 

Ear plugs and googles are your friends. Just slouch down to avoid a majority of the wind at hwy speeds.

 

My buddy Ron Moore had one on his 29 A roadster back in the late 70's and my wife and I rode in it a couple of times but damn, you have to be young and agile to get in and out of one of those. He pulled a rather tiny tent trailer in those days and hauled his duffle bags and what not in it most of the time.
Cute but not all that practical for those of us who do cross country trips in our rods on a regular basis.

 

I agree. I've never owned one, sat in one, but I would never want to ride in one, let alone have someone I love in it. It seems the epitome of danger. No thanks. And I consider myself pretty wreckless!

 

I rode in the rumble seat of a '32 Ford roadster on one occasion. We were at the Louisville Nats. and went to dinner. To and from the restaurant were the 2 most miserable 30 minute trips I've ever experienced.

Lynn

 

I used to really want one. But now I don't have a mother-in-law so I don't need one.

I think that those little trailers came from having a rumble seat car and needed a place for luggage. I don't haul anyone any more so if I had a rumble seat car it would not bother me to change it to a trunk.

 

***s on a bowling ball, that would be a nice conversation starter to have on the shelf.

 

Beeno, I built one of those Mullin's trailers when we were traveling with our girls and fabricated a small back seat for them to ride in the 39 convertible, when we traded the convertible for a 40 sedan we continued to use the trailer, being on the road for a week with 3 females I had to carry a lot of stuff. HRP

 

LOL Dad had a business coupe when I was real little. I vaguely remember it. He cut the shelf out and scabbed a seat of sorts into the back. What I remember more than anything else was my big sister dragging me in and out of the back.

I have never traveled with 3 females but two has been common for a year or two. It can be a pain in the ****.

I really wanted to buy an A rumble seat coupe from a fella when I first joined the HAMB. It was all stock (even the paint) and ran. needed some floor repair in the rumble seat area but I would have been happy as a duck with it. The guy found out that I am a hot rodder and would not sell it to me. Someone will take offense at this but a restored A bone is about as useful as a rubber with a hole in it.

 

I'm sure our fellow Ford Barner's would disagree with your ****ogy but you and I think alike my friend. HRP

 

Oh my!

 

I enjoyed my 29 roadster with a rumble seat and traveled all over Fla, camped with it, and towed my ski boat from Fla to Mich, and towed to Louisville, Tenn, Alabama.

When I wasn't towing, I had a luggage rack on the back with a travel trunk, or cooler depending.

I enjoyed riding in the RS, but found it useless because others wouldn't drive& let me ride in it, or them ride in it.

If I have another roadster or coupe though, it won't have a RS.

I do have to say it was handy to have my ex-wife crawl over into the RS while driving, and get me a beer out of the igloo cooler on the luggage rack!!!

 

I’ve never had one, but always thought they were something cool when I was younger. I think as HRP says, nice for a parade or Sunday cruiser, nice and slow.

Also, not wanting to mix words, but “as about as useful as ***s on a **x” is how I always heard and used the phrase