I trying to finish this 1926 T project and was wondering of those that have made a trunk a rumble seat or vice versa regret their choices. I have kids and thought it would be kinda nice for the extra seat, or is it not worth it because it ****s sitting back there? Right now I have a curved sheet of steel as a trunk lid. 20170619_100956 by Trent_A posted Mar 20, 2018 at 4:28 AM
Nice looking T you have coming along there. My opinion...unless you have a decent length road on private property, with all the mindless idiots driving and texting no way would I allow anyone to ride in a rumble seat.
Mine has a rumble seat, I put my kids back there "once", never again, nothing but worrying about getting rear ended the whole time.
Everyone justifies it along the lines you have said...to take the kids/grandkids etc. for a ride. It happens one or two times, the novelty wears off and you are left with a potential trunk that is basically now just full of furniture. Have a trunk, it's safe and useful.
I don't believe the Model T ever came with a rumble seat, not enough room. Rumble seats were never very practical even when 30 MPH was a typical hiway speed. Today they might have a slight novelty value for slow cruising around the neighborhood on sunny days.
My coupe came with a trunk. I once sold it and when I bought it back it had been converted to a rumble seat. I put the trunk back in. We have a saying down South that applies. A rumble seat is "as useless as ***s on a boar hog".
I didn't think T coupes had rumble seats. I have a stock 29 with a rumble seat and hardly ever use it, if I ever repaint it will become a trunk, much more useful. My V8 A 30 Sport Coupe was a rumble seat car and I converted it to a trunk. I don't think rumble seats are unsafe around town but live in a small town and would never let anyone ride in one on the highway
I think rumble seats are cool, for about 30 minutes, after that they are pretty much useless and a waste of needed space. IMO a rumble seat devalues a car, though the market may not see it that way, but for my purposes and use, if I'm looking to buy a coupe, it is more valuable to me with a trunk than with a rumble seat.
Both my coupes have rumble seats and are used all the time. Both our daughters always ride in them. Even on long trips I try to drive defensively and do live in the country, without much traffic. I added a rod to hold the lid open and seatbelts in case of an accident. I don't see how it is any more dangerous than my t touring or my gpw.
I've had a couple of cars with rumble seats,the 39 Ford convertible had a rumble seat and I let the twins ride back there a few times around town.but like others said,I was uneasy with them back there. When we traveled I had to pull the seat out to have room for luggage,ice chest,chairs,canopy and all the other junk you need for a fun weekend on the road. As Don said,useless as ***'s on a boar hog. HRP
Have a rumble seat in my A roadster. The only time its been used as a set is in parades or photo shoots. Like other have said its way too dangerous out here in everyday traffic.
Had a rumble seat in my 34 chev 5 window . Kids loved it back there . Seat belts , a rod to stop the lid from moving forward and a rear bumper !!! Never drove on any highway or over 40 mph Defensive driver even more so with the kids in the back . But now that they are grown up it will become a trunk . Man are rumble seats inconvienent
My Mom had a Rumble seat in her fav. 32 Ford roadster,in the 40s as a kid,I super loved riding in there. But there came a day in 1950,her car was missing an she was ready to kill some one!, Turned out Dad had traded it for a Gas chainsaw,so he could clear a tree'd block of lots to build houses on to sell. I'm sure looking back,it was good thing he was so bizzy building those houses,Mom was'nt talking to him mush for a really long time. LOL
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