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Trunk area detailing?

admin

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Does anyone have any good pics of a correctly detailed '68 trunk area? I know the plaid mat is the most common and the speckled also made it into a few cars.

But what about the spare tire? Did it get a cover from the factory like the ones you can buy aftermarket now? And what about the jack handle bag and matching duffle? Were those factory too, or just items that the aftermarket has created?
 

Nathan

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Hello, Jon - I just finished detailing the trunk in my CS and my research indicated that the spare tire did have a factory cover to match the trunk mat (plaid or speckled for '68 San Jose cars). The jack handle bag and duffle I am less certian of, however the material I have read so far has not mentioned a factory bag and duffle for these items. I am a newbie to the Mustang restoration community though, so I recommend caution regarding my advice...

Hope this helps.

Nathan
 

GTCSMustang

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Several years ago Mustang Monthly did an article on 1968 trunk area detailing. I'm sure I still have it. I'll look it up tomorrow. As far as I know the tire cover, jack bag, and matching duffle are all aftermarket. I have a super nice original trunk with original spare in a car I have. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

Scott
 

hcsstang

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I was told no cover. The jack is under the spare tire. The bolt has a round disk holding the spare in place. Do you have the decal that's on the trunk lid if you have the 68 it has a picture. If you buy the decaling kits for the 67 and 68 thats wrong the 68 is different fron the combined kit. I might be wrong but that's what I was told.
 

6t8-390gt

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Mustang Monthly, from my research, has written 5 articles over the years. Aug.93,Aug.97,Mar. 01, Feb. 02, Feb. 05. I think the Aug. 97 issued was for the 1968 project car they did.

The trunk detailing, like everything mustang, differs depending on what wheel/tire combo your car came with. The hold down bolt was different lengths, some used the felt pad, some did not. Some used the lug wrench as the tire hold down and others used a ring. Ah, the decal on the trunk lid also differs. I know this doesn't help much, but the more you know the better.

The tire cover, jack bag, and duffle are all aftermarket.

What engine and tires did your car come with from the factory? Are you looking for concours or a presentable trunk?

Danny
 
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admin

admin

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6t8-390gt said:
What engine and tires did your car come with from the factory?
Mine is a 289 w/ F70x14 tires, but I'm curious about any differences between engines also. Did the 428's get a space saver spare?

Are you looking for concours or a presentable trunk?
Concours. I won't achieve it, but I'd like to know what to shoot for. :wink:
 
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admin

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6t8-390gt said:
Some used the lug wrench as the tire hold down and others used a ring.
Are you talking about a metal disc like this? I've seen those on my 66 and 67's, but not on any of my 68's. But then again, my 68's were all far from concours when I got them.:smile:

C5ZZ-14244862-K.jpg
 

390cs68rcode

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I thought the space saver spare was an extra option. My Cobra Jet does not list it as an option on the Marti report.
 

GTCSMustang

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The space saver spare option was discontinued in mid-December 1967 for 1968 Mustangs.
 

68gt390

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GTCSMustang said:
The space saver spare option was discontinued in mid-December 1967 for 1968 Mustangs.

Not sure where you got that info but, the space saver spare became a Mustang factory production option for the first time in 1968. It's listed on page 125 of the Mustang Recognition Guide 1965 - 1973.

It also states that the spare tire furnished with all 68 mustangs was mounted on the right side luggage compartment with a threaded hook and large wing nut. The scissors jack and handle was stored under the spare tire.

Don't know about anybody else but, I use my jack handle with the threaded hook and wing nut to hold my spare down. Don't have the large round metal piece. That piece is long gone. But, if you want it correct, I believe you need the large round metal piece that Jon shows in his photo above.

The thing that really kills ya is the fact that each production plant did different things with these cars. Thus, it makes it very hard to be exact when restoring your car. Plus, the fact that most books written today don't take that in to consideration. That is one of the reasons I don't plan on striving for a concourse car.

Don
 
Last edited:

GTCSMustang

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Hi Don,

I'm from Ohio originally. Granville. But now live in California. I'd be carful about using the recognition guide as a definitive source. There are errors in it. An example is the reference to the rubberized trunk mat. My sources for the discontinuation of the space saver spare are the Ford Factory Assembly Manual (shows the option being discontinued by 12/26/1967) and the "Additional Information for 1968" sheet given to Ford dealerships to document changes to catalogs since they were printed in August 1967. The Additional Information sheet shows the space saver spare being discontinued by 12/12/1967.

Scott
 

hcsstang

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For the trunk I had the orginal bolt and I purchased the items fron Scott Drake and the hole in the disk wasn't large enough so I drilled it out. I couldn't find one large enough. The Marti report had size F70X14 wide oval tires.
 

68gt390

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Scott;
Thanks for the info. I'll file that one away. I know about the rubberized trunk mat thing. If I'm not mistaken it was a form of plaid covering with a burlap type backing used to cover the trunks. I know some books I've looked in state that speckeled paint was used but, I also think that is wrong. Again, that is one of the problems with all the books out there, they don't take into consideration what each plant did with these cars. I've even found that some of the shop manuals I have are different depending on who wrote them.

That's kinda different - Your originally from Ohio and now in California and I'm from California and now in Ohio. Go figure!!!

Don
 

Nathan

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Well this has been a very educational thread indeed.
I have not yet installed the spare tire in my trunk because the metal piece that it mounts to on the trunk floor is missing - where the hook would pass through. I have had no success in locating this part so far. Does anyone know of an aftermarket source for it - is it a salvage yard only item or would one need to fabricate a replacement and weld it in place?
Sometimes when I'm flying down the road I think a spare tire would be nice.
 

390cs68rcode

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I believe in 69 the space saver came to be used again. if anyone knows this info we might as well throw it out there to talk about.
 

68MustangHCS

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Both my 68's are missing all of the original jack and hold down parts. Parts that get pulled out over the years and misplaced. Oh well, I'm sure there are a few original owners who can share photos of the correct parts, trunk mat. Both my cars were painted the outside color in the trunk area.
 

68gt390

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68MustangHCS said:
Both my 68's are missing all of the original jack and hold down parts. Parts that get pulled out over the years and misplaced. Oh well, I'm sure there are a few original owners who can share photos of the correct parts, trunk mat. Both my cars were painted the outside color in the trunk area.

If I'm not mistaken, your trunk should be body color. On the inside of each quarter you'll find some heavy coating material (kinda like undercoating) that was applied at the factory which will be oversprayed with body color also.

Don :wink:
 

6t8-390gt

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I DO NOT CONSIDER MYSELF AN AUTHORITY ON THIS ISSUE, BUT THIS IS SOME OF WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD AND SOME OF WHAT I HAVE RESEARCHED.

The first MCA Show I attended the spare styled steel wheel had a felt pad on top of it w/ the lug wrench holding the wheel in place and the jack stored under the wheel. At the second MCA Show the judge refered me to another car w/ no felt pad, wrench and jack stored under wheel. The wheel was held in place with a plate and wing nut. I beleive the second to be correct, at least for now!

Here is what the Ford Master Parts Catalog says-

Standard Wheel- Bolt 1/2"-13 x 8-3/4 4 in. of thread part # C8ZZ-1448-A

Styled Steel Wheel- 1/2"-13 x 9-3/4 4in. of thread part# C8WY-1448-A

Styels Steel Wheels list a Plate- Spare Wheel Mounting part# C8MY-1424-A

No plate is listed for standard wheels.
The Wing Nut is 1/2"-13 part# C8AZ-1462-A.

Note: the 65-67 Mustangs use a 3/8" bolt, mounting plate, and wing nut.

Mustang 1964 1/2- 1973 Restoration Guide by Tom Corcoran & Earl Davis has some pictures of the different mounting positions used in various Mustangs. Also the spare tire/ jacking instruction decals differ between the standard wheel and styled steel wheel. HCSSTANG brought that to my attention, thanks.

Danny
 

68sunlitgold

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Here is a picture I took of my coupe. I have the jack under the tire (in a bag) so it levels the tire and the wrench being used to hold the tire down. Forgive me for letting the tire get so dusty.

Doug
 

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