I was looking at my car today and i was just wondering did any of the birds have like doughnuts for the spare tire in the rear? i have a full sized tire in there but its just sitting there bolted in the floor, i was just wondering if there is a way to clean up the look of the trunk just a wee bit? thanks LxBird
Most of them had the space saver tires.They store in the driver side rear wheel well and bolt up to the framework of the inner fender.There should be a panel there that is removeable.Check it out.I take a full size spare always on longer trips and cary a space saver in local driving.
Yes a lot of them came with a space saver spare. But not all of them mount to the side of the trunk. Most of the older(not sure on years) birds/cougars have them mounted on the upper shelf area in the trunk below the rear deck. Then there is also the Turbo coupe Aluminum space saver spare that looks good if you can find one that they don't want to much for it!
Generally the full spare tire was a popular option for 1983-86 cars, as either that or the donut tire both bolted to the same place that ipsd mentioned. In 1987, Ford redesigned the trunk pan in the Cougar/T-Bird so that a space saver donut tire fits on the driver's side in its own protected well. It was a great idea, as loose items in the trunks of the older cars tended to, shall we say, attempt escape through the quarter panels. ;) But that made the full spare option for 1987-88 cars a lot less popular. Not that you couldn't get it...it's just that not too many people did.
I found one one time and didnt get it. I kick myself all the time for it.
Both of my cars have mini-spares. Where does the factory put the full sized spares?
Right in the middle of the trunk, at least that's where it was on my '85. It was held down by a J-shaped bolt and a bracket. Kind of on an angle, leaning upwards toward the back window. If factory (or dealer) installed it should have a cover on it just like the donut, but bigger. Took up most of the room in the trunk, too.
thunder chicken my spare is installed like yours its kinda annoying just sitting there or maybe im just picky, i want to stick that spare in the deeper part and bolt it down some how and put like a board or something over it to flatten out the trunk but i dont know how not to make it look like so maybe i should stop looking in the trunk :P
What year is your T-Bird? If it's an 87-88 you can mount a donut spare vertically, inside the left quarter panel. It was my first T-Bird, the '85, that had the full size spare. That car has long been recycled into cheap Harbor Freight tools...
Do NOT try bolting the tire down into the "well" area in your trunk. The gas tank is directly under that well (the "home plate" shaped area is directly over your fuel pump)! Drilling or welding here could kill you.
(http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee79/daminc/cougar%20before/IMG_2841.jpg)
Mine''s an 88, it looks exactly like the above picture, just a question where have you guys installed your subs if u put in an after market sound system?
Oh and i for sure won't do that then thanks for the heads up!
Behind the seat and in front of the spare! like this
(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s188/ipsd1/all4subs.jpg)
How that work for you. I have a write up on how to make your car like this in the audio section pretty old thread been a few years.
thanks ipsd for the pictures!
The donut spare would go behind this panel:
Hell I took out the mini spare and put a full size spare (one of the wheels that came with the wire hubcaps the car had from the factory) in the well of the trunk (where the black rubber mat is). I wanted a full size spare so if I got a flat on the highway I wouldn't have to drive 50 mph in the slow lane all the way home ;)