FB Continental Kit?

[MeFB]

My new 185 whitewalls are too wide to fit into the spare wheel tub in the boot

Has anyone seen a successful Continental style spare tyre carrier put on an FB like the Chevy in the pic below?



I'm thinking about making one that mounts on a towbar tongue so that it doesn't mean butchering the car in any way.

I wouldn't put a cover over the spare because I have the same whitewall, hubcap, dress trims and H medallion on the spare as on the other 4 wheels. I'll need to make a frame to hold the numberplate and lamp in front of the spare though.

[Rusty EK]

Chop the floor out of it and put a big square box in there , fit everything then

[jack_fc]

I know of two people who have managed to get 185/80 tyres to fit in the spare well. They were both on 14" rims too. I'm assuming yours are 13", so this should be slightly easier if anything...

(the heedless butchers simply used a scissors jack to slightly widen the top of the spare well One of them had to remove previously applied thin carpet, and also used a small amount of lubricant on the tyre. If using 185/80/14, the spare tyre clamp becomes unuseable, but may still be OK with 13"...)

[Cal]

I can't imagine it looking any good without a cover on it.

[BILLY BLACKARROW]

Let the spare down so it fits and carry a pump
BILL

[MeFB]

Let the spare down so it fits and carry a pump
BILL

Yeah, I thought about that...and I even already have the little 12V compressor stashed in the boot, but now I've got the idea stuck in my head that an FB Continental would be a magnificent thing.

I think Cal is right though. The wheel would need to be covered to look more in fitting with the early 60s style.

[WayneXG95]

Any thoughts on how you would open the boot if you needed to?

[MeFB]

Any thoughts on how you would open the boot if you needed to?

The ones that I've seen that are like the one I'm thinking of, tilt away from the boot on a hinge when you release a pin or a catch, probably about 45 degrees? Basically they sit out from the car on almost the same angle that they sit in towards the boot when 'home'.

I want to mount the whole thing on a towbar tongue, so there would be a hinged section and a pin installed down there, and a sprag to limit the tilt when the pin is released. There won't be any mods to the actual car other than adding a towbar.

[MeFB]

it looks like shit as the car is too small IMO

You raise a good point

I'll do a mock-up when I get home before I think about it too much more. I'll take a pic and post it on this thread.

[Blacky]

[MeFB]

Thanks Blacky, that saved me some time

Looks like that one has a bit more work put into it than I want to on mine...but I think the scale looks kinda OK (not like the wheel is too huge for the size of the car).

[WayneXG95]

Pain in the arse if you have to move it every time ya wanta fill ya tank...unless you put a station wagon tank in...

[MeFB]

Pain in the arse if you have to move it every time ya wanta fill ya tank...unless you put a station wagon tank in...

Forgot about that