1931 Chrysler CD8 Roadster wood crossbar and hinges behind seat area?

[Gunsmoke]

Some of you may have been following my posts on finding this car (1931 Chrysler CD8) in 2014 in a local barn and my efforts to rebuild it. Making lots of progress, and am wondering if anyone can provide insight into the function of the wooden cross bar shown here with it's 4 sturdy hinges? It is bolted to underside of rear tub about 5" to rear of the 3 vertical braces which support RS toe-board and backs of seats. Front seat for these cars had a full bench with a split back. Some have suggested some sort of spring loaded hinged mechanism to allow seats to be moved to gain access to RS area. Any thoughts? 

[keiser31]

My 1931 DB DH6 business coupe has hinges on the top of the passenger side seat back in order to access the trunk from inside the cab. Maybe yours are to access the rumble seat floor area.

Edited November 14, 2018 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Matt Harwood]

It appears to be related to the adjustable front seats. There's a split bench in front that has separate adjustments and that bar seems to attach to the back of the front seats so they can adjust. There's a knob on top of mine that adjusts the seat position and it looks like a long screw down to an adjuster on the floor. I can't quite see how it all fits together, but the hinges you're talking about clearly bolt to the backs of the front seats. Here are some photos that might help:

 

 

[Gunsmoke]

Thanks Matt, it was my understanding that the only "adjustable" part of front seat was the back part of driver's seat, which could be moved by 3" forward/backward. The 2 piece bench and passenger back not adjustable. I see from your photos that the adjuster mechanism for driver seat back operated by the thumb screw will be part of a mechanism of some kind that slides the back of the seat "back and forth". Still not clear what role the aforementioned hinges play on that side. On passenger side, there is no adjustment, so perhaps here the hinge performed some role in allowing access to rumble seat area, allowing back of front seat to fold down, tip up, etc. I'm not likely going to be able to find any components like these parts and plan right now for a fixed leather full bench seat (I have one from a CD8 Coupe) and full bench type back as well. I will upholster in plain leather (no pleats) and include a detailed seam in center to create appearance of split seats. Plan is to hinge them in some manner so bench can be tilted forward (to access tool tray which is included on floor pan I have from a CD8 Sedan), and back can tilt upward to access rumble seat area. If you are able to remove that beige RS privacy panel at some point and get a full picture that would be wonderful. On a final matter, my car is an early series Canadian made car, while your's may be a later or Deluxe model, suggesting some changes may be present. Thanks again, your photos are first I have ever seen with some of these details. 

[Spinneyhill]

Maybe it is a similar idea to the seat "adjustment" in the 1939 Studebaker Coupé Express. The seat base is fixed. The bottom of the seat back can be brought forward over the cushion; from memory there are three positions. To adjust it, lift the seat back, bring base forward, drop the horizontal pin into a slot which is part of a sawtooth rack. So short people can pull the base of the seat back forward to have something to lean on but they are pushed forward on the seat as a result.

[Gunsmoke]

That's pretty much the way the Chrysler CD8 worked, only the seat back moved on driver's side. I figure there is a scissor like mechanism operated by a threaded or worm type rod, turned by the knob at top of seat back. Much like a modern scissor jack only horizontally mounted. Hopefully Matt H will enlighten us.