Do cars look better with side mounts?

[ramair]

pmhowe here is my 1928 Buick master six country club coupe also without side mounts with twin rear spares.  They were definitely taking advantage of Packard stylist with the long hood and 128” wheelbase.  I think 28 was the year that Packard sued them which caused Buick to redesign the 29 model year 

[Rusty_OToole]

What about the functional aspect? If you were going to use the car for touring and long trips you might specify twin side mounts because in those days, you could expect to get at least one flat tire on a long trip. By having the spares at the front of the car you could mount a luggage rack and a big trunk on the back of the car. The weight of the trunk wold help balance out the weight of the spares.

 

Side mounts and no luggage rack could put extra weight on the front wheels upsetting handling and making the car harder to steer.

 

By the late thirties cars had built in trunks, the spare concealed in the back, and the spare was seldom needed. These cars also had different front end and fender designs and side mounts often look awkward. In addition to being obsolete and un necessary.

[ron hausmann]

You decide on side mounts for an early 20’s car.

And while you are at it, top up or top down?

Ron Hausmann P.E.

[chistech]

I know you guys  are tired of me referencing 32 Oldsmobile but it’s a car I know well and was recorded well by the manufacturer. In 32, Olds had both the eight and six cylinder motors offered, wood or wire wheels, and single rear or dual sidemounts which depended on if you ordered the  luggage rack. Models with rear mounted spares were the least produced and single spare wood wheeled cars were produced in fewer numbers than the single spare wire wheeled cars in most models.

    Because of the straight eight offered In 32,  Olds stretched the frame almost 8” from the 31 models and averaged that 8” longer than most similar brands and models offered. This resulted in a longer, stately looking car. With most other cars in this price range, dual sidemounts meant the door checks needed to be tightened up some to prevent the door from hitting the tire which resulted in a smaller opening to enter the car. Not so on my car and other 32 olds because of that stretched wheelbase and long front fender. I believe this is the reason many opted for the dual mounts as it resembled a much more expensive and bigger car and the dual mounts added to the cars grander. If you look at the picture of the 31 chevy in an earlier post, the back edge of the spare is behind the front edge of the doors hinge line. If you look at my car you’ll see, even with the larger tire, the back edge of the tire is ahead of the hinge line by 4-5”.
      I do love the look of my car with its dual mounts and luggage rack. It’s a rare model with only 249 ever produced. In all honesty, if it had a rear mounted spare I’d love it just as much plus I would have a much rarer car with about 130 (don’t remember the exact number) ever produced. To this day as our research has shown, none of the rear mounted convertible coupes have survived. It seems the single rear spare years ago didn’t get the love either.

 

i included pictures of both versions in wire wheels. I think both look equally as well and would have no problem owning the rear mounted car. Still prefer the wood over the wire though but virtually no pictures are available of the rear mount wood wheeled convertible coupe 

 

EDIT: sorry, the black roadster is wood wheeled. I attached the wrong picture!

Edited November 26, 2022 by chistech (see edit history)

[George K]

[George K]

Utility only not for styling reasons.

[Walt G]

Chris, I love the short spoke wood wheels - natural finish or painted ( a complimentary period color not circus colors) could love the car either with the side mounts or rear mounted spare.  Never get tired of your mentioning the 32 Oldsmobile - it is what you can provide visual evidence of and people like to look at photos! images!  As an author the story is so important to me  BUT I also taught art and an image just makes the whole story/package/idea so much clearer to most everyone.  When you restored your car you showed great restraint not to "bling it up" as many (most?) restorations have been in the past 45+ years.

I own cars that were restored cosmetically by others and painted colors that were popular at the time, some work and others don't especially when it comes to wheels. I cringe when I look at the wheels on my Packard touring that are orange with stainless steel spokes. Yikes.

Edited November 27, 2022 by Walt G (see edit history)

[George K]

This guy had a utility reason.

[58L-Y8]

Side-mounts, while lending an imposing look to large Classic Era makes, as Ron Hausmann notes, imparts a sporty air to late 19-teens to mid-late-1920's cars with close form-fitting or cycle-style fenders and step-plates:

[Pfeil]

5 hours ago, ron hausmann said:

You decide on side mounts for an early 20’s car.

And while you are at it, top up or top down?

Ron Hausmann P.E.

Interesting car, I think I saw one on Wayne Carini's shows. Interesting because it has three side mounts. Nice to sit out there and talk to the tire on your side.

[chistech]

4 hours ago, Walt G said:

Chris, I love the short spoke wood wheels - natural finish or painted ( a complimentary period color not circus colors) could love the car either with the side mounts or rear mounted spare.  Never get tired of your mentioning the 32 Oldsmobile - it is what you can provide visual evidence of and people like to look at photos! images!  As an author the story is so important to me  BUT I also taught art and an image just makes the whole story/package/idea so much clearer to most everyone.  When you restored your car yo showed great restraint not to "bling it up" as many (most?) restorations have been in the past 45+ years.

I own cars that were restored cosmetically by others and painted colors that were popular at the time, some work and others don't especially when it comes to wheels. I cringe when I look at the wheels on my Packard touring that are orange with stainless steel spokes. Yikes.

Thanks for those kind words Walt. I do try and share the facts and specifications I learned from my research/experience because I feel that’s what the true value of these forums are about, especially the restoration forums but sometimes I must sound like a broken record player. I do have to admit that my Olds is In fact blinged out quite a bit over what a standard 32 Olds would have been but all the bling is factory items that were available either when ordered or dealer installed though I did refrain from using the set of original stainless steel trim rings that I have for the wheels. (They are just 5/8” wide, can be seen in both factory photos, and very rare to have). I ended up liking the perimeter single pinstripe (that was also factory) more. I think I like it because it stands out nicely because it’s the cream on the black. The pinstripe on the wheel perimeter was another thing that was mentioned in factory bulletins but not many know about, and nobody seems to put the it on their wheels. When I chemically striped my wheel rims, one layer of paint at a time, the original perimeter pinstripe ended up being present on the original first layer of black which I photographed for the NAOC technical advisor’s archives. I suppose you could call it the poor man’s trim ring but I like because it’s subtle yet adds class to the wheels without being too much. I bet they’d look good if I put them on too but they do scratch the rim some and I never want to do these wheels again!

[Walt G]

5 minutes ago, chistech said:

it’s subtle yet adds class to the wheels without being too much

Chris, that says it all. it gives us all a window into the "period" look that is so important to the era. You have done your thorough research and were fortunate enough to (with due diligence) be able to "get it right" . Thank you for sharing the Authenticity. Pay attention youse guys......................

[Paul Dobbin]

When I first became involved with the hobby and really into old cars, I loved the looks of the 6 wheel Model A Roadster  (Dual side mounts)

Then,  Leslie R, Henry,  (Author of many books on the Restoration of Model A & T Fords, plus he was Curator of the Henry Ford Museum) became a winter member of our Florida Model A Club, told us the Ford Motor Company never made the Model A with dual side mounted spare tires & wheels.   

I guess you could get a dealer to do it, but it was not a factory option.

As a 1934 Ford lover for 50 years, I know some 34 Fords had a side a mount or two, but it was U L G Y  !.

[Flivverking]

It all depends...Lol..

Color,other options,body type?.

 In my opinion,if the cars does not have a luggage rack pending a trunk for travel,side mount,front fender mounted spare wheel is stupid. Just making a cheap model looking more then it is.

Dual side mount tires on any car is  pretentious! 

 

 

 

 

[George K]

5 hours ago, 58L-Y8 said:

Side-mounts, while lending an imposing look to large Classic Era makes, as Ron Hausmann notes, imparts a sporty air to late 19-teens to mid-late-1920's cars with close form-fitting or cycle-style fenders and step-plates:

Perhaps but more importantly where would the highly decorated tuba play sit. How much beer do you think that little band could drink? Great image.

[CHuDWah]

1 hour ago, Paul Dobbin said:

When I first became involved with the hobby and really into old cars, I loved the looks of the 6 wheel Model A Roadster  (Dual side mounts)

Then,  Leslie R, Henry,  (Author of many books on the Restoration of Model A & T Fords, plus he was Curator of the Henry Ford Museum) became a winter member of our Florida Model A Club, told us the Ford Motor Company never made the Model A with dual side mounted spare tires & wheels.   

I guess you could get a dealer to do it, but it was not a factory option.

As a 1934 Ford lover for 50 years, I know some 34 Fords had a side a mount or two, but it was U L G Y  !.

But it should be noted Ford did make some Model A body styles with a single side mount - the Deluxe Roadster, Deluxe Phaeton, Convertible Sedan, a bunch of commercials and maybe some others.  The side mount was on the left side - I'm not sure but right side (instead of left) may have been a factory option on commercials.

[CHuDWah]

IMHO, side mounts don't look right on cars outside a narrow time period, say 1925 - 1935 (and that may be stretching it).  And they look out of proportion on most "one-seaters" (coupes, roadsters, etc).  I can take or leave them on sedans, although they do look classy on bigger cars especially if they have covers.  They don't look good on trucks but other than under-bed (which is a PITA), there's no other choice.

 

Whitewalls depend on the car but if they're used on antique cars, they have to be wide.

[pmhowe]

Here are two cars that I think look good without side mounts and look good with whitewalls. The upper car is Ramair’s 1928 Buick  shown above, In this case, the whitewalls provide balance to the light colored top. I am not a fan of disk wheels, and think that the 1928 Packard 526 would look better with either wires or wooden spokes. However, I think the whitewalls make the disk wheels look a little less ugly. It all comes down to taste, I guess.

 

Phil

[ron hausmann]

4 hours ago, Pfeil said:

Interesting car, I think I saw one on Wayne Carini's shows. Interesting because it has three side mounts. Nice to sit out there and talk to the tire on your side.

Pfeil,

    Nope. Kissel Gold Bugs have one rear mount spare on 1919-1921 and on 1924-1927 “standard” models. Or  two side mounts mid-1921 to 1927 “deluxe” models. Not three side mounts. And wire wheels or wood wheels optioned variously.

    Ron Hausmann P.E.

[MCHinson]

I think that 1937 Buicks are beautiful cars. They look good without sidemounts, but both of mine have sidemounts and I think they look wonderful with sidemounts. 

[Ozstatman]

4 hours ago, Pfeil said:

...... Interesting because it has three side mounts. Nice to sit out there and talk to the tire on your side.

Are the pull-out seats considered to be "side mounts"?

[Pfeil]

2 hours ago, Ozstatman said:

Are the pull-out seats considered to be "side mounts"?

It was a side mount seat. Whoever was sitting in that seat could talk to the tire in front of him...It was a joke, geez.