Rear Seat/Trunk divider

[Cam3512 10]

Just want to get your opinion on the necessity of the aftermarket steel trunk divider. I'm told it may prevent any gas from getting into the passenger compartment in the event of a rear end crash. You guys have one in your cars? They come with screws for installation behind the rear seat.

[Pakrat 1,043]

Well, my opinion is that alot of that was preying on the hype of the original 60 minutes article (I think it was them) sighting very few actual cases out of the millions of Mustangs/Pinto's etc. that were made like this for many years, but I also remeber it actually happening to a member on Stangnet like 4 years ago who got rear ended and SEVERELY burnt head to toe. I got hit on the right rear quarter a year and a half ago enough to spin me 180* and total the car yet I had no rupture or issues like this, in fact I was able to straighten the flange and reuse my tank in the rebuild.

 

I guess you can never be too safe and since my original cardboard piece was ruined and needs replacing anyway I have been thinking about it but I feel if you go this length you should really have it sealed and welded in not just held with the included screws.

[Cam3512 10]

I do drive my little girl around alot in the car, so mayby the $50.00 at NPD is worth it. Comes with the self tapping screws and sealant. I assume the sealant is for around the edges?

[PennStateStang 11]

I just bought a steel divider from PaddockParts.com for about $100 shipped. I will be putting it in this weekend so I will take pictures and let you all know how well it goes. I agree that it should be welded but unfortunately I can't weld or know anyone who does so its the screws for me. I'll post back when I finish.

[R4K 10]

I'll be putting one in soon. Not only could it protect from the potential gas-splash much better than the cardboard (or no) divider, it should help with road noise as well (and even moreso if you put sound dampener on it when you're sound-dampening your trunk).

[dawtips 10]

I have http://www.tankarmor.com

 

It does the same thing, but also protects the trunk floor from whatever you throw in there..

[ForceFed70 14]

I agree with Pakrat.. mostly hype. Not only mustangs, but most cars of the era had the same design. As for the stangnet member who got burnt badly.. His name was something like Redlx2.3 and he was driving a fox body that got rearended by a dump truck. (if that's the same one).

 

Also.. it's the package tray you should be focusing on... the gas would need to somehow get past the back seat... much easier to go up through the cardboard package tray.

[iranmeba 10]

do you guys know anything about those new fuel safe tanks that are rubber tanks housed in aluminum or other metals sometimes. supposedly they are insulated with foam so that if the car is severely rear ended the tank will give and all the fuel will be absorbed by the foam. I don't have a mustang but want one badly, i have to prove to my parents that it can be made safe enough and that it won't be braking down on me all of the time. anyway just wondering if you guys know anything about the tank/if u know where to get one cheap (the ones i saw were all around like $1300-$2000)

[mustangman70 10]

i was about to say....

 

 

Fuel safe cell...no problem :D

 

lol i plan on running one very soon when the 70 is back on the road

[369coupes 14]

ford made cars were the only ones in the muscle era that used the tank as part of the trunkfloor hype or not im deffinatly gonna seal up mine not only behind the rear seat but im thinking of putting a sheet of metal over and around the tank mounted with the bolts that hold the tank IF you plan on dragracing at all you had better have metal behind the seat at the very least

[Pakrat 1,043]

do you guys know anything about those new fuel safe tanks that are rubber tanks housed in aluminum or other metals sometimes. supposedly they are insulated with foam so that if the car is severely rear ended the tank will give and all the fuel will be absorbed by the foam. I don't have a mustang but want one badly, i have to prove to my parents that it can be made safe enough and that it won't be braking down on me all of the time. anyway just wondering if you guys know anything about the tank/if u know where to get one cheap (the ones i saw were all around like $1300-$2000)

 

If you are talking about as a daily driver there is significant cost involved in making an old Mustang quailfy for what your parents might consider "SAFE". (Fuel safes aren't cheap nor are disc brake conversions, 3 point seat belts, suspension upgrades, rust repairs, etc...) And I guarantee you that even if you replaced and upgraded every single nut and bolt on the car that it can and will break down unexpectedly, that is just the way it is. It's still 40 year old technology and plagued with gremlins. Unless you are capable of learning and doing alot of the mechanics yourself (and investing in the needed tools) it will nickle and dime you to death and likely leave you stranded for class or work far more often than say a 10 year old or so decent car would IMHO.

 

Many folks continue to use these cars as Daily Drivers and not one person here could debate the allure of the cool factor but I personally recommend to anyone thinking of getting one that they also own at least a beater as a second car to rely on when needed.

[mustangman70 10]

I daily drove my 70 for 4 years...

 

And it left me stranded maybe three times...

 

Then again i knew mechanics and allways kept everything in check

[bnickel 10,004]

i can't think of a single time my car left me stranded, definitely late a few times but never stranded, but then again i had spares for almost everything. now the old 70 cougar left me literally stranded and more than once in the middle of nowhere. hell, my 93 cherokee has left me stranded a couple of times, not in the middle of nowhere though.

[iranmeba 10]

well as for the seatbelts i was planning on installing some racing seats with 5 point harnesses just for the cool look and so my parents would think it was safe (i know u guys are religious about keeping the car original) but around here thats the fad. as for disk brakes are they really that much safer, what is the current technology on the cars? and my main concern is the gas tank which i would replace with the fuel safe cell. how much education in mechanics do you think i would need in order to maintain the car myself?

[bnickel 10,004]

well as for the seatbelts i was planning on installing some racing seats with 5 point harnesses just for the cool look and so my parents would think it was safe (i know u guys are religious about keeping the car original) but around here thats the fad. as for disk brakes are they really that much safer, what is the current technology on the cars? and my main concern is the gas tank which i would replace with the fuel safe cell. how much education in mechanics do you think i would need in order to maintain the car myself?

 

 

to make a 5 point harness work correctly you need a rollbar. the ones that bolt to the floor or seat mounts are dangerous. they can actually cause more damage to your body than the standard lap belt only. personally i would just stick with the factory lap and shoulder belts even though they are a 2 piece design and the shoulder belts aren't retractable they are much safer than a 5 point belt that mounts to the floor or seat mounts.

[Spoofty 10]

I heard of people putting a brace behind the the rear seat under the speaker location for mounting the top belts for a 5 point. But you cant' really have a back seat for that and I really don't know if that's all that safe or not. As for the disc brakes IMO that's one of the best upgrages to do. Even if it's just a Granada swap. That's what I did. I got the spindles and rotor from a junk yard and then I bought all new bearings, caliper and hardware and it only cost around $200.

[Pakrat 1,043]

(i know u guys are religious about keeping the car original)

 

Boy are you way off base, you don't seem to know us at all. Juts take a look thru the gallery, we are practically Mustang Athiests.

 

Why don't you tell us what year and spcifc type you are looking for and we can better tell you about the tecnology, otherwise you might as well just by a book about them. For example if a 69 is what you are after and your parents want you to have a 6cyl one then there are huge differences just between a 200 and a 250 for this model year and one of them allows you to grow and modify much more simply than the other. As for mechanics you really only require some general common sense and desire to do it along with a decent set of at least basic tools (the better your tools the easier the work) and good sets of Ford manuals and the ability to read and understand a diagram. Anything else you can find here at forums where people can help you diagnose the problem, make part recommendations and talk you through the tough parts.

[mustangman70 10]

(i know u guys are religious about keeping the car original) but around here thats the fad. a

 

Are you serious man?

 

Just like pakrat stated above look through the gallery, or http://www.tbmustangs.com/forums/vbpicgallery.php?do=view&g=6

 

Click the above link for my pics and mods....Its not a religious thing to keep all classic mustangs bone stock numbers matching cars lol:rockon:

[bnickel 10,004]

most of us here are more into modified cars but some of us like to restore them stock. then there are the 'tweeners like me. i like my car to look mostly stock but not realy be stock, other than the wheels and the shelby side scoops my car will look pretty much stock inside and out, but it's got more under the hood even though that looks pretty close to stock as well.

 

i appreciate both stock restored and modified cars equally. my motto is look stock but haul ass.

[iranmeba 10]

the car i'm after is a 69 with a rebuilt 351w. my plans for upgrades (immediate and over time) are to fix the minor body damage, paint space black with two candy apple red stripes, put in the racing seats, new steering wheel, sound system, a/c if it's not already there, disk breaks, and finally after i work up the money my final mod might be to put in a supercharger. any information on regular problems i will be running into with the car as well as problems i may run into with my upgrades would be greatly appreciated.

[LouieD 10]

I think for the price involved, a trunk divider is one more way to make these cars safer. It costs nowhere near what other safety mods cost, but it could minimize a bad situation or maybe even prevent a death. I built my own, from some scrap 18g from a local metal yard, and riveted it in as three seperate pieces to facilitate install and to get a tighter fit. Bottom line: Kind of like an airbag...pray you never have to test its effectiveness, but it's nice to know it's there.

[bnickel 10,004]

i just built my own divider board. it's only fiberboard and covered with black vinyl but it might still keep some of the splash down. i really only made it to cover up the back of the seat though.

[jkskinsfan 19]

I’m in the process of constructing a Trunk Divider for my 69 Fastback. Like Bnickel, mine also will be made of fiber Board. My main purpose is to try and cut down on both Heat and Noise from the Trunk/Back Seat area. I will be covering the Divider with Reflectix Double Faced Foil Insulation on the side facing the interior, and the side facing the trunk will be carpeted. I’ve been making cardboard templates and have had to tweek ‘em several times to get a good fit. They finally look good enough to transfer to the Fiberboard. I’ll post some photos later in the week when I get it installed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jkskinsfan 19]

I’m in the process of constructing a Trunk Divider for my 69 Fastback. Like Bnickel, mine also will be made of fiber Board. My main purpose is to try and cut down on both Heat and Noise from the Trunk/Back Seat area. I will be covering the Divider with Reflectix Double Faced Foil Insulation on the side facing the interior, and the side facing the trunk will be carpeted. I’ve been making cardboard templates and have had to tweek ‘em several times to get a good fit. They finally look good enough to transfer to the Fiberboard. I’ll post some photos later in the week when I get it installed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MikeStang 247]

Might consider ordering one gallon of Lizard Skin thermal and one gallon of Sound control, and brusing it on, that stuff works wonders for sound control, and the thermal according to their website could save your car, or give you more time to escape should you have a rear collision/ Explosion.

Mike