minitub & folding rear seat

[stangnet33 88]

Just getting any input if anyone has seen or knows for sure if mini-tubs could be installed with a folding rear seat equipt '69. I would like to install a folding rear seat on my car but I'm also considering mini tubing it.

[latoracing 256]

I haven't fit a back seat in the car yet, but I am fairly shure a 1.5" mini tub would be the max width a person could go without modifying any part of the rear seat assy. I know you've posted on my build progress (Grabber Green '70), and saw how much 2" cuts out of the rear. I will be glad to give you any info on mine in order to make your decision easier. What size rear tire are you wanting to run? Also, what type of rear suspension are you panning on? This will dictate to how wide you need to go.

[BuckeyeDemon 211]

i don't see how it would be possible to minitub and not have to modify the fold down seat assembly or the inner fiberglass quarter panels. they basically butt right up to the inner wheelhouse.

[stangnet33 88]

I haven't fit a back seat in the car yet, but I am fairly shure a 1.5" mini tub would be the max width a person could go without modifying any part of the rear seat assy. I know you've posted on my build progress (Grabber Green '70), and saw how much 2" cuts out of the rear. I will be glad to give you any info on mine in order to make your decision easier. What size rear tire are you wanting to run? Also, what type of rear suspension are you panning on? This will dictate to how wide you need to go.

 

 

Ya I've watched your thread. So I'll be watching to see how it turns out. For now I'm staying with stock rear suspension with some caltracs on it. I'd like to run a 10" rim with a tire over the 300 range. I'm aware that I may have to work with the interior panels but I do not want to touch the seats.

[latoracing 256]

I took the time to put the interior pannels in the car this afternoon when I got home, and I stand corrected. I have a non fold down rear seat and I am shure a fold down will be the same, the little tab at the bottom of the inner wheel well is about .625". This bracket thickness is all you are going to move the inner wheel well in without modifying anything, and that is a bunch of work for 5/8". I was looking at the top bracket and the bracket on the floor, which the 1.5" measurement was taken from. If you are wanting to run a section width of up to 300mm, I would stop at 295mm, for the simple fact of having to modify a bunch of parts to run a fold down. I am not saying that this will be complicated, I havn't worked on a fold down car in a while, but it will be a bunch of work. If you want to mini tub the car, go big. I hope I havn't mis-lead anyone. Here are some photos to clairify what I am talking about. The mini tub side misses the top rear bracket by 1.1875" with out pushing on it, and of cource, the lower part is 1.375" inward as compared to the stock side. Hope this sheads some light on the pannel fitment, and mini tub subject.

[stangnet33 88]

Sorry for delayed response, I'm very ill at the moment. I thank you for spending the time to take pics, measure and respond to my thread. Looks like I will have to make a decision on what I want more or come up with a plan to do both. I'll keep following your thread to see how you make out with yours.

[buening 63]

Those panels you show in the picture are the same for all cars, folddown or not. Thanks for the pictures, I didn't realize you couldn't minitub these cars.

[latoracing 256]

Sorry for delayed response, I'm very ill at the moment. I thank you for spending the time to take pics, measure and respond to my thread. Looks like I will have to make a decision on what I want more or come up with a plan to do both. I'll keep following your thread to see how you make out with yours.

 

Not a problem at all. I hope that you get better quickly.

[fvike 173]

Bringing up this thread again, cause I want to run 335s too :thumbup1:

 

In Mustang Monthly February 2012 issue, there is a 1969 Mustang with 335s and a rear fold down seat. The story simply says "At the rear, the wheelwell housings were "mini-tubbed" by adding 1-inch to each side to accommodate the planned meaty P335/30R18 rear tires."

This is the car: http://www.gatewayclassicmustang.com/portfolio.asp?pagenumber=53044

 

So, apparently, a 1-inch tubbed wheelwell should work.

 

In this picture of my car, the fold down locks seems to stick out 1 inch from the wheelhouse. So we got that 1 inch to play with, and still have the lock in the same place.

 

However, on the panel bolt mount, the bracket isn't big enough to move it back 1 inch.

 

 

Perhaps the easies thing to do is to write Gateway Classic and ask them how they did it. Did they have a thread on 69stang.com about that car?

 

Edit: After looking around their website, I found these two images:

 

Looks like they have notched the rear frame as well to get this done. The DSE tubs comes with framerail replacements.