Chp trunk equipment holes?

[Va 5.0]

What were these holes drilled into the spare tire well for? Did it have something to do with the radio tray?

[John10608]

Had to be from previous owner. mine didn't have those in it.
Have never seen holes in the spare tire area like that before.

[Mustang Kid]

Center two holes were for the center brace under the equipment fiber board.

Don't have a clue what the other two pairs of holes are from. I'll look on our cars and see.

I should edit a trunk photo of mine showing all the holes and what they were for. Help future questions.

[John10608]

Not in the spare tire cavity, there were no holes where the spare tire rests. The radio board mounting bracket holes were in the bottom of the trunk area, both sides away from the spare tire and close to the inside of the rear quarter panels. Also on the back side of the trunk floor behind the rear seats.

2 brackets, not 3. 4 holes total, 2 each side, and they would have been larger holes than the ones pictured.

There shouldn't be any holes drilled in the spare tire cavity

[Va 5.0]

I have done a little research and I have found that it is really hard to find a picture of a trunk without the spare tire in it. The best one I have found was on Rich's restoration of his 1985 CHP8336. Pic's in the resto #2 album Pic #6 and #7 . It shows several sets of holes in the spare well they seem to line up with center supports for the radio tray.

[Va 5.0]

Looks like Sam's car has the holes also also, maybe the micor radios and Ge mastr ii repeaters were heavier than the rangers that replaced them. Possibly later cars like John's did not need the extra bracing?

[mac88chp]

Interesting. I don't recall there being any holes like that in my tire well. Sam, do you have a photo of this radio board center support? Like John, I have never seen nor heard of one before.

(By the way, trying to wrestle the full size spare out of the well with the radio board installed is not possible. I have found out that you either have to loosen the board's support legs at the aft end and push up on the board (a nasty proposition) or simply remove the catch for the trunk latch. I suggest you other CHP owners consider this if you drive your cars any distance and carry the appropriate wrench to accomplish the latter.)

[mac88chp]

Originally Posted by Va 5.0

Looks like Sam's car has the holes also also, maybe the micor radios and Ge mastr ii repeaters were heavier than the rangers that replaced them. Possibly later cars like John's did not need the extra bracing?

That dual transitter Micor is heavy as hell and the GE cabinet is no lightweight either but so far after 6+ years, my board shows no signs of fatigue or bowing. I built mine from 3/4" CDX plywood per sources I consulted, maybe the earlier ones used lighter weight plywood or fibreboard thus they needed more bracing? The later cabinets may have been lighter too and that combined with better wood may have meant no center bracing was needed.

[Mustang Kid]

I've never seen a CHP car with plywood as the equipment board, 80s-present. All the 80s-90s cars my dad has bought with equipment boards left in them are all fiber board.

Can't seem to locate pictures of our cars with the two holes in the center of the tire well wall. I know my 85 has them. Thought I saw them on my dads 90 as well. It would make sense that there would be a center brace, since there is nothing else in the mustang to support the center. I'll have to look at my dads 92 again since it still has it's fiber board. Can't tell from my pictures.

[John10608]

Well, I'm not going to argue and argue this point, but, I have never seen a center brace for the radio tray in any vehicle let alone a mustang that I drove that I can recall. And yes, I have never seen a plywood tray, not saying there wasn't one, but it was always a fiber partical board.

The braces have one hole in them at each end. If there are 2 ( I'll have to go look ) they are closer together than the ones pictured.

I do know that in the mid 80's ( 84 or 85 I believe ) to about 89 ? we had short wood emt back boards in the trunks. Stuffed behind the spare tire under the radio tray. Placed back there mainly because I don't think they were ever used much at all if ever in the field, probably the reason they only lasted 4 - 5 years. ( I have several of them here ) want one ? LOL

Maybe there was some sort of metal backing they attached inside the spare tire cavity that extended above the trunk floor a few inches to keep the board in place and not sliding around.

That is the ONLY thing I can think of. There just was no center brace in the mustangs. I can not think of anything else the CHP would attach in the spare tire cavity. Maybe they made their own brace to hold the jack and lug wrench, attached it inside and bent it over the top of the tire ? Then how would you get the tire out ? Doubt it.

I do know it was a B &%# H to get the tire out if you had a flat.
You had to empty the whole trunk practically on the side of the freeway, change the tire, stuff it back in the trunk with the rest of the stuff, then head back to the office to get a new spare which required removing all of the above mentioned C %$# P and put it all back again.
P. I. T. A. ! lol But.......... guess maybe that was why the lazy officers called a tow to fix their flat. I thought that was pretty embarrassing myself.( let alone lazy )
I'd change my own tires.

Besides, why would there be 6 holes spread out like that for one thin 1" verticle brace ?? Wasn't for a brace.

Good luck. I have never seen holes like that before though.
My guess would be something to hold the backboards in place behind the spare.