Space Saver Spare Tire or just a Spare tire

Do all 71-73 have space saver tires? Or is it only with fold down rear seats? If not does that mean others have a regular sized spare tire? Just asking as I'm confused cause I have a 71 with no fold down seat with a regular sized spare.

i had regular size spare in mine when i got it . i then switched to a space saver tire ,and then had a blowout 60 miles from home,in the mountains. no cell service ,no towing service . so i changed it ,and drove home very,very slowly . so now i am dumping that tiny tire .:dodgy:

No. All 71-3 Mustangs did not come with the F78-14 space saver spare.

Certain options made the space saver tire necessary:

1. Rear Sport Deck rear seat, aka "fold down"

2. FOR 71 and 72 only: F60X15 B/WL tires (Black Sidewall Tires with Raised White Letters).

with either 15" steel wheels, trim rings and caps OR

3. FOR 71 and 72 only: Magnum 500 wheels (only offered as 15")

For 1973 I am not sure if the spacesaver was used for anything other than cars equipped with the fold down back seat?

My reasoning - Magnums not stock (factory equipped) for 1973.

Ray

Hmm, interesting.

If not equipped with the "sport-deck" rear seat option,why would having any of 15" wheel options require a space-saver?

My 72 Mach 1 without the sport-deck, but with standard 14" wheel/tires came with full size spare.

My 71 with sport-deck and Magnums did come with a space saver. I always assumed the singular criteria was wether it had a sport-deck or not, considering that a full size spare will not fit in a sport-deck trunk. I can't see why any of the wheel options would make any difference.

Hmm, interesting.

If not equipped with the "sport-deck" rear seat option,why would having any of 15" wheel options require a space-saver?

My 72 Mach 1 without the sport-deck, but with standard 14" wheel/tires came with full size spare.

My 71 with sport-deck and Magnums did come with a space saver. I always assumed the singular criteria was whether it had a sport-deck or not, considering that a full size spare will not fit in a sport-deck trunk. I can't see why any of the wheel options would make any difference.

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Not sure why. But it (15" tires/wheels requiring space saver) is what Ford lists as being the way it was when they were sold.

For why, I could guess that the engineers thought it might be too much space taken up by the 15" full sized spare? Hence calling the collapsible one a 'space saver'. (BTW Not trying to sound like a smart a__!) Maybe they thought the customers would have trouble trying to 'wrangle' a full size 15" spare??? Or they needed the extra space to sell all that trunk space!! All my Ford literature lists the 15" tires/wheels forcing the space saver to be equipped.

Your 72 Mach 1 without fold down seat, with the standard 14" wheel/tires helps confirm the info I posted. It would have not come with a space saver. It probably came with a full size E78-14 or F78-14 as the factory spare.

Ray

I thought it was an option for convertible cars as I have found it in a couple of convertibles.

Never knew about the 15 inch wheel deal but the verts with space savers had factory 15 " magnums.

Can a new space saver tire set-up be had these days? I'm curious, because I'm planning on sucking up some under rear package tray space with a box & subs, and a full-size-ish spare would pretty much kill about 1/3 of what's left of the little bit of trunk space we have.

Initially, I'll probably just use one of the tires that came with mine (14" rims and 185/70 series tires), but then I'll be needing to find something more permanent (either a full-on space-saver rim/tire - like from a Crown Vic, or a skinny/tall matching Cragar S/S rim/tire). I'll probably go with the Cragar option though, just to be cool.

I went with the spare from a Crown Vic. Cheap at the junkyard but still a tight fit with the fold down seat.

1971-1972 had the same tire selection specs.

E78x14 Black side wall

E70x14 White side wall

F70x14 White side wall

F70x14 Black with white Lettering

F60x15 Black with white Lettering also (came with F78x14 space saver spare tire)

I went with the spare from a Crown Vic. Cheap at the junkyard but still a tight fit with the fold down seat.

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Me too. Space savers are way cool and worth the money if you show your car, but I would not actually use a 35+ year old version.

I've been thinking about getting a Ford Probe space saver. Correct bolt pattern I believe. They are obviously thinner so you would have some space spare on top of the wheel in the trunk. Any comments?

The originals are expensive. Mine has no spare yet and fold down is present so I was thinking a modern mustang space saver should do. A 35 year old space saver certainly would likely not be a life saver.

For the record and for what it's worth, my 72 vert had 15 inch Magnums and came with a space saver.

My 1971 429 Mach 1 with F60-15 steel wheels / trim rings / hub caps came with a full sized spare. Just another example of inconsistent things that occurred during the building / assembling of these cars.

My 72 convert with factory Magnums (15 inch) still has space saver in trunk.

My 1971 429 Mach 1 with F60-15 steel wheels / trim rings / hub caps came with a full sized spare. Just another example of inconsistent things that occurred during the building / assembling of these cars.

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If you are the original owner or you know that this is the way it left the factory, then it was defiantly a mis-built vehicle. Any mistakes the factory misses become the dealers responsibility to "Fix" once they sign for it from the convoy driver. One of two conditions had to be met to qualify for the space saver spare. (1) F60X15 tire, (2) Fold down rear seat. The hold down bracket for the space saver spare was different and changed during 72 model run (10/18/71) for the 63 body style. The line worker must of zigged instead of zagging when the "Buck" process on your car began (when the very first piece of sheet metal receives the very first weld). That's when the proper bracket should have been spot welded to the trunk floor.

The only way I would use one now is for a car show. A 40+ year old tire I just would not trust. I do understand why they would use one on the Sportsroof model. MY 71 Mach 1 (9/21/70) had F60X15 tires. When I acquired it in 1981 the space saver was in the trunk but was junk. The tire was worn out and rim was bent. I found a 15" Torino rim to use for a spare and off I went. Murphy's Law says "Anything that can go wrong will"! I had a flat a few weeks later, by myself, out in the country, pitch black night, and raining. My flashlight would only work if you pointed it straight up in the air and the lug nuts were a joy to remove (in the dark) with the factory lug handle since they were installed with an impact wrench at the shop. THEN you get to wrestle that F60X15 tire (a big tire then) through that little opening of a trunk. Ok I'm done!!! Lol

:goodpost: Steve ::thumb::

:goodpost: Steve ::thumb::

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Tim, I'm glad you enjoyed my rant. Lol I've have some really great adventures, good and bad in my vehicles. I'm just glad they can't talk!! :whistling::whistling:

I have seen space saver spare brackets in convertibles before so they must have been options in them also. My 73 Mach 1 and 72 both had fold down and space saver. That darn cylinder was expensive in the day like $18.00. Tim did a great thread on building a repo one not to long ago. I attached a picture of the bracket for those that do not know what to look for with the original cylinder in place.

Now to tell a space saver spare story. As some know on here I was kind of a crazy driver back in the 60's and 70's and used up a lot of tires. On the way home one afternoon I cut across the Blue Ridge Parkway to get home. Probably 3 miles from home boom a flat. I didn't want to run the space saver so I walked home got my Maverick, which I had ordered with HD suspension, had the same 5 lug pattern as the Mach. I drove back put the spare on and good to go. Now I have two cars and one driver so I decide to drive a few hundred yards walk back and get the other car and do it over and over until home, lol. On one of my hikes between the two cars someone stopped and asked if I needed a ride. I laughed and said while pointing No I am in that car and that car. He looked at me like what the H*&&. Never used my spare still in the car.

There were several people killed when inflating them that is why they recalled them and put a safety valve in. Never put much air into one to clean or check it. If you have one and it has a regular tire valve it never came in for the recall and caution sticker. Pics attached. They are just a big balloon not much strength. The new donuts are better. I think the cylinder is actually filled with propane so no smoking either. Someone on here was afraid to use Dura Cool in the air conditioner because it was flammable but will fill their spare with propane.

David