Boot interior

TreeVee

Member
Hi all,

The disposition of the boot with the wide spare blocking the deepest section of the boot and the void behind it which at best can be used for jack, triangle and tool kit storage has never impressed me.

Neither the optional spare storage on top of the lid.

The trim in my P6 was mostly rubber mat fragments held in place with contact adhesive. Not a pretty sight!

My solution was to obtain a "mini" spare from a Chrysler Voyager. Full diametre but a 40 mm space gain in width and place at against the forward side of the boot. To get nice flat surfaces for the carpet, I covered the boot surfaces with panels made from 12 mm plywood (centre section) and 1,5 mm aluminium (side sections). Also the new battery and sill covers. The carpet is automotive grade with a robust backing

The space between the spare and the fuel tank is perfect for storing the jack etc with dedicated holders.

It is now a pleasure to open the boot!

Regards,
P-G
 

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Liking that. You need a matching liner on the inside of the lid incorporating the warning triangle Mercedes style.
 
That’s very tidy! Love the pocket beside the spare.
The pocket is full width. The triangle (just visible) and jack are stored in a section wide enough to keep them in place and to the right is a smaller section where you see a bottle of fuel lead additive. See the WIP photo.
 

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Hi all,

The disposition of the boot with the wide spare blocking the deepest section of the boot and the void behind it which at best can be used for jack, triangle and tool kit storage has never impressed me.

Neither the optional spare storage on top of the lid.

The trim in my P6 was mostly rubber mat fragments held in place with contact adhesive. Not a pretty sight!

My solution was to obtain a "mini" spare from a Chrysler Voyager. Full diametre but a 40 mm space gain in width and place at against the forward side of the boot. To get nice flat surfaces for the carpet, I covered the boot surfaces with panels made from 12 mm plywood (centre section) and 1,5 mm aluminium (side sections). Also the new battery and sill covers. The carpet is automotive grade with a robust backing

The space between the spare and the fuel tank is perfect for storing the jack etc with dedicated holders.

It is now a pleasure to open the boot!

Regards,
P-G
That is very nice. I agree with you, the boot is very small, about the size of a Morris Minor. The spare on the boot lid has never impressed me either.
 
That is very nice. I agree with you, the boot is very small, about the size of a Morris Minor. The spare on the boot lid has never impressed me either.
MUCH bigger than a MM. I do the recycling sometimes in the P6 and there is no way you can get those large Ikea bins in an MM.
 
MUCH bigger than a MM. I do the recycling sometimes in the P6 and there is no way you can get those large Ikea bins in an MM.
I did'nt mean it literally, I just mean it's not very big for the size of the car. If I had been buying one from new 50 years ago it would have put me off buying it. As it happens I don't have to put anything bigger than a picnic basket in it.
 
I think the size is not too bad if it had not been for the spare. With the minispare (not available in the 70-ies) and the jack behind it, it feels OK.
 

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MUCH bigger than a MM. I do the recycling sometimes in the P6 and there is no way you can get those large Ikea bins in an MM.

.

Yay that, Big Chris would never use a MM can't get too many stiffs in the boot, thats why he choose a P6B.
Full criminality and all Class :thumb:

.
 
.

Yay that, Big Chris would never use a MM can't get too many stiffs in the boot, thats why he choose a P6B.
Full criminality and all Class :thumb:

.
You just have to put the bodies in before rigor morris has taken hold. (Signs I’ve lived in New Jersey for too long)
 
Another useful modification is replacing the prop for the unbelievably heavy bonnet (aluminium!) with gas struts (for a Saab 9-3). The only impact on the car is 4 x 5 mm holes at the rim of the bonnet.
 

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My only concern with gas struts on the bonnet, is that it's already a weak structure, and you've just added additional stress without bracing it.
 
I too have thought about that.

Since the struts lift the bonnet, the bending load from the overhang makes the bonnet material around the strut brackets to be in compression and should not be susceptible to cracks. And the lift force is carried both sides.

There will be tensile stress at the peak of the bonnet crowning but over a large width and therefore vey low.

The brackets are shaped to follow the inner surface of the bonnet and have rubber layers to distribute the contact force. See photo.

The axial force of the strut is carried by two M5 screws each side.

My struts are 690 mm extended length and 290 N force. They would keep the bonnet open with less force which would reduce the stresses on the bonnet when closing it. It is also beneficial with longer struts to reduce the overhand and hence the stresses.
 

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Another useful modification is replacing the prop for the unbelievably heavy bonnet
My Saab 93's struts are failing at 15years, I now keep a stick in the boot.

My P6's original strut is still working after 50 years, I must have a good one;)

Genius wins over intelligent fools.
 
My Saab 93's struts are failing at 15years, I now keep a stick in the boot.

My P6's original strut is still working after 50 years, I must have a good one;)

Genius wins over intelligent fools.
To be fair I think it seized solid....
 
The boot arrangement looks quite neat.
The P6 boot is not small at all, but its shape is not great due to the rear suspension. With the spare wheel in the normal place, the depth of the boot is considerable and you will have no problem to fit large and small suitcases or bags. However, the width is considebly reduced, so when recently i had to carry 2 children's prams, i had to put the spare flat on the floor. If you add the touring kit with the spare on the boot lid, it seems that you have quite a few options available.
 
I agree that the volume is good but the shape makes it difficult to take advantage of the space. The depth is not large enough to put the spare flat on the floor in my 3500, but still useful with the vertical narrow section minispare (which also is too large to put on the floor). Hiding the jack, triangle etc in the space that was blocked by the cardboard panel covering the tank adds both useful space previously obscured by the spare and stops the things from living their own lives in the boot.
 
Slightly mystified as my spare, with cover, fits on the floor of the boot. jack kept in the original spare place against the LH boot wall, held in by original rubber strap. Not a particularly neat fitting, but empty space under the cover can be used for more spares stowage. ( I hae a bag with radiator hoses)
Not the best boot layout, but the spare is too big and heavy to put anywhere else
 
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