Original tire care

**lowmile** · #1 01-20-2003, 03:22 PM

What is the best way to preserve the original tires off of a car? They are 30 years old Firestones and have VERY small cracks in them but are still in great shape and they're still on the original wheels. They hold air very well but I took them off of the car and put a set of radials on it for now. Thanks, Mark

**lowmile** · #2 01-20-2003, 04:05 PM

Tire pic

jbclassics · #3 01-20-2003, 05:17 PM

Good move taking them off the car Mark, don't ven think about driving on them they sound like they have dry rotted
pretty badly and road heat from driving will cause them
shread apart....(I have experience [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif[/img])

If you want to save the old tires for shows use a tire dressing that does not contain alcohol, it dries out
the rubber and causies cracking.

Nova Research Project · #4 01-20-2003, 05:30 PM

lowmile,

Does you spare still have the orginal 4 letter marking on the tread?

Greg

**lowmile** · #5 01-20-2003, 08:58 PM

I'll check the spare. The tire pic is one that is off of the car.

**lowmile** · #6 01-22-2003, 01:18 AM

Yes, the markings are still there, but they are very hard to read. I think the last 3 letters are TEA. I'll look at it in the daylight and see if I can see it any better. Do you know the deal on the aqua line on the tread? It goes around most of the tread and is about the with of what an ink pen would make. Mark

Nova Research Project · #7 01-22-2003, 03:29 AM

Mark,

I think the aqua (or other color) line was on most tires. It was applied in the mold like the other lettering. Other than that I do not know what it signified. Any chance of emailing a picture of the code?
Thanks, Greg

**SS427** · #8 01-22-2003, 04:11 AM

Mark,
If by chance you have a build sheet, the tire code is listed in box 93. Those numbers/letters are stamped on the tire. If you have the sheet, check it against the stampings.
Rick

**lowmile** · #9 01-22-2003, 01:53 PM

I'll try to get a pic of it. It might not show up. Mark

**lowmile** · #10 01-22-2003, 02:11 PM

I've had a good many Nova's and have usually been able to find a build sheet, if I looked. You think it would be a sure-thing to find one in a 5000 mile car but no luck so far. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/confused.gif[/img] And you know how important it is to have when your trying to document a real 6 cly three speed on the column car. As we all know there are a few people out there trying to pass off their old big blocks cars as real 6cly cars. Good doucumentation is everything...... [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Mark

Dedicated to the Promotion and Preservation of American Muscle Cars, Dealer built Supercars and COPO cars.