1973 SD Trans Am with 1774 miles

[njsteve]

Charley can you get a photo of the single screw that holds on the top of the flares to the fender? It would be great to get a shot of the correct mounting screw. I'm trying to verify if it is one of the hex screws or a larger, round headed Philips screw.

Like this:

[njsteve]

Charley, want to solve another long standing riddle? Get a close up end-shot of the rubber bushing on the sway bar drop links to see if there are threads coming out of the edges. I got a funny feeling the factory just used 3/4" or 7/8" heater hose as the bushings and not some special rubber sleeve.

[SmallHurst]

Go figure!! I was looking at the spare. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/haha.gif[/img] Right now, that tire is not being reproduced. More stuff you don't really care to know, but I will share with you anyway, in 1972 Polysteel Belted tires were on the H/O, but so many had belts slip (and this was not even a radial). A friend of mine had radials come on his 1968 Cutlass W-31. Within a few weeks, there was a recall for the radials and he got his first Polyglas. Belt slippage was a huge deal for new designs back in the day. Anytime you have a car which had tires that pushed the envelope, the likelihood of still having the original tires (as evidence of this car) is slim to none.

In any event, this car is the stuff of dreams!!!!!! I want to somehow go out to the land of fruit and nuts and be like Charlie!!!!!! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/CharleySucks.gif[/img] (not)

[njsteve]

Isn't that spare one of the infamous recalled Firestone 500s?

[1969z280]

Radial tires in 1968? I don't think they were invented yet. My 1973 Z28, that was just judged at MCACN came with Wide Oval Bias Plys.

The infamous recall was on the GM desigh tires that all of the manufaturers provided. I don't believe it was on these. I worked for Goodyear in the 1970s, it was a nightmare.

[njsteve]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 1969z280</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Radial tires in 1968? I don't think they were invented yet. My 1973 Z28, that was just judged at MCACN came with Wide Oval Bias Plys.

The infamous recall was on the GM desigh tires that all of the manufaturers provided. I don't believe it was on these. I worked for Goodyear in the 1970s, it was a nightmare. </div></div>

It was the Firestone 500. The tire came out in 71. The recall was in 77. It affected all the tire manufacturers because Firestone balked at supplying the government with the safety info they demanded in an effort to derail the recall efforts. It failed and the government, in congressional hearings, came down hard on tire manufacturers from then on for consumer safety issues.

&quot;In 1973, only two years after the 500's debut, Thomas A. Robertson, Firestone's director of development wrote an internal memo stating &quot;We are making an inferior quality radial tire which will subject us to belt-edge separation at high mileage&quot;.&quot;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firestone_T...aration_problem

[68 Vert]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: njsteve</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 1969z280</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Radial tires in 1968? I don't think they were invented yet. My 1973 Z28, that was just judged at MCACN came with Wide Oval Bias Plys.

The infamous recall was on the GM desigh tires that all of the manufaturers provided. I don't believe it was on these. I worked for Goodyear in the 1970s, it was a nightmare. </div></div>

It was the Firestone 500. The tire came out in 71. The recall was in 77. It affected all the tire manufacturers because Firestone balked at supplying the government with the safety info they demanded in an effort to derail the recall efforts. It failed and the government in congressional hearings, came down hard on tire manufacturers from then on for consumer safety issues. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firestone_T...aration_problem </div></div>

I worked at Firestone in '70's...we literally changed 100's of 500's a day AND we had to hand cut the serial numbers out each tire so they couldn't be reused.

What a nightmare...

[Brewster]

Steve, notice the center spoiler bracket and how its twisted. Who ever mounted it wrenched on her pretty darn good for sure!
Looks like that third screw would have lined up fine and was forgotten or dropped off somewhere down the road ?

The Heater hose bushing is common for 73 sway bar drop links and mine still sport them too. Along with that goofy green paint here and there?

Thanks for posting those pictures to confirm my findings on my car. I owe you a Burger and a Beer!

Oh, and dont worry about the Judges looking at that missing bolt since it cant be seen unless the car is up in the air or you're using mirrors and we all know how tacky those mirrors are!

Time capsule and really would love to see this car in person. Please do let us know if visitation is going to offered in the future?

Thanks again for posting!
Brew

[njsteve]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 68 Vert</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

I worked at Firestone in '70's...we literally changed 100's of 500's a day AND we had to hand cut the serial numbers out each tire so they couldn't be reused.

What a nightmare... </div></div>

More trivia. I guess this explains why this SD doesn't have it's original tires - probably got replaced during the recall frenzy:

&quot;In the mid-seventies Firestone Tire decided to get into radials on the cheap, fabricating radial tires on machines made for building bias tires. The tires came apart in a spectacular manner. Firestone recalled close to 9 million of its Firestone 500 steel-belted radial tires. From 1977 to 1980, Firestone’s tire business dropped 25 percent, resulting in the layoff of 25,000 workers. The company went from a $110 million profit to $106 million loss, and its stock dropped from $15 down to $10 a share. Firestone was rescued when Bridgestone Tire bought them in 1988.&quot;

[GTO_DON]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 1969z280</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Radial tires in 1968? I don't think they were invented yet. My 1973 Z28, that was just judged at MCACN came with Wide Oval Bias Plys.

The infamous recall was on the GM desigh tires that all of the manufaturers provided. I don't believe it was on these. I worked for Goodyear in the 1970s, it was a nightmare. </div></div>Radial tyires were definetly around in the 60's. I had a 68 ford ltd with a 428 with all the paperwork and it left the factory with radial tires.