Blue Stripe Radiator Hose

[Jack M.]

Re: Blue Stripe Radiator Hose

Once again, I've turned to the Revs Digital Library and located an image that might help.
The citation indicated this was a 'Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Road Test' with a date of 1-3-64.
This was a 1963 Fuel Injected Coupe... pictures were on the street, not the track.
Although B&W images, you can still see the stripe on the top radiator hose (unknown color).
I've included two smaller versions on the TDB... and larger versions can be download here:
1963 Hose Stripe #1 (full hose)
1963 Hose Stripe #2 (zoomed in)

[Ara G.]

Re: Blue Stripe Radiator Hose

Steve and Gary's pics are what you're looking for. I have a bunch of pics with original upper hoses if you need me to sort them and send you, but Steve's and Gary's pics are spot on IMO. Regards. ARA

[John D.]

Re: Blue Stripe Radiator Hose

Doc, God created hose so it is. Now for a story about NOS top water hoses that go for big bucks Goeff. They don't fit!!!! They are too short, etc.

I sent Michael Hanson and Jorjorian pics of this hose and got their blessings that its the real deal. Pilot car parts are not necessarily assembly line parts as you and others well known.
Is the stripe printed on top of the GM# you ask. Will go look again and get back. Ohhhh I see what you mean. But will confirm stripe on part number.

3827368 stamp is silver. It was put on ATOP/OVER the stripe. Stripe put on first. Number put on second on top of the blue stripe.
I used my bright mag light to check it out.
Notice the texture of the rubber.

Mike Lombardi saw this hose on my car at Marlborough. Remember Mike as the guys said my hose was incorrect. Then Jimmy Greg came up and said that old JDs car had the only real deal hose at the show. Rest were repros. The good MD from MD saw this hose on my car also.

[Mike L.]

Re: Blue Stripe Radiator Hose

OK, So we for the most part think there was a stripe on the upper hose. Well let me through this out there, what about a GM (Old ) original hose never put on a car yet with a WHITE stripe & part number. The hose looks like the one Jack Morocco posted. Could GM use different suppliers, and the color was the way they could tell were they come from. John D, my hose look just like yours in the picture except white stripe.

[Geoff C.]

Re: Blue Stripe Radiator Hose

Gary Chestnutz: take any Corvette radiator hose & get back to me with the yarn code you find. Make sure you photo it in color. Good luck in this endeavor.

Then I’ll look it up in my RMA code book. It’s about 30 years old, nearly 100 pages & yarn codes are only a minor part because not all manner of rubber is reinforced with any cloth insert.

Virtually all rubber regardless if molded or extruded has a 2 or 3 letter alphabetic code to ID the manufacturer – if they belong to the organization. It may be molded or printed on the surface.

Initially decades ago, a 2 letter code sufficed as there were fewer manufacturers & they were not organized. The big old USA manufacturers were identified early on with A’s as in AU, AY, AF, etc. When the A’s were exhausted the 2 letter coded B’s started. This continued through the alphabet. Seldom does the abbreviation have any connection to the company’s name or initials.
Then there were 3 letter codes.

There is another section of codes concerning the grooves & raised projections (NCRS jingo is ribs) on some extruded parts. There is even an alphabetical index to look up a company & some have several codes for different plants.

The yarn codes were to identify the plant that manufactured the hose. Since GM bought hose from Goodyear, Gates, Gates, Dayco, Firestone, etc – the yarn code identified which South American, or Mexican or American factory made that hose for Goodyear which sold it to GM.

I guess I missed it - John DeGregory - I’d love to see a photo of your hose with the Silver & Blue marking. So I’ll ask again: how about that picture.

[John D.]

Re: Blue Stripe Radiator Hose

Geoff, See post #3 for the photo of my original hose. Don't know how you missed it? John D

[Jack M.]

Re: Blue Stripe Radiator Hose

OK, So we for the most part think there was a stripe on the upper hose. Well let me through this out there, what about a GM (Old ) original hose never put on a car yet with a WHITE stripe & part number. The hose looks like the one Jack Morocco posted. Could GM use different suppliers, and the color was the way they could tell were they come from. John D, my hose look just like yours in the picture except white stripe.

Not to be argumentative (since I'm actually clueless about these hoses), but the B&W image I posted (taken 1-3-64) would be near impossible to definitively ascertain the color of the stripe (or anything else). As an example, I converted JD's color image to B&W... I certainly would be challenged to tell the exact color of the hose stripe below.

[John D.]

Re: Blue Stripe Radiator Hose

Jack,Very nice illustration and info about the hose on my 63. Sure does look white now doesn't it. LOL

Notice how thin this stripe is. Somewhere around here I have a NOS Service replacement hose that has a wider stripe.And #2 the hose is too short.

also notice my weird air cleaner clamp. The bolt threads sticking up in the air. I was told to leave that alone as some worker installed the clamp backwards on the line. The decal on my air cleaner is an old repro that is incorrect. JD

[Bob J.]

Re: Blue Stripe Radiator Hose

Pictures of an original upper 250-300HP hose. Still has the original clamp dated 4/63.. Note the blue stripe is on the bottom of the hose. Very fake looking to see every logo facing up on restored cars.
Bob Jorjorian

[Joe L.]

Re: Blue Stripe Radiator Hose

Jack,Very nice illustration and info about the hose on my 63. Sure does look white now doesn't it. LOL

Notice how thin this stripe is. Somewhere around here I have a NOS Service replacement hose that has a wider stripe.And #2 the hose is too short.

also notice my weird air cleaner clamp. The bolt threads sticking up in the air. I was told to leave that alone as some worker installed the clamp backwards on the line. The decal on my air cleaner is an old repro that is incorrect. JD

JD-------


By the way, for those that don't know the purpose of the stripe, I believe its purpose was to make it easily visually apparent if the hose was "twisted" upon installation. I don't think the color of the stripe had anything to do with the ID of the manufacturer. As Geoff mentioned, that was done by the two alpha character code printed on the hose. I've never seen the printing on the hoses be anything but white. So, I do not understand why the stripe would have been applied in any other color.

[Geoff C.]

Re: Blue Stripe Radiator Hose

Thanks Bob
Thanks John - don't know how I missed it; thought it was another members photo

[John D.]

Re: Blue Stripe Radiator Hose

Thanks for posting the hose info Geoff. I am a humble man and never complain about judging or complain at the shows. Just smile and make sick jokes.
But the top water hose on my '63 was made fun of by numerous people at shows. Why? Because it was the only weird looking hose at the show. LOL
Much appreciated Doc.
Now maybe this post will get attention and car owners, etc will realize what is correct and what is not. Back to work.

Nice pic Jorjorian. Except your hose is upside down.

[Chris D.]

Re: Blue Stripe Radiator Hose

JD-------


By the way, for those that don't know the purpose of the stripe, I believe its purpose was to make it easily visually apparent if the hose was "twisted" upon installation. I don't think the color of the stripe had anything to do with the ID of the manufacturer. As Geoff mentioned, that was done by the two alpha character code printed on the hose. I've never seen the printing on the hoses be anything but white. So, I do not understand why the stripe would have been applied in any other color.

Joe,

My time in the rubber hose industry came decades after dad brought home the '63. So I have no direct insights about the hoses that originally came on the Corvette in my garage. However, there are a few hose manufacturing tidbits I can share. You and Geoff have it right, the manufacturer's trace thread color had no bearing on the outside stripe color. Goodyear's 2 letter stamp ID is AU, the tracer thread color is green, and apparently the stripe is blue. Goodyear was the lead supplier of Corvette coolant hoses in the 80's and I suspect for most years prior.

Formed coolant hoses are made now much like the were then. A long length of tube is extruded, a textile layer is knit over the tube, then a cover layer extruded over that. If a stripe is called for, it is applied as the raw hose comes off the cover extruder. Green hose is coiled in very long lengths before the shaping process with a single stripe running the full length. Raw hose is cut to part length then each part is hand loaded on a formed mandrel for the cure vulcanization to give it the final shape. I highly doubt that any attention was paid to the stripe orientation as the hose was loaded. Those boys were in a hurry to make their ticket. Part numbers were stamped on last as a final finish operation after cure so yes, if stripe and stamping meet, stamping is on top.

Why the stripe? I wouldn't discount the Blue Streak theory. GM has always been restrictive in allowing any supplier trademarks. I do know that the Lincoln Nebraska plant that made most of Goodyear's hose used stripes to differentiate between coolant hose compounds and fuel hose compounds. Before RF ID or bar codes, paper labels were the in-process control. Stripes provided an important backup because you did not want to be the supplier that used the wrong material if a tag fell off.

Lastly, if you have an original 60's hose, by all means put it on display but not on your car. Those old neoprene compounds and rayon reinforcements have no place on your Corvette shaped steam pressure vessel. They had to be replaced every two years for a reason. Even sitting on a shelf an original will likely be as hard as a rock.