DOT Tire Dates

[Tom R.]

Re: DOT Tire Dates

Most interesting. We cut them some slack when they move up in the late model C3s (date code judging) but do expect it to be a Polyspare.

[Terry M.]

[Patrick H.]

Re: DOT Tire Dates

At the recent Seven Springs Regional, I judged exterior. Not my favorite, but I sure learned more about tire judging and importantly paint judging than I ever would have imagined.

Even though I could tell the difference between the date code symbols and formats of original 68-72 tires with later repros, I/we did not deduct for date codes. I could not find any specific mention of a need to include them or exclude them, so "the benefit of the doubt goes to the owner." Should I have done so? Maybe. And, I suspect it would have been no more than a 10% deduction (3 points) for "DOT markings" as noted in standard guidelines.

Just my notation and observation.

Patrick

[Brad M.]

Re: DOT Tire Dates

I think the first two letters on these designate the manufacturer and plant where they are produced, is that correct?

I have firestones and was told the following regarding them

1st digit - V=Firestone
2nd digit - J & H are the plants J=Topeka, KS and H=Union City.
3rd and 4th digit - determine the size of tire,U2 = F 70 15

I wonder if the reproductions can be identified by just the first two letters. (i.e. in the goodyear example above, is these are likely reproductions, does the CY represent Kelsey and their plant (whereever it is) or Coker and their plant - or whomever is reproducting these??

[Norm C.]

Re: DOT Tire Dates

Brad... Good Possibility.... The two tires shown at the top both have the third digit with the letter U as my two examples both have.... This leads me to be a little more hopeful that they may indeed be true Goodyears.

Onedifference though on your thoughts about whether they are Coker or Kelsey... I believe Coker produces the Firestones and Kelsey produces the Goodyears.

Also to Terry's point about the number of digits,,, the top example has ten, the second one has eleven, which may point to later years for those with 12 digits like mine......???????????

[Brad M.]

Re: DOT Tire Dates

Norm,
I am sure you are right about Coker doing Firestone and Kelsey doing Goodyear, I was not too clear on that part, but was just thinking that maybe each Coker and Goodyear have distinguishable plant codes separate from the plants that existed for Firestone and Goodyear.

Also, I should clarify that the information that I was provided on those codes specifically did reference the 10 digit codes. They may or may not be same as the 12 digit codes.

For the first two characters, I do not know what codes that were used by goodyear, I was thinking that the CY was basically either C for either Goodyear or Kelsey (depending upon whether these are orig or repop) and Y for the respective plant of whichever of the two manufacturers C corresponds to. - maybe someone else knows what C and Y equate to??

Regarding the third digit being U, i noted that the third and fourth digit in yours are U2, which is consistent with the information provided to me on the 10 digit codes representing the tire size, so maybe the U2 in the 12 digit code also indicates the F 70 15 size.

Some of the firestones that I have are the eight digit pre 71 versions and I have no idea how to decipher those.

I have one which is likely never dismounted from a rim dated June 10, 1970 in which the tire reads 000KA113

Also have one on a January 69 rim which reads 001HL519 - this one has sears wheel weights rather than micro and thus has a greater chance to not be original to that rim (it has at a minimum been re-balanced).

Anyway, not sure any of this really helps since I have all firestones and you have goodyears, so I will end the rambling.

[Norm C.]

DOT Tire Dates

A 3 part question about tire dates:

1. When did Goodyear and or other tire manufacturers begin using the
dating codes?

2. When did NCRS begin judging the tire dates on the spares for the C3's?

3. Does NCRS judge other year group tires?

Thanks in advance for the help!!

[John H.]

Re: DOT Tire Dates

Tires were required to have DOT coding after 1968, but the DOT-mandated standard format for coding didn't start until mid-May, 1971.

[Terry M.]

Re: DOT Tire Dates

John,
I thought the Federal Tire Standards went into effect January 1971. I have tires with the old code system from Feb of 1971, and the new system from the single-digit weeks of 1971. I guess I'll have to see if I can find my references for that date. Of course from our perspective a couple of months difference now that we are a lot closer to four decades out may not matter too much.

Back to Norm’s questions
2) Back in the dark ages when I was 1970-1972 Team Leader (pre-1999) we judged the date on spare tires to the extent that one can easily determine if the tire was manufactured pre-1971 or the actual date if 1971 calendar year or later. I encouraged my exterior judges to make that assessment. I would have to look up when I became Teal Leader, but it might have been in the late ‘80s, to get a handle on when we started doing that. Usually the same judges worked 1968-69 and ‘70-72 back then – so I expect both classes judged spare tire dates from say, 1990 or so.

3) I know the late 1970s cars get the spare date judged because there is a major configuration change in the spare some time in there. Tom Russo has written stories for The Restorer about that spare tire situation, and included date code information in those stories.

All that said, I would bet you can find NCRS meets (like some chapter meets) where the spare tire date is not judged. At some the spare tire might not even be displayed. I can also imagine there are meets where the number of cars to be judged makes shortcuts necessary – and spare tires would be one easy time saving item to ignore. When I was TL that happened back before we had any limit on the number of cars judged. I can also imagine you could encounter an exterior judging team that does not have the expertise to judge the dates, and in that case ... Well you can figure out what happens when judges don’t have the skill or knowledge to make an originality assessment.

Norm, I am curious as to why this history lesson has meaning. I sense a longer story behind your questions.

[Norm C.]

Re: DOT Tire Dates

Terry,,, thanks for the history lesson & Yes, very insightful as to the point of my curiosity. I'm "in between" having a working garage at the moment (mine is temp storage, another not so good story) I was able to land a 4wk gig on a lift to carefully remove the undercoating on my 72.

Its like working in a car museum. I'm surrounded by vintage Bentleys, Morgans, BMWs, a slew of 60's Chevys(Impala Conv SS, Corvair Spyder, 53 & 62 Vettes,)48 Chrysler Woody, all totally restored or originally preserved & a totally preserved mahagony 60's Chris Craft, & more. Half of the wharehouse is storage for a long time family owned (40"s era) Chevy dealer.

There is also a gentleman who owns & professionally restores Bentley's. He was impressed to see my original spare (never been mounted) as I bragged about having "original St. Louis smog air" in that spare. When I showed him the date code, he said those weren't used until late 70's or 80. In his younger years he was in the tire industry. He also showed me personal pictures with him & Zora from the early 80's at some track they were working at.

When I told him the discrepency in the history (at least as I thought it was) I told him I would ask the Tech board. btw, he also owns three Vettes as well. Thanks again Terry for the help!!!!!

[Harmon C.]

Re: DOT Tire Dates

In 73-77 when the class first started and I had to judge the spare we always judged the date of the rim and the tire. If the road tires were one of the two radials used in those years the date was not judged because their are no reproductions. The date on the road tires was checked for Bowtie and very seldom was correct.

[Tom R.]

Re: DOT Tire Dates

In 73-77 when the class first started and I had to judge the spare we always judged the date of the rim and the tire. If the road tires were one of the two radials used in those years the date was not judged because their are no reproductions. The date on the road tires was checked for Bowtie and very seldom was correct.

For the 78-82 model years, we judge the "polyspare" wheel date code only. We look at it all especially for Bowtie but flight judging only the wheel date code is judged.