78 Pace Car Tires

[Stuart F.]

Re: 78 Pace Car Tires

I had a set of the Firestone 500 Radials that were bought in the mid 70's w/ serial numbers just outside the recall numbers. As they were not the proper tire for my car, I replaced them and kept them on the shelf for many years. They had less than 1000 miles on them. My son trailered the car from Illinois down to Arkansas as we were moving and did not have a good storage place for it. He used a U-Haul truck as he was also taking a lot of household goods (and Parts) as well. Someone stopped at a wayside and saw the Vette on the trailer and the conversation somehow came around to the tires. My son offered them for sale out of the back of the truck and the guy acted as though he found gold. He had an earlier C-3 for which they may have been appropriate. My son sold them for $400. and we thought he did real good to get rid of them (around 1992).

Stu Fox

[Steven B.]

Re: 78 Pace Car Tires

What Stu says is true. I have experienced it on my '78 and it scares the brake fluid out of you. 'Visions of cracking fiberglass and all----

[Tom R.]

Re: 78 Pace Car Tires

I judge a lot of these trailer queen Pace Cars (including Brian's) and ding owners pretty good when I see wet calipers...we want the owner to remember this oversight and encourage immediate attention. I hope they appreciate it when they go back to work on it.

A new owner was asking about a high-mileage Pace Car and the first thing I shared was to get on those brakes. It had been sitting for who knows how long. One of those stories that it was his mother-in-laws and sat in the garage along with a 77 for at least 16 years...he was asking what he should do to get it road worthy. And you can't forget about the master cylinder...it goes bad as well.

BTW...his wasn't!

[Stuart F.]

Re: 78 Pace Car Tires

Tom;

With reference to your post #9 in this thread, I had hoped Brian would have jumped in here to explain his decision for BFG tires, but I guess he must have changed his schedule or his boss won't let him use the computer. Anyway, as best I can recall, being as how this car has a few more miles on it than his last, he is inclined to drive it some. It does not have the decals on it, so he even wanted to get some period correct after market wheels like Keystones or Craegers to go with the T/A radials and give the car a second personality for cruise ins. He had a second set of wheels and tires that came with the car, but they were correct for later years (up to 82 ?) so they still had some value. He sold them for a good price, then bought the wheels at Eckler's for a steal and the BFG's, and still had money left over.

I don't know if his idea for driving more is working too well, because on our last ride together (his 78 and my 63), he left me after he got gas and tells me he only got a kitchen pass to do that (get gas), so I had to go on by myself, Ha!

Stu Fox

[Oliver B.]

Re: 78 Pace Car Tires

@ Steven (post #11): wow, I do envy you for your SR 500's! Although they do not not sound like being appropriate to be presented on the car on shows (or are they?)... Let alone being fit for the road.

@ Ridge (post #15): fully understandable, that a 100% reman of the old tire would not be beneficial - neither for the remanufacturing supplier, nor a customer! I was thinking, that Coker, Kelsey - whoever - would copy the old looks, but add some modern technology to their repro tires... Don't they?

@ Stu (post #16): too bad - it was in 1992 when I bought my car in Florida. Had I run into your son, I would have loved to fix the deal as well...

[Anthony G.]

Re: 78 Pace Car Tires

Lucky for my pal, this PC had its' calipers reworked about two years ago, after exactly the problems you folks had mentioned.

Gotta love old cars, eh?

[Steven B.]

Re: 78 Pace Car Tires

@ Steven (post #11): wow, I do envy you for your SR 500's! Although they do not not sound like being appropriate to be presented on the car on shows (or are they?)... Let alone being fit for the road.

@ Ridge (post #15): fully understandable, that a 100% reman of the old tire would not be beneficial - neither for the remanufacturing supplier, nor a customer! I was thinking, that Coker, Kelsey - whoever - would copy the old looks, but add some modern technology to their repro tires... Don't they?

@ Stu (post #16): too bad - it was in 1992 when I bought my car in Florida. Had I run into your son, I would have loved to fix the deal as well...

Re: Post #11, Unfortunately they are in un-driveable and un-showable condition. The treads are coming apart, the steel has broken and sticks out from the tires. I have to wear thick leather gloves while handling them so as not to cut my hands. I only kept them because they are original to the car, just as I kept the original spark plugs, documentation, etc.. I also declined the recall for the horn button and still have the "polished" one instead of the painted button.

[Terry M.]

Re: 78 Pace Car Tires

I just talked to John Kelsey here at the national Convention. Goodyear tires for your 1978s are on the way. First quarter of '09 is the projection at this point. So a little patience and you will again be on your way.

If they are anything like the quality of the Speedway Wide Treads he makes -- they will be exact replacements, except for the date.

[Steven B.]

Re: 78 Pace Car Tires

That is great news! Would it be pushing it to request Blue Streaks and Firestone 170's?? I doubt if he has the rights to the Firestones, correct???

Thanks for checking this!

Steve

[Terry M.]

[Steven B.]

Re: 78 Pace Car Tires

Thanks Terry!

All of your efforts are really appreciated by those of us who can get a good reproduction tire for our Corvettes.

Steve

[Anthony G.]

Re: 78 Pace Car Tires

I went to a show in Macungie, PA today and had a great time. While there I perused many of the vendors and picked up what appears to be advertising art that Chevy sent to their dealers to then forward to their newspapers and radio stations. There are five pages total, with the last being radio copy.

Cool beans.

See the attached.

[Tom R.]

Re: 78 Pace Car Tires

I went to a show in Macungie, PA today and had a great time. While there I perused many of the vendors and picked up what appears to be advertising art that Chevy sent to their dealers to then forward to their newspapers and radio stations. There are five pages total, with the last being radio copy.

I've picked up some of the other dealer promo materials that were to drive dealer GM Chevrolet sales such as window cards and other ads. Even have some of that ad copy but haven't seen this one.

[Anthony G.]

Re: 78 Pace Car Tires

Here are the other pages of that copy. Enjoy!