1973 SD Trans Am with 1774 miles

[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

[Charley Lillard]

You will most likely be able to see it at MCACN next November.

[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;

[Brewster]

Ah, thats like a year away!

I bought my low mileage 73 SD car about ten years ago with 13k+ but have bonded which it now sports 26k miles on her. It still has the original items from the XD timing decal to the shocks, brake pads, spare.........all original less on repaint before purchasing.
The killer was those hood decals failing and owners not liking the cracking thus paint the car. Anyway its awesome to have a car like yours to have something to compare with verify.
If you where not 2400+ miles away I'd be bring it over for you to drive to get a fix from that museum piece yours.
Congrats on the purchase and will look up this MCACN show and its details.
Cheers, Brew

[The Boss]

Fantastic car Charley, thank you for posting all of the pictures!

[LNavarro]

Hey guys, great info on the sway bar links. My '73 is fitted the same way. I always wondered about that but never really questioned it.
The owners manual has recorded service history and there's no mention of bushing replacement.

[SS427]

Charley, would you look at the trunk harness clips as shown in photo 062? They have body colored paint on the tops of the clips but not underneath where they are still black. However, all around the area of the clip even underneath the lip there is body colored paint which leads me to believe these clips were hand brushed to blend in with the trunk lip and not sprayed while installed and when the rest of the trunk area was sprayed. Could it be I am confusing body colored paint with red oxide primer and it just looks the same?

Also, when looking at photos 047 and 048, they appear to be identical clips on the same size lines yet one is blue while the other is cadmium plated. Interesting.

Lastly, as far as your concern for points deduction for missing bolts, that should NEVER happen on cars with low mileage like many we have seen at recent shows. These cars left the assembly plant like that so judges should not deduct points for something that was never there. Similar to deducting points on a concourse restoration due to which way the front wheel house dust shields were installed, engine side or tire side. They were installed by humans and in my opinion there is no right way or wrong way to install them as it was up to the individual who was stapling them.

Cant wait for MCACN 2011 !!!!!

[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.