1973 SD Trans Am with 1774 miles

[Charley Lillard]

I am trying to show the car as it is and not fluffed. Am example is the missing bolt in one of the pics. I don't think that bolt was ever installed and it will never get installed. Probably get points deducted if judged at a show and shine but it is a part of the cars history that I think is more important than points. We don't come across cars like this very often.

[njsteve]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Charley Lillard</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I am trying to show the car as it is and not fluffed. Am example is the missing bolt in one of the pics. I don't think that bolt was ever installed and it will never get installed. Probably get points deducted if judged at a show and shine but it is a part of the cars history that I think is more important than points. We don't come across cars like this very often. </div></div>

That missing bolt is pretty much definitive proof of my theory of the brutality of assembly line workers when it came to the installation of the polyethylene valances. Since they couldn't get the valance mounting hole to match up with the center bracket in place, they left off one of the bracket bolts to swivel the bracket close enough to get a bolt to reach...with the predicted damage ensuing.



Compare to my valance that I added an additional 3/4&quot; of material to, in order to make it wider in the center area, and then filled and redrilled the mounting hole directly under the mounting bracket:




And the resulting damage to the upper mounting tabs from the lower mounting bolt stress:





P.S. I'd be happy to fix that valance. Just send the car right on over. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/naughty.gif[/img]

[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&quot; or 7/8&quot; 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

[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.