One old tire !
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 10,670
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From: Danville Illinois
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One old tire !
Broke an ear off of the carrier spring mount so removed the spare in order to get some working room.
There it is, one original 1975 Firestone 500 tire, full with air. Tire feels soft and looks ok, but think I will find a replacement for a spare. Never had a reason to remove the spare, I've owned the car for 35 years now.
There it is, one original 1975 Firestone 500 tire, full with air. Tire feels soft and looks ok, but think I will find a replacement for a spare. Never had a reason to remove the spare, I've owned the car for 35 years now.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 402
Likes: 1
From: Medford NJ
N.O.S. '75 tire & wheel
You just reminded me. I have a brand new N.O.S. 1975 Corvette spare tire on the original steel rallye wheel in the attic! 
It came out of the spare tire carrier of a new '75 back then and I just moved it with me. I'll have to see if its a Firestone 500. I sure hope not. I bought a new 77 Corvette with those tires on it and they split. Of course it was just before the recall and the dealer told me "nothings wrong with those". 
It came out of the spare tire carrier of a new '75 back then and I just moved it with me. I'll have to see if its a Firestone 500. I sure hope not. I bought a new 77 Corvette with those tires on it and they split. Of course it was just before the recall and the dealer told me "nothings wrong with those".
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 958
Likes: 88
From: Rexburg Idaho
I had a freind back in high school that bought a new Corvette with Firestone 500's, one blow out at 80 mph and no more car and almost no more him. If you remember Firestone would not stand behind the tires then. In 2000ish they had another problem with there tires and they would not stand behind them again. I buy a KIA before I'd buy or use any Firestone / Bridgestone's. 
Racer
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 402
Likes: 1
From: Medford NJ
I bought my '77 vette new and kept it only about 4 months. It was a lemon, with so many different issues. Those Firestone 500's had vertical splits in the sidewalls from the tread to the edge of the wheel rim. It looked like thin white cracks. It was so obvious that something was seriously wrong, but just like all other complaints at this particular Chevy dealer, I got a hard time and denial. I traded that Corvette in on a 1 year old Chrylser Cordoba! (no Corinthian leather though, it was velour). 
I won't trust Firestone tires again either. 
I won't trust Firestone tires again either.
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,674
Likes: 122
From: Millington Illinois
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
When I restored my 72 I pulled the carrier down and inside, to my superize was a brand new original spare mounted on a rally wheel. I don't think the carrier was ever dropped before I did it.
In the 70's I worked in a big salvage yard. I was the guy that ran the engine shed. I checked all the cars in. Back then you got full sized spares. I collected 4 brand new spares to get a complete set of Firestone 500 tires for my 72 Challenger. Mounted and balanced them in the tire shop there. I was young and a pretty crazy driver back then. Ended up having the entire tread rip off one of those and trashed my front fender at about 120 MPH. When I stopped the tread was gone down to the belts and laying in the road about a half a mile back. The treadless tire with the belt uniformly showing all the way across and around was still holding air.
In the 70's I worked in a big salvage yard. I was the guy that ran the engine shed. I checked all the cars in. Back then you got full sized spares. I collected 4 brand new spares to get a complete set of Firestone 500 tires for my 72 Challenger. Mounted and balanced them in the tire shop there. I was young and a pretty crazy driver back then. Ended up having the entire tread rip off one of those and trashed my front fender at about 120 MPH. When I stopped the tread was gone down to the belts and laying in the road about a half a mile back. The treadless tire with the belt uniformly showing all the way across and around was still holding air.
Last edited by 63mako; Apr 7, 2010 at 12:22 AM.
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Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,221
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From: Westminster Maryland
Hi,
I believe Bair's has one of those tires on display when they come to Carlisle. The steel belts are so blown through the tread that it looks like the tire had a bomb inside.
The tag says the tire blew out in the Firestone dealer's showroom!!
Regards,
Alan
I believe Bair's has one of those tires on display when they come to Carlisle. The steel belts are so blown through the tread that it looks like the tire had a bomb inside.
The tag says the tire blew out in the Firestone dealer's showroom!!
Regards,
Alan
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 11,520
Likes: 13
From: CORVETTE 77 385 C.I. TEXAS
A Firestone on the 77 separated internally about 80 on the way up to cruise speed. Put the spare on & went to a tire store. Did not replace the spare & years later when the spare Firestone 500 was pulled it had completely separated sitting in the spare rack.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 402
Likes: 1
From: Medford NJ
Talk about a time bomb! I remember locking my '77 on cruise control at 125 mph for about a mile, enjoying that hot "new" car back then. A/C and stereo on. Had I known all of this THEN, I wouldn't have gone over 25 mph.
Just a few years ago I bought a '78 Pace Car right out of the showroom with only 63 miles on the original Goodyears. I called GY corp offices and they advised not to ride on those, even though they looked "new". I heeded that advice, lost some points going for my NCRS Top Flight, but so what. I had total piece of mind. I still see some with those orginal 32 yr old tires on them and think they're nuts for risking their lives. Plus I'm told it's like a grenade going off in the fender when one blows up. No thanks.
