nos vs original spare tire tub

[Francais D.]

i have a mostly original 69 coupe 350 350 m21 370 black on black with the original untouched spare tire my original tub has a 4 inch hole in it . i want a good home for this tire so i bought a NOS tub grey vs my original black glass . can i be proud of this tub or try fixing old? also the rivet holes on the tray look bigger than the holes that used rivets on my car are these bigger

[Joe L.]

Re: nos vs original spare tire tub

i have a mostly original 69 coupe 350 350 m21 370 black on black with the original untouched spare tire my original tub has a 4 inch hole in it . i want a good home for this tire so i bought a NOS tub grey vs my original black glass . can i be proud of this tub or try fixing old? also the rivet holes on the tray look bigger than the holes that used rivets on my car are these bigger

Francais------

The gray tire tub is 100% functional for your car but it's not correct. I believe these gray tubs were used on some later C-3's but they were definitely not used for 1969. I don't know about the rivet holes but I don't see why they would be bigger. I can tell you that the part number for the tub never changed over the 1968-82 period or, even, in later SERVICE. Obviously, the color of the fiberglass did change over time and it's possible that there were other minor changes, too, over time. Nevertheless, the tub should SERVICE your application (or, any other 68-82 application).

There should be a lot of these original color tubs around used as many C-3 Corvettes have gone to "Corvette Heaven" and left behind their spare tire tubs for worthy, surviving brethren.

[Francais D.]

Re: nos vs original spare tire tub

thanks joe i guess my real question would be what role do NOS parts play in restoration i could have bought an original black glass for the price i paid for the NOS i thought i was doing better not worse

[Joe L.]

Re: nos vs original spare tire tub

thanks joe i guess my real question would be what role do NOS parts play in restoration i could have bought an original black glass for the price i paid for the NOS i thought i was doing better not worse

Francais------

NOS parts are the best but they're not always correct in every way for a particular application. You see, NOS is an acronym for "new old stock" but "old" is a very relative term. If you were to have an NOS spare tire tub that was manufactured about the same time as the original one on your car, it would be identical. That would be a new "really old stock" part. NOS parts may "evolve" over the years even though the part number never changes. In the case of this tub, a color change would not trigger a new part number. Still, it's a new GM part and, as far as I'm concerned, it's superior to any other new part that might be available. In this case, if you're after exact correctness, a good used tub might be the best answer for you. Keep in mind, though, that just about any USED tub you find is likely to have suffered some damage over the years. It may be minor, of course.

[Russ S.]

Re: nos vs original spare tire tub

From a judging stand point I would say a repaired original is better than an incorrect NOS.

[Richard G.]

Re: nos vs original spare tire tub

This is of course this is the conundrum of restoration.
The Original or New Old Stock debate is what makes this hobby fun and frustrating at the same time.
I agree the repaired original should be worth more points than the NOS part.
That would stay true to the NCRS's originality goal.
This issue it a big one and comes up constantly in various forms.

Fuel pumps are excellent example;
Originals with the correct part number and manufactured and sold by Delco are not always period correct for the car.
Delco changed the design but kept the part number. The fit and function of the original part is retained.
The exact design is not. Sometimes the part has design improvement but more often than not the manufacture found a method to manufacture it for less. Cost drove the design change. The parts are sometimes changed to incorporate functional changes into the new vehicles. If it can be designed for backwards compatibility for earlier designs it is a cost savings and incorporated. Rooting all this out is what the NCRS does.
In you case how does one even know the part has changed color? The GM part number is the same. One never really knows till it is in your hands.
As general rule, keep it original. If the part can be repaired fix it. If identical are available for less do your research and go that route.
And remember in some cases the exact original part was never available over the counter as slightly different parts were used in production. The exhaust system is an example of this.

Remember you made the choice with the best information you had at the time.
Most restorers lost count of the mistakes made and have a pile of used parts to prove it!
Decide where you want to go with the new information and use your budget and new-found information to make an informed choice.
Rick