Lazy day questions

[Gary B.]

Out of idle curiosity, I wonder if anyone knows the answers to one or more of these esoteric questions. My answers to #1 and #2 are just guesses.


Gary


1) What Corvette model year was the first to have “DOT” on the tires? 1971?


2) What Corvette model year was the first to have the metric equivalent on wheel weights? 1975?


3) What Corvette model year was the first to have a yellow dichromate finish on most Grade 8 nuts and bolts?

As an aside, am I misremembering, did Gr 8 hardware store nuts and bolts used to be black about 20 or 30 years ago?

[Jimmy G.]

Re: Lazy day questions

1. DOT 1968 I think
2. Guess 82
3. Not a clue

[Gary B.]

Re: Lazy day questions

Thanks for chiming in Jimmy. I bet your years are closer than mine are. I only guessed 1975 for metric on the wheel weights because Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act in 1975. I assume some answers could be found by looking thru the JGs for different years.

Gary

[Gary C.]

Re: Lazy day questions

Gary,

1) DOT started in '68, standardized format in 1971
2 & 3 - no clue

Thanks,

Gary
....

[Jimmy P.]

Re: Lazy day questions

Hi Gary,
I can’t remember if I touched base with you about this or not back when? …Here’s what I know from what we found working on the 75-77 Judging Guide revision. I remember asking the team this question….Since the federal govt. started the metric requirement and since we know that the speedometer in the 75 Vette had kilometers too for the first time, would the wheel weights start to show metric measures as well? Never really got a definite answer, but the team members just posted up these from their cars. I can safely say that of all the 75-77 wheel weight examples from original cars we had none of them had metric numbers on the weights. All were common snugl, & perfect brands, etc. The only weights with metrics showed on a few ‘78 weight examples, IIRC , from a Pace Car. (Tom Russo provided them).
Here are some 75/77 examples as well as the 78 examples. The ‘75 example is the one with the white paint marking location dot!
Not sure if this helps! Notice the one metric weight with the letters ‘AL’ would that stand for “aluminum”.?
Probably more pics than you needed to see, but thought they are good examples.

[Gary B.]

Re: Lazy day questions

Jimmy,

That quite a bit of data. The only other thing I found in my searches from earlier today is mention in another DB thread of a MY77, built November 18, 1976 that has only English weight designation. That might be one of the cars in your photos.

Gary

[Jimmy P.]

Re: Lazy day questions

Jimmy,

That quite a bit of data. The only other thing I found in my searches from earlier today is mention in another DB thread of a MY77, built November 18, 1976 that has only English weight designation. That might be one of the cars in your photos.

Gary

Ha!Ha! The third photo down is from a Nov.76 built 77

[Gary B.]

Re: Lazy day questions

Jimmy,

Which photos of those you posted are for MY78? The last three? In which case they all have the metric equivalent?

Gary

[Jimmy P.]

Re: Lazy day questions

Jimmy,

Which photos of those you posted are for MY78? The last three? In which case they all have the metric equivalent?

Gary

Yes, the last three were all from MY78.

[Gary B.]

Re: Lazy day questions

Jimmy,

That certainly is a strong suggestion in my mind that the metric equivalent was added for the 78 MY. Thanks very much for the great photos.

Gary