1977 Corvette Tires:

[Harvey S.]

What where the original make, model and size tire for the 1977 Corvette. Was it the Firestone 500's?

Thanks

[Joe L.]

Re: 1977 Corvette Tires:

What where the original make, model and size tire for the 1977 Corvette. Was it the Firestone 500's?

Thanks

Harvey-----


The tire size was GR-70-15. I believe the Firestone Steel Belted 500 was the primary, if not only, tire originally installed on 1977's. Either blackwall (standard) or raised white letter (optional) were available.

[Oliver B.]

Re: 1977 Corvette Tires:

Interesting - I have an article for the Restorer with exactly THIS topic up in my sleeve...

To answer your question beforehand: yes, Firestone's "Steel Radial 500" was the 1977s tire (blackwall and raised white lettering as an option).
At least it was one choice - some sources say, that there has been Good Year's "Steelgard" available as well.

*I would very much like to learn more about that choice - so if anyone can make a contribution, it is very welcome!*

As there have been safety issues with the "Steel Radial 500" tire (see wikipedia.org), it has been recalled later-on. It was replaced with Good Year's then.
Unfortunately I never ran into any old "Steel Radials" (except for my original spare ) - and no "remanufactured" ones looking like the original ones...

As already stated, size was GR 70-15, which is 225 70x15 in today's nomenclature...

[Harvey S.]

Re: 1977 Corvette Tires:

Interesting. Well if someone was to bring their bowtie candidate 77 to a regional or national what tires would you suggest putting on the car, being that firestone 500's where recalled and close to impossible to find?

Thanks for your help.

[Steven B.]

Re: 1977 Corvette Tires:

My '77 was delivered to Crumback-Symons Chevrolet in New Haven, Indiana in November 1976 with Firestones. While at the dealer a month or so later I saw another '77 roll off the truck and taken directly to new car prep. It had Good Years, G-70's. Before Christmas of that year an acquaintenance drove his '77 directly from the Chevy dealer in Richmond, Indiana to his garage about 5 miles away. I saw it there and it had Good Years, along with every available factory option.

[Michael W.]

Re: 1977 Corvette Tires:

Interesting. Well if someone was to bring their bowtie candidate 77 to a regional or national what tires would you suggest putting on the car, being that firestone 500's where recalled and close to impossible to find?

Thanks for your help.

Bowties cars are supposed to be unrestored. Installing a tire, fan belt, spark plug etc.etc. trying to make it look 'more original' defeats the purpose of the award. In some cases the act of creating original features on a Bowtie car would hurt it's credibility.

Part of the judging process is declaring what features of the car are not original.

[Harvey S.]

Re: 1977 Corvette Tires:

Bowties cars are supposed to be unrestored. Installing a tire, fan belt, spark plug etc.etc. trying to make it look 'more original' defeats the purpose of the award. In some cases the act of creating original features on a Bowtie car would hurt it's credibility.

Part of the judging process is declaring what features of the car are not original.

I wasn't insinuating making a survivor car "more original". I am helping a friend who has a very nice unrestored 77. One of the few parts that where changed on this car where the tires. The question was proposed to me, "Is it better to have a correct set of repro tires on the car for judging or the current replacement tires that are on the car". Clearly either way, the tires are not original and a deduction would be made.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1977 Corvette Tires:

I wasn't insinuating making a survivor car "more original". I am helping a friend who has a very nice unrestored 77. One of the few parts that where changed on this car where the tires. The question was proposed to me, "Is it better to have a correct set of repro tires on the car for judging or the current replacement tires that are on the car". Clearly either way, the tires are not original and a deduction would be made.

Harvey-----


Since there are no reproduction tires of the Firestone 500, that's not an option. Assuming any NOS could be found, I would not even consider using them on the car. Not only of questionable "heritage", but WAY too old by now for use on a driven car.

Firestone currently offers no Firestone-branded tire of similar configuration and in 225-70-15 size. So, that's not an option, either.

The fact that Goodyears were, apparently, used on some cars does offer a few options. A Goodyear Eagle GT II is currently available in 225-70-15 size. That might be the best bet. There is also still available the Goodyear RS-A which is not only of similar configuration, but it's also an "H" or higher speed rated tire. However, it's available in blackwall only.

[Michael W.]

Re: 1977 Corvette Tires:

To be clear:

If you're proposing to send this car for Bowtie, it would make no difference. None of the particular tires actually came with the car from St. Louis- they are all replacements.

If you are actually thinking of Flight Judging, then choose the tire that is the closest to the original config and in the best condition you can find.

[Oliver B.]

Re: 1977 Corvette Tires:

So Bowtie really requires old sets of spark plugs, oil filters and stuff like that, or the the owner stating that they have been replaced (with deduction of points)? Tough one...

I am running 225 70x15 Good Year Eagle GT+4's H-rated (see pic), who have raised outlined lettering instead of filled letters. In Germany it seems to be quite hard to find those GT II's!

Steven, sounds like there has been no pattern of when GM made use of Firestones or Good Years, as my 77 (June 77) has been delivered with the Firestone - at least the spare is one; I do not suppose, they mixed four GY's with a F-spare...

Oliver

[Oliver B.]

Re: 1977 Corvette Tires:

I added a "73-77"-tag to make the article better searchable......

[Michael W.]

Re: 1977 Corvette Tires:

So Bowtie really requires old sets of spark plugs, oil filters and stuff like that, or the the owner stating that they have been replaced (with deduction of points)? Tough one...

Oliver-

The sole purpose of Bowtie is to encourage owners to preserve their cars in factory original configuration. Note the word preserve. This is to serve as a resource to educate all of us on how the cars really came from the factory.

It serves no educational purpose for someone to restore a car (as is done in Flight Judging) and then present it as original.

Keep in mind that deductions for typical wear items like plugs, filters, HT wires are very small as it is assumed that these would have been replaced through normal wear and tear.

[Oliver B.]

Re: 1977 Corvette Tires:

Well understood - thanks for clarifying!
So, maybe that would be something for me and my car...

[Harmon C.]

Re: 1977 Corvette Tires:

You can have Goodyear Steelguards or Firestone 500's on any 73-77 Corvette in GR-70-15. Most of thease tires that can be bought are spare tires out of the tubs of cars that were used little or none at all. I have a large collection of thease tires some with 100% tread. They are the only tires you will get zero deductions for flight judging but they should be used only for show and only driven at slow speeds from the trailor to the judging field. For Bowtie judging you need to declare the tires are not original to the car and if you would not the judges have many ways to tell if they are original to the car. On a bowtie car after I had the award the team leader wanted it displayed on the original type tires so it looked correct even if they were not original to the car they were the best replacements for a display.

[Oliver B.]

Re: 1977 Corvette Tires:

Most interesting...

Now, what triggered GM to fit a new Corvette with a Steelgard or a Steel Radial 500? I have no clue... Anybody?