Does this tire look good as an original 67 spare?

[Kirk M.]

Could all the "judges" tell me whether this NON-DOT Firestone Deluxe Champion 5/8" whitewall tire is correct for a 1967 spare? I have read some different remarks on tires and one stated that the vertical ribs along the sidewall only ran through 1966. Yet other sources show original non-DOT tires on 1967 cars with the vertical ribs. Need some help here as I have paid a decent amount of money for this spare and want to make sure I am getting it correct. Thanks everybody!

Kirk

[James G.]

Re: Does this tire look good as an original 67 spare?

Hi Kirk,
I was in the garage business from 1965 thru 1998. The first time I remember a DOT code was 1967-68 when Glass Belted tires came out. These were Letter type size tires like F70 X 15 etc. During these days, the tire plants were obligated to put the date of production and who made the tire in a coded box. It was a common practice in those days to buy a 'branded' tire at a service station (SHELL tires at Shell stations, ATLAS tires at Chevron stations, SEARS tire at their service center etc.)

Now Shell did not make tires. They (as the other companies ) bought their tires from Firestone, Goodyear, B.F. Goodrich etc. made to their specifications.

In the early days,1977, of Corvette vintage tire reproductions, same thing happened. Terry Michaelis (Pro Team today) had made the original Goldline and Redline 775x15 Goodyear Reproduction tire. We periodically see these tires today show up on NCRS Show cars and they score well. They are not 100% original, but they are closer than the B.F. Goodrich repos of the era. (B.F.G. never made a redline production 67 tire). And Goodyear made the tire from their original molds, but all had to have the date and factory stamp on them.

Tires made after 67 or 68 had to have a date code and tire plant code on its back sidewall, similar to the 00 OO53AG code shown in your photo. The code translates into 05=the 3rd week of the new year, and 3= the year 1973, and "AG"= the tire company in Mexico that made the tire.

See http://www.harriger.com/tire2.htm for more explanation.

As I remember, tires made in 1967 for production Corvettes did not have any stamp of numbers or mfg. like your tire has, because there was no law yet requiring such. I also remember the 1967 whitewall looks wider than your photo shows.

We need an old tire salesperson from back in the day to help here, as I am going only from my old memoray which today is CRS.....Can't remember S---.

[Kirk M.]

Re: Does this tire look good as an original 67 spare?

Thanks for all the information. Hopefully, someone else will chime in as well.

Kirk

[Kirk M.]

Re: Does this tire look good as an original 67 spare?

Here are the pics you guys ask for in a separate post.

Kirk

[Kirk M.]

Re: Does this tire look good as an original 67 spare?

Where are the tire guys. I have one vote for the tire being ok and one for not. Anyone want to place the swing vote??? Please.

Kirk