Identify Space Saver Spare Dates

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

Any help with dating this would be appreciated.

I was digging in the barn today to find another member a part and discovered I had a space saver spare I had forgot about. It was in a plastic garbage bag so no dust, dirt or rust. It has never been used. It is the correct size for our cars F-78-14 but I do not know the codes for the tire or wheel dates.

In the pictures stamped by the tire valve on one side is NR and on the other is a 3. Next to the Ford Oval in the bolt pattern is L7 and the upside down 22. I don't see any other stamps just the paint dobs on the back of the wheel and the decals don't have a date either. I think the date code on the tire is in the pictures also.

I can put this one in my convertible.

I found two others in barn last week but on GM wheels already on eBay with one it was E-78-14 so could not even switch tire to a Ford wheel.

Imagine how much stuff is in barns that old guys like me put up and forgot about, lol.

David

 

[secluff]

Well David, guess I'll try this one. When Ford started the "Around The Wheel Program" (when Ford started selling tires) we had reps from all the OE tire manufactures to help train us. Part of the training was reading the DOT codes as we had to report these codes when the tires were sold in case there was a recall. Before 2000 the date code was the last three numbers. The decade was not identified because they felt no tire would be in use over ten years. Once tire problems became an issue and tires needed to be further identified the decade was added. So 0116 would equate to first week of 2016. Your tire date "477" would indicate forty seventh week of 77. To me that that could either be a service replacement or a Granada space saver spare. By the 80's most of the US manufactures had gone to the "Donut" tire and narrow rim. The rim you have is 14x6 steel rim that was used for the f78 space saver and E78 tire that was standard on 250, 302, and 351 non Mach 1's. That same rim was also used for Maverick's with the D70x14 tire. My info indicates for Mustang and Maverick applications the rim would have violet or brown paint and "N" near the valve stem. I see that it does has the safety valve stem. Most people didn't bother with the recall, so yours may well be a service replacement or from a Granada. Can't find my newer books that have the Granada so I can verify. The L7 and 22 would to me indicate 22nd of November (L) of 1977. So between the two date codes they appear to be manufactured during the same time frame. Hope this has helped somewhat. Lol

 

[jeff8877]

Steve,

Great info here as I have previously tried to figure these out to no avail. Here are some pics from one of my space savers showing info and what I think to be the dates based on your input?

Rim has B9 and 12 which I think would be Feb 12, 1969

Tire has 159 which I think would be 15th week of 1969 which puts it in the April 69 time frame?

 

[secluff]

Jeff, sometimes I have useful info. Lol. Steel rims can be at times difficult to ID. Most of the time you can take the starting single number as the year, the letter as the month and remaining single or double digit as the day of manufacture. The problem is determining the decade or even the year. Most of the time parts have a prefix such as D1ZF (1971), D2OB (1972) E5ZE (1985) etc. Some rims have such numbers on the inside of the rim to help determine the year code and actual part number. Unfortunately a lot of them didn't and if the customer didn't know what the rim was from ID'ing one was almost impossible. Looks as though the dates on your tire and rim match the time frame. Hope they match the car they came from!!

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

Well David, guess I'll try this one. When Ford started the "Around The Wheel Program" (when Ford started selling tires) we had reps from all the OE tire manufactures to help train us. Part of the training was reading the DOT codes as we had to report these codes when the tires were sold in case there was a recall. Before 2000 the date code was the last three numbers. The decade was not identified because they felt no tire would be in use over ten years. Once tire problems became an issue and tires needed to be further identified the decade was added. So 0116 would equate to first week of 2016. Your tire date "477" would indicate forty seventh week of 77. To me that that could either be a service replacement or a Granada space saver spare. By the 80's most of the US manufactures had gone to the "Donut" tire and narrow rim. The rim you have is 14x6 steel rim that was used for the f78 space saver and E78 tire that was standard on 250, 302, and 351 non Mach 1's. That same rim was also used for Maverick's with the D70x14 tire. My info indicates for Mustang and Maverick applications the rim would have violet or brown paint and "N" near the valve stem. I see that it does has the safety valve stem. Most people didn't bother with the recall, so yours may well be a service replacement or from a Granada. Can't find my newer books that have the Granada so I can verify. The L7 and 22 would to me indicate 22nd of November (L) of 1977. So between the two date codes they appear to be manufactured during the same time frame. Hope this has helped somewhat. Lol

As usual you are the man with the numbers. Now why would they have put a space saver in a Granada with that big trunk? Should I sell it or keep it? Without someone like you walking through a show who would know, lol.

Thanks for the help I still have no idea where I got it. I use to buy truck loads of parts when I sold a shows and swap meets. Too much trouble now just eBay. Spent all afternoon putting copper head gaskets on eBay. Found a couple cases of the Big Bore flathead ones and some old pontiac, cadalliac and olds gaskets. Lots of stuff ruined in the barn. There was a box of NOS Ford pickup showroom brochures from 1985 probably not old enough to sell but will try.

Thanks again. I am going to check with several local Ford dealers about the micro fish reader and cards an see if they still have.

David

 

[secluff]

Sometimes I have some useful info. When you consider the hundreds of parts it takes to assemble a vehicle, the sheer number of parts venders Ford used and how many different car lines and models Ford manufactured, it's very easy to get off center sometimes.

Don't know why Ford offered the space saver spare on the Granada. It had a large trunk for that size car, but it was definitely on the option list.

Sort of a double edged sword on that spare. Too old to trust in a every day driver. But would look good in a show car or one you wanted to look as original as possible. I know the original's are very hard to find and very expensive. A lot were pitched when owners found out how temporary they really were and required a new inflator bottle after being used.

At one time our dealer "Blue Oval Coordinator" would have bought anything you had that was flathead. But he found and bought his dream car 57 T'Bird and sold all his flathead cars and parts!

If I find my catalog with the Granada info I'll try to verify more on the rim you have. That way if you decide to sell it you truthfully can say it is a genuine Mustang replacement or one that is suitable to be used in a Mustang.

A lot of Ford dealers in NC. Hopefully You'll find one that stuck a reader back in a corner and once you flash a little green in their face, you'll both be happy!! The paper catalog prices are beyond insane and I can no longer afford to replace them when compared to the fische cards. (and they take up a lot less space) Good luck on your search.

 

[secluff]

Jeff, thought I would see if you remember where you obtained your space saver tire. With the early 1969 dates I thought I'd messed up somewhere on the dates. Then I remembered the 69-70 Boss Mustangs came with 15" rims and space saver spares. Been a long time ago but I believe very early 69 cars came with 7.75x14 replaced by the F78x14 BF Goodrich tire we're all familiar with. Either way at least you have a correct size spare for your car!

 

[jeff8877]

Steve,

Starting to wonder if date code interpretation is correct?

Here is my wheel with codes...rim 9B 12 and tire 159. Notice it has the "new" type tire on it.

Now here is my second wheel with codes...rim 7G 2 and tire 377. This one has the older style tire.

So not sure the first wheel/tire we thought was 1969 can be with later tire and the second wheel/tire has the earlier tire but according to dates is from 1967?

Thoughts?

 

[secluff]

Positive on the date codes on the tires. How to read then was taught to us from OE tire suppliers that were training us during our transition into Ford's tire program. Pre 2000 manufactured tires had a 3 digit code with no decade identifier. They assumed no tire would be in use over ten years. So 477 would be 47th week with anybody's guess as to the 7 being 67,77,87, etc. Of course your tire being a space saver you know the years it was offered. After 2000 it became easier with the decade identified. (0116=First week of 2016}

Identifying the codes on Ford part's is where you can get into trouble. Most of the codes are pretty easy such as the 1D29 on my intake (1=71, D= April, 29= 29th) With so many parts suppliers and vendors the formatting of the date codes were sometimes jumbled somewhat. Brake drums from KH and Bendix seemed to always start with a letter like C232 (March 23, 72) So you can always count on the letter being the month.

There is actually an inflator cylinder listed from 1966-1969. But with the loss of my order & salesmen guides and accessory books I can't verify. It could be something similar to Fix A Flat or it could actually be an inflator. If someone has an old accessory book check C6AZ-19C543-A to see what the description is.

Meanwhile Jeff I'll try to check into these date codes a little more. If I can find my 73/ info I will see if I can track down some more info on the space saver that were offered through the late 70's.

 

[Bru]

Hello all,

I picked up a B78-13 , Space Saver 4 Ply at a swapmeet the other day with a Ford rim date of 2MB and a tire date of 307.

I ain't got a clue what it was made for, maybe a '72 Pinto?

Any info about this tire will be greatly appreciated.





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