Love at first sight

[old yellow 78]

I found a few pics of the first time that I saw OY in person. I had bought it via phone and internet from a friends, friend near Pueblo, Colorado in January '12, and my friend kept it for me on his property until I was able to fly out in early June to drive it home to Pennsylvania. It was REALLY hard to wait that long to go and get it! These pics are from when I first got there.

 

[Justwondering]

First love... a very special time.

 

[old yellow 78]

Here's a pic this past summer of OY's hard life now-a-days at the occasional car show.

 

[LSM360]

I love it! Four speed wagon. So cool. Is it a slanty?

 

[old yellow 78]

I love it! Four speed wagon. So cool. Is it a slanty?

Yep, Super Six with A833 four speed. Also has factory AM/CB transceiver with the one year only retractable antenna. Here are a few pics from the original EB listing where I first saw it. I had been looking for a nice one for years, not really expecting to ever find one.

Original spare still in there...

Original hoses and clamps still on it... Note the manual steering box... I even have the original battery cover for it, but unfortunately the top was cut out for the more modern batteries. Have much of the original paperwork too. It was bought new in Canon City, Colorado by an older woman who owned it for many years, but didn't drive it much.

 

[Master M]

Nice to see all of the original equipment. Nice Car..

 

[LSM360]

That's a beauty for sure. I like it with both sets of wheels. Really cool car!

 

[old yellow 78]

That's a beauty for sure. I like it with both sets of wheels. Really cool car!

I have three sets for it, the original steel wheels with dog dish caps, these Road Wheels that I got off the black Volare parts wagon in Oklahoma, and a nice set of Rally Wheels off of my old T-top. I haven't tried the Rally Wheels on it yet because they don't have tires on them.

 

[BudW]

A nice car!

I was looking at a photo of yours (above)

Then compared it to mine.

I do like the larger spare tire area so much more in the ’78 and newer F & M bodies – than what the ‘76/77 use.

As you can see, any tire larger than a stock 14” won’t fit the hole. Any additional storage in the wheel well, if it won’t fit around the steel rim are, then forget it – It won’t fit.
(Also an un-used poly spare tire).
BudW

 

[kkritsilas]

Is there any source for properly sized skinny/temporary spare tires for our cars? Do the spares on modern cars (almost all of which are the skinny/temporary type) usable?

 

[Justwondering]

My fifth ave came with a skinny temp wheel as the spare. I'll check the info on it once I get downstairs. If BudW checks in, he probably has that info in his spreadsheet or his keen memory.

I'm still recovering from fixing the flat tire on the tractor and taking it off and putting back on, yesterday. When did those things get so heavy?

 

[old yellow 78]

Any additional storage in the wheel well, if it won’t fit around the steel rim are, then forget it – It won’t fit.

I think they changed the wheel storage compartment sometime in '77, but I might be wrong. I know all '78's had the newer well. Although it looks good, it still doesn't hold much. I can only put a tiny tool box back there, but better than nothing. It's really nice that your spare is unused. OY's has been well used, but at least it's still with the car. It's a Goodyear Polyglass bias ply. The older woman who originally bought it must have developed "Popeye" arms trying to steer it with bias ply tires and manual steering!

 

[80mirada]

if you want a compact (donut) spare, look at Jeeps, Intrepids, Concordes, Mustangs, Crown Vics, Dodge/Chrysler Minivans, and maybe Ford Explorer. They are all the right bolt pattern, but the Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep ones will have the right hub bore.

 

[BudW]

I think they changed the wheel storage compartment sometime in '77

It was a mid year change (4/1/1977 to be exact), but I was trying to make a different point in the story.

In thread Wanted - 77 Volare rear leaf springs I have noted:

I don’t think my F78-14 Firestone Super Belt Deluxe Champion (yes that is the tire name) spare tire has ever been on the road, nor does it appear the jack has been removed before (if it had been, they did a great job putting it back).

By the way, I have a small water leak in rear of car, which I believe to be the roof rack screw holes. It is not a big leak but it has been present for a while.
Matter of fact, you can see the white/gray mold residing on my spare tire.
Also that is the cause of my tire sticker “rot”.
BudW

 

[BudW]

if you want a compact (donut) spare, look at Jeeps, Intrepids, Concordes, Mustangs, Crown Vics, Dodge/Chrysler Minivans, and maybe Ford Explorer. They are all the right bolt pattern, but the Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep ones will have the right hub bore.

I obtained a compact spare from an ’05 Caravan - that uses the same bolt pattern, is between ¼” to ½” taller (not much) and has the same distance from leaf spring (compared to a M-body 15x7” steel wheel) – so it will work fine.

It doesn’t look right when bolted on the car, but takes up less trunk space and is lighter than a full size spare.
I think I spent less than $10 (US) on it.
BudW

Edit: I hadn't checked, but I don't see there is any way the above mentioned compact spare will fit in my '77 wagon spare tire area.

 

[80mirada]

does a compact spare ever look right on a car?

 

[BudW]

Dup post (by accident).
BudW

 

[kkritsilas]

does a compact spare ever look right on a car?

Never has and never will. Point is, they take up a lot less space than a full sized spare, and unless things go really wrong (as in being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no alternative), they aren't going to be used anyway. I do know of a couple of the local car guys are not carrying a spare of any type, just some flat repair in a can (I call it tire goop) and a small pump to inflate the tire after the goop goes in. I don't feel comfortable doing that, but I would carry a temporary spare. In the J bodies, on each side of the trunk, just inside the fender skins, there is a really deep "well" on each side. In one, I am hoping to put the temporary spare into, and get the current full size spare away from the middle of the trunk, where it now sits (and takes up half the trunk space, or so it seems). My intent it to get a sub box in the place where the full sized spare now sits, and move the battery to the other trunk well, both for weight distribution reasons and to clean up the engine compartment.

 

[BudW]

The new Dodge Challengers (all), and some other makes, have NO SPARE TIRE. Dodge only has a tire patch kit and some canned air. Some Mustangs come with an air compressor (only), and so forth.

 

[80mirada]

I hate compact spares, that said they actually make more sense than a full sized spare, since they likely won't be used. On something that is loaded down or likely to have a flat, a full size spare is important