Road Rumblings

HOW OLD ARE YOUR TIRES??

This simple bit of knowledge can come in handy when buying a used car, pulling a car out of long-term storage, or inspecting used tires. The key thing to remember is that tires are not like vintage wine – they do not age well. Even without visual symptoms like stress cracks or splits in the tread, tires still deteriorate over time. According to the tire industry, the average effective lifespan is less than 10 years. Tire manufacturers began dating tires in the 1970s, but the code changed at the beginning of the 21st century. The current process for any tire built since 2000 is an embossed code on the sidewall starting with the federal government’s Department of Transportation (DOT) followed by a series of letters ending in four digits. The first two numbers are the week of manufacture with the second two digits being the year. So a code of 2919 means that the tire was built in the 29th week of 2019. Before the year 2000, the code was only three digits and far less accurate. Again the first two numbers represented the week while the final number was the year. So a date code listed as 299 would represent the 29th week of 1979, 1989, or 1999. This makes accurately determining the age of these earlier tires a guessing game. But frankly, any tire from even 1999 is well into its second decade and unless the tire is historically significant, it’s certainly not worth using. One way to date three-digit code tires would be based on the sizing. If the tire is using a Pmetric designation like 255/40R16 for example, then this is probably a tire from the late ’80s or perhaps early ’90s, since that’s when the P-metric sizing began. If the size uses the older alpha-numeric sizing (L78-15 for example), then that’s likely a ’70s tire as this designation started in 1967. The tire industry standard for the age of tires maintains that a tire more than 6 years old, regardless of tread condition, should be replaced. This is not a hard and fast rule, but more of a safety guideline. In many states, like California, tire stores will not service a tire that is more than six years old, for liability reasons. But if you know the age of your tires, you at least will have some information that will make your next project a little safer.

Here is what the date code on your tires looks like. The last 4 numbers, 2704 code, tells us this old tire was built in the 27th week of 2004.

Ford Launches Online Archive

To mark its 119th anniversary, Ford Motor Company is making its archival material available to the public through a new online database called the Ford Heritage Vault, the company announced. Ford created the Heritage Vault for fans, journalists and car enthusiasts, making it easy to discover the company’s rich heritage from anywhere in the world, the company said. The searchable artifacts are downloadable for personal use, free of charge. The Ford Heritage Vault contains more than 5,000 curated photographs and product brochures from Ford and Lincoln vehicles, spanning from the company’s founding in 1903 to its centennial in 2003, and will grow over time as the company continues to draw from its archives, the company said. “We’re opening up in a way we’ve never done before,” said Ted Ryan, Ford archive and heritage brand manager. “Our archives were established 70 years ago, and for the first time, we’re opening the vault for the public to see. This is just a first step for all that will come in the future.” Ford worked with graduate students from Wayne State University’s library and information science program in Detroit, as well as Ford employees and retirees, to pilot the Heritage Vault in advance of its launch. Ford Bronco and Ford F-Series were common search items among testers. Meteor, Fairlane, Galaxie, Model A and Edsel were also popular, with one user finding the Tempo models their mother and grandmother owned in the 1980s and ’90s. Ford Heritage Vault has been created with accessibility features that translate photos, charts and graphs and other pre-digital assets for compatibility with assistive technology now used by blind and visually impaired site visitors, such as screen readers, to interpret websites, the company said. Heritage Vault users can request remediated versions of additional brochures as needed. “These assets were born analog, and we have worked hard to bring them to the digital world,” said Casteel, who led the effort to make the assets accessible. “But digitizing isn’t enough. It was important to us that the Heritage Vault is accessible for everyone to enjoy.” To access the info go to https://fordheritagevault.com/

New “NHRA Speed For All” Video Game

Following months of work behind the scenes, the NHRA and its partner, Game Mill Entertainment, revealed a first look at the all-new “NHRA Speed For All” drag racing video game based on the world’s largest auto racing organization. Intended for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, the game will be released on Aug. 26, 2022, and is now available to pre-order at major retailers for $49.99.

The NHRA and Game Mill Entertainment are billing “NHRA: Speed For All” as the most authentic NHRA game ever, with genuine teams, tracks, vehicles, tuning and strategies. The NHRA last released a branded video game, “NHRA Countdown to the Championship,” in 2007. “NHRA: Speed For All” Key Game Features: ● 5 NHRA Vehicle Classes: Build, race and prove your skills in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Mod and Super Modified varieties of drag racing classes and vehicles. ● 38 NHRA Drivers: Choose from the sport’s top rivals, including Brittany Force, Antron Brown, John Force, Steve Torrence, Erica Enders, Greg Anderson, Ron Capps and many more! ● Real-World NHRA Tracks: Compete for glory at official NHRA tracks like Bristol Dragway, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, zMax Dragway in Charlotte, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and more. ● Physics-Based Gameplay: Experience the authentic speed, depth and feel of real championship drag racing. ● Packed With Elite Sponsorships: Earn backing from sponsors like Goodyear, Summit Racing Equipment, Lucas Oil and more to fuel your next victory. ● Thrilling Career Mode: Let your competitive instinct burn in single-player career mode. You’ll balance team management, R&D, tuning and vehicle customization across multiple seasons. ● Asynchronous Online Multiplayer Leaderboards: Charge your competitive side by challenging others to beat your best times. ● Battle Your Friends: Take on all challengers with intense local split-screen multiplayer action (available only on PlayStation and Xbox).

Cadillac to Hand-Build New Luxur y Sedan

General Motors will invest more than $81 million into the company’s Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, to prepare, purchase and install required equipment to hand-build the all-electric Cadillac CELESTIQ, the company announced. The CELESTIQ will be the first production vehicle to be built at GM’s Global Technical Center, the center of the company’s engineering and design efforts since May 1956, Cadillac said. “As Cadillac’s future flagship sedan, CELESTIQ signifies a new, resurgent era for the brand,” said Mark Reuss, president, General Motors. “Each one will be hand-built by an amazing team of craftspeople on our historic Technical Center campus, and today’s investment announcement emphasizes our commitment to delivering a world-class Cadillac with nothing but the best in craftsmanship, design, engineering and technology.” The Cadillac CELESTIQ will be built on GM’s Ultium Platform. CELESTIQ’s roof is expected to be one of the first to feature a four-quadrant, suspended-particle-device smart glass. With this smart glass, each occupant of the vehicle can set their own level of roof transparency, designers said. The driver and front-seat passenger will enjoy a pillar-to-pillar freeform display with active privacy to help mitigate driver distraction. CELESTIQ is also expected to have the highest volume of 3D printed components — more than 100 — of any GM production vehicle. This will include both structural and cosmetic parts, and both polymer and metal pieces. Additionally, the CELESTIQ production facility itself will leverage additive manufacturing for tooling, fixtures and gauges in the assembly process, the company said. “This investment is a great example of our commitment to GM’s EV transformation as we apply our manufacturing expertise to a one-of-a-kind, ultra-luxury vehicle for the Cadillac brand,” said Gerald Johnson, executive vice president of Global Manufacturing and Sustainability. “The advanced manufacturing technology and tools we are utilizing on CELESTIQ will help our team deliver the highest quality vehicles to our customers.” The vehicle is expected to debut in late July.