General Discussion Discuss your Oldsmobile or other car-related topics.

What generation tire is this?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Aug 21, 2025 | 09:17 AM
  #1  
jensenracing77's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 11,886
From: Brazil Indiana
What generation tire is this?

Any guess as to how old this BFG tire design is? I don't have it in front of me to look up a date code. Just curious if this is 80's style? I don't think it would be 90's but not sure.





Old Aug 21, 2025 | 10:30 AM
  #2  
BeenThere's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 5,939
From: Latrobe, Pa.
That tread style was used in the 70's. The early-mid 70's T/A radials had a bit smaller lettering. I would guess that tire is mid-late 70's. On a '72 Olds "A" body?

Last edited by BeenThere; Aug 21, 2025 at 10:34 AM.
Old Aug 21, 2025 | 11:01 AM
  #3  
Koda's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 12,793
From: Evansville, IN
Is that the new toy?
Old Aug 21, 2025 | 12:04 PM
  #4  
BangScreech4-4-2's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 16,699
Old enough that you don't wanna be driving anywhere on it.
Old Aug 21, 2025 | 01:30 PM
  #5  
oldcutlass's Avatar
Administrator
 
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 42,495
From: Poteau, Ok
What is the date stamp on the tire?
Old Aug 21, 2025 | 02:39 PM
  #6  
BangScreech4-4-2's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 16,699
Originally Posted by oldcutlass
What is the date stamp on the tire?
See OP -- he's not where the tire is.
Old Aug 21, 2025 | 03:38 PM
  #7  
Olds64's Avatar
Moderator
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 18,221
From: Edmond, OK
She should hold air with a little bit of tire slime!
Old Aug 21, 2025 | 03:57 PM
  #8  
oldcutlass's Avatar
Administrator
 
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 42,495
From: Poteau, Ok
Originally Posted by BangScreech4-4-2
See OP -- he's not where the tire is.
somehow I missed that.
Old Aug 21, 2025 | 04:07 PM
  #9  
jensenracing77's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 11,886
From: Brazil Indiana
Originally Posted by BeenThere
That tread style was used in the 70's. The early-mid 70's T/A radials had a bit smaller lettering. I would guess that tire is mid-late 70's. On a '72 Olds "A" body?
Do you happen to know the car? Could you message me anything if you do? Like to learn more about it if you know anything.
Old Aug 21, 2025 | 04:07 PM
  #10  
jensenracing77's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 11,886
From: Brazil Indiana
Originally Posted by koda
is that the new toy?
oops!!!
Old Aug 21, 2025 | 05:06 PM
  #11  
cjsdad's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,663
From: Norfolk, Va
It's definitely not a Millinnial...
Too young for a Boomer.
Too old for a Gen Z.
Probably a Gen X.
Old Aug 21, 2025 | 06:39 PM
  #12  
Hairy Olds's Avatar
Shoveling Snow
 
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,729
From: Yoder-Hey-Land
About 1973.
Old Aug 22, 2025 | 04:17 AM
  #13  
jensenracing77's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 11,886
From: Brazil Indiana
This link was just sent to me. looks like 1994 roughly is when they left this smaller tread design. Not sure what generation the white letter style is. They sure do scream 70's or 80's to me.

https://www.hotrod.com/features/driv...-982-1551-70-1
Old Aug 22, 2025 | 08:23 AM
  #14  
GN1220's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 663
From: Kansas City, MO
Sure looks like a bias ply to me and BFG stopped making them in the mid 70's. Of course, it does say radial TA so not sure how that applies, but it does look like a bias ply.

Last edited by GN1220; Aug 22, 2025 at 08:25 AM.
Old Aug 22, 2025 | 08:35 AM
  #15  
BangScreech4-4-2's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 16,699
Originally Posted by GN1220
Sure looks like a bias ply to me and BFG stopped making them in the mid 70's. Of course, it does say radial TA so not sure how that applies, but it does look like a bias ply.
If it says "radial" on it, it's a radial. BFG did at one point market a "Belted T/A" which (of course) was not a radial.
Old Aug 22, 2025 | 03:37 PM
  #16  
joes_olds's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 254
I can't say what year it was, but it does appear to an early version.

This guy might want to buy it from you for a historical reason.
https://classicmotorsports.com/news/...-ta-race-tire/

Old Aug 22, 2025 | 06:52 PM
  #17  
Vintage Chief's Avatar
Running On Empty
 
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 25,959
From: Earth
Like all of us, I've purchased many tires over the years; very few B.F. Goodrich, yet for what it's worth there's what appears to me to be a tell-tale sign which likely equates to a rough time period of manufacturing.

The sidewall in the image is a B.F. Goodrich tire. Note later tires are marked BF Goodrich (no periods separating the B from the F).
Old Aug 23, 2025 | 07:43 AM
  #18  
joe_padavano's Avatar
Old(s) Fart
 
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 50,791
From: Northern VA
The all-caps B.F. GOODRICH with the periods after the initials are the first gen T/A radials, as seen on the Tirebird that raced on these street tires. Still one of the most effective advertising campaigns ever, as most of us of a certain age still use BFG T/As on our musclecars for this reason.







Old Aug 23, 2025 | 07:49 AM
  #19  
1969w3155's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 9,477
From: Muskegon, Mi.
Mid 70's. I knew a guy who bought a new '73 Trans Am, and these were the tires that were on it from the factory. In 1978, I bought a set of T/A's for my '73 Cutlass, and the design was different.
Old Aug 23, 2025 | 11:51 AM
  #20  
11971four4two's Avatar
MOTORHEAD
 
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 7,955
From: minnesota USA
My 1971 has PERFORMA GT Goodrich 71 date coded spare pictured.. BIAS PLY
Old Aug 23, 2025 | 12:08 PM
  #21  
69CSHC's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 2,088
Originally Posted by Hairy Olds
About 1973.
👍

This pic of an original 1977 ad is the last time the punctuation dots and tread pattern matched the OPs posted tire, as best I can tell.


And the pic of ad below for 1978 is the last time the punctuation dots appeared, as best I can tell.


And last but not least, below, for 1979. No dots, with different tread pattern.

Last edited by 69CSHC; Aug 23, 2025 at 12:11 PM. Reason: spelling
Old Aug 23, 2025 | 12:35 PM
  #22  
69CSHC's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 2,088
Originally Posted by jensenracing77
Any guess as to how old this BFG tire design is? I don't have it in front of me to look up a date code.
A gentlemen on the Yenko Forum was selling a mounted but unused pair a few years back for $650. Seems to be a match to the one you posted.


Several additional detailed pics with codes here https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=172452 post #1 thanks to Scuncio.

Old Aug 23, 2025 | 07:36 PM
  #23  
joe_padavano's Avatar
Old(s) Fart
 
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 50,791
From: Northern VA
Originally Posted by 69CSHC
👍

And last but not least, below, for 1979. No dots, with different tread pattern.
No periods AND lower case italicized font.
Old Aug 24, 2025 | 03:41 AM
  #24  
jensenracing77's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 11,886
From: Brazil Indiana
Very cool detective work guys.
Old Aug 24, 2025 | 11:41 AM
  #25  
1969w3155's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 9,477
From: Muskegon, Mi.
The then new tread design appears in the 1978 ad, the next in 1979 with the new lettering is what i put on my '73 Cutlass, so, I was off by a year perhaps. That style went on my '66 GTO in 1980.
Old Aug 24, 2025 | 12:33 PM
  #26  
olds 307 and 403's Avatar
Out of Line, Everytime😉
 
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,101
From: Melville, Saskatchewan
Curious when the current BFG tread came in, it is different than that 79 picture.
Old Aug 24, 2025 | 12:45 PM
  #27  
olds 307 and 403's Avatar
Out of Line, Everytime😉
 
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,101
From: Melville, Saskatchewan
http://Taking a Turn With The New BF...WJqo7evEHRx8PE
Looks like last redesign, the fifth and current generation of was 31 years ago! The only real change was the wonderful brown letters. Mine are just outside that. I need to sell mine before they are aged out, 2016/2017.
Old Aug 24, 2025 | 06:40 PM
  #28  
69CSHC's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 2,088
Originally Posted by joe_padavano
AND lower case italicized font.
Good eye for detail Joe, I overlooked that part.

Originally Posted by olds 307 and 403
Looks like last redesign, the fifth and current generation of was 31 years ago!
Save for the browning of the raised letters which is a real concern. I mean I have seen it on cars showcased for sale for top dollar and it looks lousy. If you are not into blackwall it's an issue.

But besides that I can understand why they have not changed anything else. The tire has always looked great since day 1 in 1970, but the current iterations looks are perfection in my opinion, initially and always on the blackwall side. And maxing the rim width is the icing on the cake for appearance.


Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
vCode442
Wheels and Tires
15
Mar 2, 2025 02:56 PM
mb13
Wheels and Tires
10
Dec 14, 2023 10:46 AM
prlynch01
General Discussion
4
Nov 19, 2021 01:50 AM
dnmfranco
General Discussion
18
Jun 8, 2014 09:11 PM
2blu442
General Discussion
2
Jan 2, 2014 09:16 PM




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:32 PM.