St Louis Plant Visits - 1978-79 & Shaving fender lips for P255s

[Tom R.]

In 1978, Corvette introduced the Good Year P255 series tire and required shaving fender lips and the rear portion of front fender, front of rocker panel. These tire options were available throughout the model year so regular coups as well as many Pace Cars, were shipped with P255s installed.

Where in the plant would workers have trimmed body parts? Anyone visit the plant during these years and recall seeing this operation? Or that cares to admit?

I doubt this work was done in the body shop but curious at what part of assembly it would have been done. Over 18,000 units would have left the factory with QBS out of the nearly 47,000 units built in 78.

[Joe R.]

Re: St Louis Plant Visits - 1978-79 & Shaving fender lips for P255s

Hi Tom,

You might try reaching out to Frank Bloemke through this board. He was an engineer at the Corvette plant during the 70's, but I don't know which years.

Joe

[Michael F.]

Re: St Louis Plant Visits - 1978-79 & Shaving fender lips for P255s

where does it say they were shaved, never saw that in the day on the cars

[Tom R.]

Re: St Louis Plant Visits - 1978-79 & Shaving fender lips for P255s

where does it say they were shaved, never saw that in the day on the cars

1978-79 NCRS Technical Information & Judging Guide, p. 45

[Larry C.]

Re: St Louis Plant Visits - 1978-79 & Shaving fender lips for P255s

In Dec '77, I purchased a '78 S/A, L-82, gymkana suspension and Goodyear P255 tires. Vehicle wasn't delivered until June '78 due to demand. Definitely has shaved front fender wells.

Larry

[Mark E.]

Re: St Louis Plant Visits - 1978-79 & Shaving fender lips for P255s

Tom Russo

78 SA NCRS 5 Star Bowtie
78 Pace Car L82 M21
00 MY/TR/Conv

Somebody likes 1978. Good year for Corvette despite emissions and no mid-engine debut.

[Terry M.]

Re: St Louis Plant Visits - 1978-79 & Shaving fender lips for P255s

Somebody likes 1978. Good year for Corvette despite emissions and no mid-engine debut.
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Some of us are still waiting for that mid-engine debut.

[Patrick H.]

Re: St Louis Plant Visits - 1978-79 & Shaving fender lips for P255s

Some of us are still waiting for that mid-engine debut.

And some of us might have seen pics of a body in white on someone's phone....

[David R.]

Re: St Louis Plant Visits - 1978-79 & Shaving fender lips for P255s

Tom, I have wanted to know this since June of '78. My '78 white w/P255 has shaved fenders. It also has repainted fenders from the factory. Know it was not repainted at the dealer as we saw it right after the truck dropped it off. There was various quality of masking done as overspray was on tires/wheels, air dam, rear window trim, windshield, hood, etc., one paint run. Surely they would not have had to repaint all the cars with shaved fenders, but to avoid doing so they would have had to be trimmed before painting. It wasn't so important then, just clean off the overspray and drive on, but try to explain some of it being there to BLM-Gold judges.

[Michael F.]

Re: St Louis Plant Visits - 1978-79 & Shaving fender lips for P255s

thanks increased my memory bank

[Edward A.]

Re: St Louis Plant Visits - 1978-79 & Shaving fender lips for P255s

In 1978, Corvette introduced the Good Year P255 series tire and required shaving fender lips and the rear portion of front fender, front of rocker panel. These tire options were available throughout the model year so regular coups as well as many Pace Cars, were shipped with P255s installed.

Where in the plant would workers have trimmed body parts? Anyone visit the plant during these years and recall seeing this operation? Or that cares to admit?

I doubt this work was done in the body shop but curious at what part of assembly it would have been done. Over 18,000 units would have left the factory with QBS out of the nearly 47,000 units built in 78.

Tom,
Interested to know if the fender clearance problem was addressed for the late-1979 models. I have a late-1979 which came originally with the 225's. I have 255's on there now and don't have any clearance issues.

Also, if anybody has encountered the fender clearance problem with cars that originally did not have the 255's I'd like to know where the clearance issue was.