[burd]

Did 1980 & 1981 have the hard type of space saver or did they still take the inflators?

[74 SD455 Formula]

I had a 79 Formula with the hard space saver and blue inflator bottle,but was told in late 79 there was a recall for those and they were replaced with the donut style you would see in the 80 & 81 cars.

[burd]

I found the recall. I'll post it.
The donut type was already out in 1978 too, I have a Firestone donut space saver from some Bonnie lit.

[Aus78Formula]

Why does a hard space saver require an inflator bottle?

[ladytata]

I have an 81 non space saver tire, but no can, everything else, so ya why would you need the can.

['ol Pinion head]

My take... my '80 SE Turbo, as well as my Dads (both built early Oct '79 @ Van Nuys), along with a good friends '80 turbo T/A built a month later in VN in Nov of '79, all originally were delivered with a inflatable mini spare with the long white cardboard covered corporate blue inflator bottle. In the late '80's & early 90's I pulled several original inflatable mini spares out early '80 Pacecars in yards.

On several '81 Turbo T/A's & turbo Formulas that good friends owned in the early '80's, each one of them had the large donut inflated mini spare. I'm not sure when the large donut style was phased in.

[Aus78Formula]

It was common knowledge that the inflatable space savers were dangerous rubbish so many would replace with later models when they were available, so simply finding one in the trunk isn't always a sign it's original.

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by Aus78Formula

It was common knowledge that the inflatable space savers were dangerous rubbish so many would replace with later models when they were available, so simply finding one in the trunk isn't always a sign it's original.

Dangerous rubbish...never heard that one. Aus78Formula, I tinkered on a lot of '80 & 81 turbo cars when they were new & just a year or two old. Both my '80 SE along wiith my Dads, we special ordered new.

Noted the late Nov & Dec built '80 Pacecars, as I began running across & picking parts off these cars beginning withi first running across a oair of '80 pacecars in local monster late model GM yard in '81. One was smashed in the front, one was smashed in the rear For a while, I was experimenting building water injection set-ups for modded turbo cars using the '78 Bird pulse wiper washer jugs instead of Spearco's ugly red jug. By looking for the wiper jugs with the washer pump on the bottom, managed to get past the front counter & out into these yards. It was a good tactic, also many times over the years, got into unfriendly yards by desiring to dig through pickup beds full of factory air cleaner bases. Bought a lot of deep drop T/A bases this way & often wandered further into yards. Eventually, one comes back enough, I'd get let loose to pull parts at will.

[Aus78Formula]

You missed my point, which was neither for or against any previous comments either.
But I think there's also a few here talking about different things without realising it. Which spares are you referring to, the fold-up spacesavers or the later skinny 3/4 pump ups?

['ol Pinion head]

The inflatable mini spares that were original in my family's '79 TA, along with both early built '80's, along with our friend Jimmy's Nov built '80, were the short fat style that when it inflates the section width of the tire shifts outward, then inward, to a centering point. Am getting that is what you are referring to as fold up style. This style of inflatable mini spare was avail, I believe as early as in '68 F body's. Not sure if used in '67's.. Have owned many of this style of mini spare over the years in original Pontiacs, & bought quite a few loose. Have even bought/sold Mopar mini spares with orange rims.

The larger diameter inflated "donut style" mini spare, may not set up as high on the trunk floor, but being larger diameter, take up more surface space. After the early 80's when the 4 3/4" bolt pattern donut style mini spare was very common, the mid 80's arrived & the dual bolt pattern (4 3/4" & 5 on 5) GM donut style mini spare arrived. Used to grab the dual bolt pattern style to throw on partscars & onto roller body shells. Regionally, the dual bolt pattern "donut style" mini spare became harder to get a hold of as local tire jockeys sold them to local cab company's, who then sold them to motorists who had a flat.

[Aus78Formula]

That's my point, no one is arguing that those were factory items.

['ol Pinion head]

Just trying to answer Burds question as to what style was original in an '80 & 81.

[Aus78Formula]

I dug out my 80 and 81 Dealer Manuals and options listings and it didn't mention the donut type, not that it couldn't have arrived after publication and simply been in the updates, there was just no specific mention. You'd think there would also have to be a special trunk lid decal for that version, I don't recall it. And since they are very different in their use to the early style, it would be unusual just to class them as the same thing in paperwork.

[Dens71TA]

Years ago I had an '81 Trans Am with 305/4-speed/WS6 built at Van Nuys in 10/80 that had the inflatable space saver.

On '82-'92 3rd-gen F-bodies non-G80 cars got a donut spare while G80-posi traction cars got the inflatable space saver spare. I always assumed that was also the case with the late 2nd-gen cars that came with the donut spare.

[starlightblack]

Just bringing this old thread to life. I am looking at a very original 1978 Trans Am. It has a hard donut spare, no compressed air can necessary. Does not look like it has been on the ground ever. This car is still in the hands of the original owner who swears it has been there since he watched the car come off the car carrier at the dealership. Legit for '78? Never seen a hard donut spare in a 78 TA. But some say it could happen. Any other opinions?

[Red80TA]

No, not in '78 and most spares look unused. Probably date codes on the tyre or the rim, they would stamp anything that sat still long enough.

[TAKerry]

Not saying one way or the other but a lot of memories change, get enhanced, fog, over 40+ years.

[burd]

From what Ive seen, 81 started the donut type.

[ta6point6]

I thought space saver spares came with t-top cars and non t-top could come with small donut tires. I have also seen the tread pattern is different on 79-81 Trans Ams, I think. Just like in the is auction on ebay
www.ebay.com/itm/224021116203

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by TAKerry

Not saying one way or the other but a lot of memories change, get enhanced, fog, over 40+ years.

Can guarantee my memory hasn't changed in respect to the usage & style of 2nd Gen F-body mini spares.

Originally Posted by ta6point6

I thought space saver spares came with t-top cars and non t-top could come with small donut tires. I have also seen the tread pattern is different on 79-81 Trans Ams, I think. Just like in the is auction on ebay
www.ebay.com/itm/224021116203

Know full sized spares were common up through the '77 model Birds. Can look at some original order forms & see what was up for '78. My Dad ordered a new solar gold '79 T/A hardtop, got it late Sept 78 . It had a collapsible space saver in it, just like both of our family's very early '80 Turbo T/A's (ordered in June of '79). . I routinely washed & detailed each of the cars, along with Dads pickup. The original space saver in my '80 SE, it is the traditional late 70's tread style, that spare was installed once for less than 5 miles, still looked in great shape when I removed it/ I was concerned at the time that the tread would be worn some.

Through the late 70's I regularly drove low mile GMAC repossessed late 70's F-body's to clean them up for my Dad. Then about every month, he auctioned them to licensed dealers. Cleaning up & vacuuming the trunk of those repo's was always part of the deal. '78 & 79 Z-28's, Berlinettas, T/A's, the occasional late '70's Vette, along with a ton of 77 model Montes, Regals, Cutlasses. Very popular cars in the S Okla/N Texas region. The Oil Boom was cranking, & there was a lot of new money types buying sporty appearing GM's. Problem was, a bunch got in over their heads in debt. Three military bases within an hours drive also rendered quite a few cheaper bodystyle GM repo's.

the X'ed style tread of the above eBay auction collapsible mini spares is not original to a 2nd Gen F-body collapsible style spare. Have had over 2 dozen collapsible type 2nd Gen F-body spares, & have quite a few today. For me, the earlier BFG mfg style collapsible spare seem to have been the hardest to find. Other first hand experience... from early '81 into the mid 80's I worked on (performed perf mods) on over a dozen '80 & 81 Turbo T/A's & two Turbo Formulas. The only larger diameter non collapsible mini spares I ever encountered in them were in '81 models , all of those 80 T/A's had the collapsible style spares.

Through the mid 80's, up into late 00's, spent a ton of time boneyarding & hauling in parts & project cars. During those years, also dealt with many dozen used tire/wheel shops buying oem "Original Muscle era" wheels. Grabbed many a like new correct GM & early Mopar style collapsible mini spare when I found them. The decade of the 80's brought a ton of mini spares being factory equipped in GM cars, even S10 Blazers, very few that I ever picked up.

"Roller tires/wheels".... One longtime local source wheel I dealt with for near 20 years often sold me, for next to nothing, non collapsible dual bolt pattern GM style mini spares. They worked great on my parts cars. Once I had a parts car off the trailer, & had removed the original wheels, 4 mini spares went on. The short diameter dual bolt pattern mini spares also came in handy when lifting body's (A-body's) off their rolling chassis. With the crude process I used at the time, did not have to raise the bodies as high as when equipped with full size tires.