Lessons learned about flats on a CAMARO ...night mare!

[OUR72GTO]

There has been lots of discussion about cars without spares.

It has been 37 years since I last had a flat or road hazzard. That ended Sat night. We were in Washington State. Went over a very short bridge on a country road about 10:30 pm and as the car left the bridge surface and returned to pavement it felt like the rear right tire hit a hard pothole. Right after that it sounded like rocks were being spit out from the tire and hitting the innner fender on the right rear. After too many sounds like that continued I pulled over.

In the middle of the side wall was lodged 6 inches of 1/2 inch threaded bolt.
As the tire rotated it had been hitting the lip of the fender. Pushed it in 1/2 way and then drove the car to the nearest service station (about 1 mile) : (If I pulled it out I was flat in 30 seconds!)

Called Onstar. They said call Roadside Assistance. Spent 10 minutes telling her all the details she wanted. I am on Roaming Charges on our cell FROM Canada. Then shes says " Oh your car was sold in Canada so you must call Road Side in Canada.

Call them in CANADA and after repeating all the details ( including the middle names of our 1st born child) she puts me on hold for 10 minutes as she repeats it all the the towing service. Total time on phone 25 ROAMING minutes. That should be about 75 bucks!

Truck will be there within the hour ( but if it is longer... they will call back)

Truck arrives in 15 and he puts air in the flat and I drive it up the ramp. No chain marks on the chin spoiler!

Choice...deliver it to closest Chevy Dealer OR put in their compound so we can access to it IF we can find a tire the next morning. Dealer will not be open till Monday so we opt for the compound. Good news is fellow member Iceman has his GMC crewcab and drives me and Mrs GTO back thru Customs to Canada. Get to bed at 1.30 AM.

Part 2


Fellow member Mercuryman confirms ( at 6:45 AM ) he has a rear tire but we need to get it mounted. BC TOUR to Whistler starts in 2 hours.THIS IS WHAT WE DROVE DOWN FOR! Brian brings the tire to the border after going to a another town to get it and we take tools AND JACK to the car 45 minutes south of USA / Canada border.

Member Abbyhawk puts on a spare 18 inch Corvette mag with race tire and we slowly drive the car to Canada ( stopping at Customs to explain)

Only Crappy Tire is open on Sunday and after assuring me they have the proper machine for 20 inch we leave the almost new tire Brian supplied and are told to be back in 2 hours. We take the car! Bill is $44.00.

Should be over right?????? Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They chip the clear coat on the polished wheel. Then deny they did it.!!
" Come back and see the manager on Monday" Well I live 3.5 hours away !
Too bad so sad!

So we go on the 2nd 1/2 of the tour and meet the group at Whistler. That was fun.

Part 3

Today we back track 30 minutes to Canadian Tire and it is suggested the wheel was damaged when we brought it in. After some discussion and demonstration of how they use the " touchless " equipment that NEVER touchs the front of the wheel they say call head office in Toronto. 30 minutes down the road to home we get a call. Please return....the tech now admits he never used that equipment. He did it the old way! Back to Crappy Tire! Apologies! Take the wheel to a shop in Vancouver and they will pay for it to be re clear coated. Estimate $200.00.

Part 4 will be how we get the tire and wheel 250 miles and then back as they want it for a least 2 days.

Lesson # 1 Always have the shop inspect the wheels (or any other item) before you leave and confirm there is no existing damage.

Lesson # 2 Always have good friends who will come rescue you.


Abbyhawk has the pictures!

[The Stig]

man sorry to hear about your misfortunes, but glad it all worked out in the end. What I don't get is, if they have this fancy "touchless" machine why didn't he use it?

[SSE 4 2SS]

Man, I'm sorry to hear all the troubles, but Kudo's to Merc and Abby for assisting a fellow member...

One more good thing about Camaro5...

[oldfriend]

Originally Posted by OUR72GTO

There has been lots of discussion about cars without spares.

It has been 37 years since I last had a flat or road hazzard. That ended Sat night. We were in Washington State. Went over a very short bridge on a country road about 10:30 pm and as the car left the bridge surface and returned to pavement it felt like the rear right tire hit a hard pothole. Right after that it sounded like rocks were being spit out from the tire and hitting the innner fender on the right rear. After too many sounds like that continued I pulled over.

In the middle of the side wall was lodged 6 inches of 1/2 inch threaded bolt.
As the tire rotated it had been hitting the lip of the fender. Pushed it in 1/2 way and then drove the car to the nearest service station (about 1 mile) : (If I pulled it out I was flat in 30 seconds!)

Called Onstar. They said call Roadside Assistance. Spent 10 minutes telling her all the details she wanted. I am on Roaming Charges on our cell FROM Canada. Then shes says " Oh your car was sold in Canada so you must call Road Side in Canada.

Call them in CANADA and after repeating all the details ( including the middle names of our 1st born child) she puts me on hold for 10 minutes as she repeats it all the the towing service. Total time on phone 25 ROAMING minutes. That should be about 75 bucks!

Truck will be there within the hour ( but if it is longer... they will call back)

Truck arrives in 15 and he puts air in the flat and I drive it up the ramp. No chain marks on the chin spoiler!

Choice...deliver it to closest Chevy Dealer OR put in their compound so we can access to it IF we can find a tire the next morning. Dealer will not be open till Monday so we opt for the compound. Good news is fellow member Iceman has his GMC crewcab and drives me and Mrs GTO back thru Customs to Canada. Get to bed at 1.30 AM.

Part 2


Fellow member Mercuryman confirms ( at 6:45 AM ) he has a rear tire but we need to get it mounted. BC TOUR to Whistler starts in 2 hours.THIS IS WHAT WE DROVE DOWN FOR! Brian brings the tire to the border after going to a another town to get it and we take tools AND JACK to the car 45 minutes south of USA / Canada border.

Member Abbyhawk puts on a spare 18 inch Corvette mag with race tire and we slowly drive the car to Canada ( stopping at Customs to explain)

Only Crappy Tire is open on Sunday and after assuring me they have the proper machine for 20 inch we leave the almost new tire Brian supplied and are told to be back in 2 hours. We take the car! Bill is $44.00.

Should be over right?????? Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They chip the clear coat on the polished wheel. Then deny they did it.!!
" Come back and see the manager on Monday" Well I live 3.5 hours away !
Too bad so sad!

So we go on the 2nd 1/2 of the tour and meet the group at Whistler. That was fun.

Part 3

Today we back track 30 minutes to Canadian Tire and it is suggested the wheel was damaged when we brought it in. After some discussion and demonstration of how they use the " touchless " equipment that NEVER touchs the front of the wheel they say call head office in Toronto. 30 minutes down the road to home we get a call. Please return....the tech now admits he never used that equipment. He did it the old way! Back to Crappy Tire! Apologies! Take the wheel to a shop in Vancouver and they will pay for it to be re clear coated. Estimate $200.00.

Part 4 will be how we get the tire and wheel 250 miles and then back as they want it for a least 2 days.

Lesson # 1 Always have the shop inspect the wheels (or any other item) before you leave and confirm there is no existing damage.

Lesson # 2 Always have good friends who will come rescue you.


Abbyhawk has the pictures!

Lesson #3 Never trust the tyre shop stories !!!!PS specially on sundays

[RubyCamaro]

Wow, what a story. Thanks for sharing. Lessons to be learned in there for sure.

[Stex]

Yep, when I get my 12 C there will be a spare. Man that was an ordeal...Owned a 72 GTO new, sundance orange,,tan interior..nice ride...

http://www.greatoldcars.com/images/P...intColors2.JPG

[OUR72GTO]

Revere Silver...... One year only color.

[So Cal Camaro]

Lesson is when traveling, carry a full size spare, so you never get stuck.

I know it takes up a lot of room in the trunk, and my Camaro5 friends love to joke about me carrying it, but saved me on the way back from Detroit to Los Angeles. Without it I would have been stuck for a few days in Vail, CO.

[Cam2011]

Not to knock good people, but it seems as though poor customer service seems to be becoming the norm as opposed to the exception. I have no idea how in the economy especially companies are not bending over backwards to show a customer how dedicated they are to servicing them. Sorry to hear of your plight.

I make a point of telling all the managers or anyone who will listen when a person does their job well let alone above and beyond.

[SSmoothie]

I'm got tired just reading this.

Glad everything worked out. I have 22 inch and I think I need to get the spare for my trunk.

[Abbyhawk]

No pictures no proof, right?

[htron50]

Carry a full size spare in that trunk! Just sayin....

[Abbyhawk]

Hmmm... I'm on my 5th FBody and have never needed to use a spare or a wrecker, for anything, actually. My '76 Formula and '81 TA both had that silly little spare that you were to inflate with a bottle when you needed it, but I removed and sold it all. The '01 Firehawk has its little spare on a shelf. I replaced these with a little piece of plastic that can buy me any help I'll need, and we can pack that space with more useful stuff as required. I can't imagine how much fuel we've been saving since 1976!
BTW, how do you carry the front AND rear full size spares!?!

[OUR72GTO]

I can hardly get the wifes luggage in the trunk now.......

The only space I have is under the floor for the donut. The goop was never going to work on that entry wound!