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Atlas Bucron Tires

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by novadude, Sep 3, 2008.

  1. novadude
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 531

    novadude
    Member

    I keep hearing how Atlas Bucrons were the tires of choice in the early 1960s. What did they look like? Anyone have pics?
     
  2. oldspert
    Joined: Sep 10, 2006
    Posts: 1,263

    oldspert
    Member
    from Texas

    No pics, but they were made of almost pure butyl rubber. The center was almost like todays cheater slicks with a groove on each side around the tire. If you were lucky you could get 10,000 miles on a set. But they would stick like glue to the pavement.
     
  3. olscrounger
    Joined: Feb 23, 2008
    Posts: 4,770

    olscrounger
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    as stated --they were the real traction deal in 59/60/61. In the Central Valley we bought them at gas stations (Standard I think)==was the only place to get them--can't recall ever seeing or buying them at a regular tire store. I ran them at the drags in 59 or 60 on a 57 Pontiac and they really hooked up compared to regular tires. Lot of guys found they broke alot more stuff with these due to traction increase--especailly 55-57 stick shift Chevies.
     
    40fordtudor likes this.
  4. stan292
    Joined: Dec 6, 2002
    Posts: 858

    stan292
    Member

    'dude-

    The "Ol" guys are right on. Bucrons were the hot set-up until NHRA started allowing actual "Cheater Slicks" - treadless recaps (and later on, actual "purpose-built items) with two grooves.

    Actually, the Bucrons were still better than a lot of the recaps.
     

  5. VAPHEAD
    Joined: May 13, 2002
    Posts: 3,257

    VAPHEAD
    BANNED

    I would like to see a picture of those.Anyone?
     
  6. novadude
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 531

    novadude
    Member

    BTT... anyone have any pics?
     
  7. BigNick1959
    Joined: Oct 23, 2006
    Posts: 638

    BigNick1959
    Member

    My Father drove a truck for Standard oil co. in the 50's and 60's and they sold Atlas tires through Standard gas stations. He had a set on his '62 Catalina, I can rembember him raving about them. I only have one picture of the car but you really cant see the tires, I think the ones he ran were white walls but I maybe mistaken becouse I also remember the car with black walls.
    It was along time ago!.
     
  8. Shifty Shifterton
    Joined: Oct 1, 2006
    Posts: 4,964

    Shifty Shifterton
    Member

    Atlas was Amoco's own brand sold only at service stations, think they finally phased out in the late 80s and were anything but a premium tire by then. Certainly premium priced though. Atlas name was also applied to chemicals, wipers, filters, etc. Possibly still using it on their chemical line, those were notoriously decent.
     
  9. tommy
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 14,757

    tommy
    Member Emeritus

    I think you mean ESSO before the name was changed to Exxon.. check here.
     
  10. BigNick1959
    Joined: Oct 23, 2006
    Posts: 638

    BigNick1959
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  11. buford36
    Joined: Feb 7, 2007
    Posts: 222

    buford36
    Member
    from Maine

    Yep, it was Esso. I worked after school in an Esso station and I remember the Atlas brand tires. Bucrons were almost like a gum rubber eraser. They weren't really black in color either. They were sort of dark brown and quite soft. this was in '60/61. Tom...
     
  12. Shifty Shifterton
    Joined: Oct 1, 2006
    Posts: 4,964

    Shifty Shifterton
    Member

    Apparently I do!
     
  13. We never had Esso in Kansas. It was Standard,Atlas,and Amoco. Those bucrons were good for traction but not a high mileage tire>>>.
     
  14. fab32
    Joined: May 14, 2002
    Posts: 13,985

    fab32
    Member Emeritus

    The hot ticket for traction back in the late 50's early 60's. We set a National Record (speed) in B/S at York Pennsylvania on Bucrons. That track was actually an airport runway and slightly downhill (right at the maximum allowed by NHRA. They would suspend racing for aircaft landings occasionally.

    Frank
     
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  15. Mopar34
    Joined: Aug 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,029

    Mopar34
    Member

    Does anybody remember why the name ESSO was changed to Exxon?

    The way I heard from a dealer friend was that ESSO gas wasn't selling in Japan because the name in Japanese meant "no go". So the company went looking for a name that had no meaning in any language. Exxon was it.

    I grew up with ESSO, I've always thought it was a dumb change.:mad:
     
  16. Corky Coker are you lurking? Could be an opportunity. At our track we saw a lot of them when NHRA brought out the "pure stock" classes about 1967. By then they were old stock and hard to find.
     
  17. cooljunk
    Joined: Dec 18, 2007
    Posts: 423

    cooljunk
    Member

    Yes I remember the Bucrons had the best traction of the day.

    The urban mith around the midwest was that if you could burn them (peal out) they were free!
     
  18. 6t5frlane
    Joined: Dec 8, 2004
    Posts: 2,399

    6t5frlane
    Member
    from New York

    I worked at my fathers Esso station in the late 60's early 70's ( until 1st gas crisis ) We sold Atlas Bucrons. Put them on all kinds of cars. For some reason I do not remember Hot Rodders flocking in to get them....
     
  19. pasadenahotrod
    Joined: Feb 13, 2007
    Posts: 11,775

    pasadenahotrod
    Member
    from Texas

    Cheapjohn tires generally have the softest rubber, which gives the best traction but not the best mileage and long tire life. They also have less sidewall and tread fabric plies in their construction. I had the best traction and handling on my old 59 AH Bugeyed Sprite using Sears Guardsman tires which were $9.95 each in 1969. They just didn't last too long with that kind of driving.
     
  20. I worked at an ESSO station in the late 50s, went thru their sales training, sold Bucrons, lots of guys wanted them but only a few ever bought them, mostly older guys. ESSO, Standard, SOHIO, and a few more, were all under the Standard Oil umbrella. I think they had to sell off some of them due to fair trade issues.
     
  21. novadude
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 531

    novadude
    Member

    School me on Standard Oil and tires... did they actually make their own tires? Was the Bucron a unique tire design and marketed by Standard Oil, or was it a rebranded Goodyear, Firestone, etc.? :confused:
     
  22. I worked at a Goodyear store in the 60's. If a car came in with a set of Bucrons to trade in for Goodyears, there was a fight to see who got to keep the take-offs for their street racer. They were normally pretty worn and good for 500 or so miles, but they were Bucrons.
     
  23. Gman0046
    Joined: Jul 24, 2005
    Posts: 6,256

    Gman0046
    Member

    Yep Atlas Bucron tires were sold by ESSO which is now EXXON. Correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember they had a red stripe on the sidewall. The name Butyl Rubber also rings a bell.
     
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2008
  24. I think they were made by a major tire manufacturer exclusivly for Standard oil, don't know which one, maybe from overseas as they didn't publish who.
     
  25. Hodad
    Joined: Dec 26, 2001
    Posts: 250

    Hodad
    Member

    Atlas grip 4 safe tires and tubes 600-16 like new $100 OBO-Contact Information-Glenburn, ME

    are these the ones you are talking about in this post.. on uncle henry's in Maine
     
  26. novadude
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 531

    novadude
    Member

    Hmmm... apparently Standard Oil invented Butyl rubber:

    (Wikipedia - Butyl rubber. Also, Exxonmobil claims that they invented Butyl) http://www.butylrubber.com/Public_Products/Butyl/Butyl_Polymers/Worldwide/Btl_ProductFrontPage.asp

    If they were pioneers in the field of synthetic rubbers, maybe ESSO DID manufature their own line of tires way back when? :confused:
     
  27. enjenjo
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 2,689

    enjenjo
    Member
    from swanton oh

    At one time, Seiberling tire co made Atlas tires. I think they ended up as Gateway tire co. Standard Oil co was broken up in 1910. Out of it came Esso, Sohio, Standard Oil, Amoco, Boron, and several others.
     
  28. oldspert
    Joined: Sep 10, 2006
    Posts: 1,263

    oldspert
    Member
    from Texas

    I had a set of 8.50 X 14's on a 50 Chevy fleetline with a dual quad 283 Corvette motor and a Warner 4-speed. Rear was a 55 chev running 4:11's. The damn thing would launch so hard the steering wheel would be ripped from your hands if you didn't get a good grip. Great street racing tires. Wish I could find some hidden away somewhere.
     
  29. novadude
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 531

    novadude
    Member

    Sounds like they'd be a great item to reproduce if someone, somewhere could find details of the original construction / compound.
     
  30. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,916

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I found this with Google. It shows them O.K.
     

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