Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Pontiac’s Instant Aire tire pump, wasn't available with the Ram Air III or IV, or the 6 cylinder, but would pump up tires, or beach balls, etc to 32 psi. They sell on Ebay for around 600 dollars, NIB, NOS

4 comments:

  1. I've never seen one of those offered by a car manufacturer. We used what was called a 'chuffer' on the farm, which involved pulling a spark plug and screwing a pipe with a check valve in it attached to a tire hose. It took a couple minutes to fill a car tire, but it sure beat walking home.

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    1. I've never heard of this optional air pump before, so I had to post about it... I've heard of, and posted about the spark plug adapter for inflating tires back in the teens and twenties.

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  2. The first versions of Cadillac's level ride involved an enormous pump that ran off engine vacuum, and had an intake hose that connected to the top of the breather element. They worked, even though I've been told it can explode if you try to service it and don't know what you're doing (I can't visualize this.) It was amazing to me the company would engineer/build this huge contraption when a miniature electric air compressor (used later) makes a lot more sense. But, examining GM luxury cars of the 1960's one can only say that they suck. The power locks, power trunk release, cliamatic control air conditioning were all vaccum menageries, and it still doesn't make a lot of sense to me why they used pneumatics where wire and soenoids would perform said function much beter. I got my bathing by fire on a 1967 Coupe DeVille and I learned why top tier GM cars are not found on the road as daily drivers or classics by now. It took me a year, but I do fully understand that air conditioner by now, and I'm still fascinated with it.

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  3. Another rambling thought; I wish I better understood some of GM’s rules within the company on what they are allowed to make/sell. If our goal is profits, and to sell as much as we can, why would we limit something like that to only Pontiac? I’m a country boy who has dealt with plenty flat tires on the farm, off road, and cement slab. A flat tire on a Pontiac is the same amount of joy as a Chevrolet pickup, or Mama’s Oldsmobile. Tires, nor air, are brand specific thus if we’re going to spend the money to engineer this why only Pontiac? Inquiring minds would love to know!

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