Now on to lower hoses. Left is current Gates listing for a 70 455. It’s close to an original 70 lower hose but it is too long. You need to take about 2” off the top(water pump)end. If you don’t it will hit the frame or idler arm. The far right is a Gates 71 listing. They added a bend to avoid the frame in 71. It is exact to original 71 hose in the middle which I took off a one owner car. It still has the tower clamp marks on it. I suggest people use the 71 style for 70 as well. It fits better and requires no cutting. It’s the same car and engine. Surprised they offer two hoses still for lower? Bottom line guys I went through all this 25 years ago while looking for correct hoses for my car and was disappointed with what I found for uppers. I made it a mission to find an NOS hose which took me 15 years and I found several. Sorry I have none left for sale.
Frank, the correct shape upper hose was available at least from Gates until early 80’s. The double S hose I think crosses over to Olds I think. It’s not correct but works. There is no 70 GS 455 upper hose listed currently.
Right Dave, same here with the tops. Made it a mission to find a couple for myself. The bottoms, I agree with that, I think while I was writing you were, too! The AU? I see it now. What I'm guessing is that's not the code. You see AU (printed) on Olds, Chevy, etc. hoses. I always assumed the AU meant authentic. I had thought it was a repro thing. Maybe not. Maybe all the hose stock was embossed AU. Maybe that's why you don't always see it or I never noticed it. Hope Marc doesn't mind us stealing his thread! It's all good info for others, though.
That would be cool. Frank, some may say we have a rubber Fetish. Remember that Pervy uncle in the Who’s Tommy movie?
Here are some pics of hoses. 1st pic bottom hose is a lottery ticket. Dirty hose 3rd down is NOS Goodyear. Top hose is Dayco. 2nd pic, Top hose is a Olds repro, 3rd hose is a double S stamped hose. 3rd pic is lottery ticket on my car. You can see the gooseneck, and how well it fits and clears the parts.
Geez' Dave, I thought everybody had some lottery tickets stashed away! The other hoses are misc hoses I tried while looking for lottery tickets. I have to dig more. I think I have more in my loft. Maybe an original. But the ticket is the one......
Frank, are those Gates ovals I spy on the correct shaped hoses? Any part numbers GM or otherwise?Just goes to show variety of ways they could be stamped new or later.?
Good eye Dave! Yes...they are NOS vintage Gates. No GM numbers on them. What's interesting is they are uncut, but the radiator end looks shorter than yours. I don't think I cut the one on my car, it just went right on and cleared everything with a lot of space. I actually passed up a really nice Gates lot last winter. There was a 70 NOS BBB top and lower hose, a 70 GS 350 top hose, just a slew of vintage muscle hoses. But those were the only ones I could ID by eye and the lot wasn't cheap. A lot of old hoses the numbers are rubbed off. A body BBB + SBB look very much alike. But the SBB is longer and you can't interchange them.
