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Concept Avalanche

NJAV

Charter Member
Full Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2002
Messages
4,757
So after looking at the pictures from the auto shows in 2000..and seeing the project Avalanche, I decided to see if I could find excatly what were the tires and wheels that were fitted....

I sent GM an email inquiring about this, and the customer service manager emails me back stating that they don't who the tire manufacurer was, but that the concept AV had 15x9 wheels.....Uhhhh...no I don't think so.....

From doing a little picture zooming...I can tell they were Goodyear's (which would make sense) but I couldn't find and tires on the Goodyear site that even looked like the same tread pattern.... ??? Hmmm this weird...
 
they were probably custom cut for the Project AV. If you look at just about any concept car, they have hand cut treads on them. I guess this helps accentuate the consept feel.
 
spork_av said:
they were probably custom cut for the Project AV.
Like the chili pepper tread on Jeep's "Tabasco" Wrangler a few years back? That was pretty cool.
 
The show Avy had 18" wheels on it, as reported by a number of early articles. this info got me excited about putting 18" wheels (but not low profile) on my avy, since I had the 16" stock jobs and was going to change that. I even wrote to Chevy Tech asking if a truck appropriate 18" wheel would fit given the size of the show truck's wheels, but they are so utterly useless all I got was canned reply saying do not do anything different from stock.
 
I kind of felt the same way, almost like they didn't want to be bothered or something..... :mad:
 
from an early Motor Trend article:

"Chevy allowed us to inspect and drive-albeit slowly-this Avalanche concept. For a show vehicle, it's extremely close to the final production version. Tow hooks, fuel filler, suede seats, and "not for highway use" 18-inch Goodyears won't make the cut. The roof rack will be available as a dealer-installed option."

 
Hmmm...I had a feeling they were Goodyear's but 18's.....I wonder which of there tires are offered in 18's and most closely resemble that tread....
 
I have followed the AV through it's inception and do remember reading in one of the reviews that the tires were GoodYear and were custom cut. I'm sure they specified the size but don't remember off hand. If I come across the article I'll let you know.
 
On March 9, 02 I was at Camel Back Ski Area at the Familyfest and had a good conversation with Ed Schoener the Avalanche Program Mgr in this conversation i asked what has happend to the Concept Avalanche and was informed the truck was due to go to the CRUSHER around the end of the year. I asked him if there was some way to save it but he said no it was offered to several auto museums but they did not want to deal with all the PAPER WORK that the LAWERYS wanted them to sign. i asked him if mabe GM had a building not in use to store the concept Avalanche and other concept cars and trucks he said he might check this with his boss. By the way the wheels were machined from a solid piece of billet aluminum and cost 12,500 a wheel
 
I should say so - concept vehicles built by hand can be so 'spensive!

Here is an 18" rim that just might do, but good luck finding a wide range of quality all terrain rubber for it:

MKWMK9.JPG
 
Nice Wheel...who makes the MK9? Looks like a pretty expensive wheel...I would have to rotate those with the seasons..I can't run these in the winter here in Jersey, the salt would destroy them... :rolleyes:
 
I was at a local dealership last week and saw a large poster of the concept vehicle in black. The poster gives it a "Special Forces" military look. Of special note were the missing fuel fill door and 18" wheels (I believe they were chrome). Oh yea, the suede interior looked good also.

Haven't purchased one yet. I can see the dealership having to throw the poster in with the deal to get my business. It will make a nice adornment to my garage wall. :D
 
I could swear that I saw the avalanche being used in Afganistan a few months back is a brief news cast that I cought on TV. It was black and did not have any military fittings on it.
Another thing about the tires is that my Yamaha Warrior uses custom Dunlops. You can not find these tires in any Dunlop magazine. Yamaha has a contract with Dunlop that these tires can only be put on Yamaha Warriors and that only Yamaha Dealerships can sell them. I wonder if that is the same concept here with the tires that were on the Concept Avalanche. I had this same curiousity about the tires that were on the Concept H2. They were awsome and I wanted to put them on my Avalanche. Unfortunelty I have been unable to locate the make and model of them. You should have seen the treads on those things!!
 
Maybe it's just my console but X marks the spot...
 
Ha Ha funny. I tried to insert the picture but it didn't take. When I clicked the insert picture button it gave me a line of html. Anyway I put the path in where the URL is and expected it to show when I clicked Post. Well I was wrong. I think I need to refresh my HTML skills. I'm a bit embarressed since I'm a computer programmer. ? :-[ ?
 
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