History Firestone spark plugs, did not know.

I was a little surprised to read that Firestone had their own spark plug factory, dating back to at least the 30's. Didn't just brand someone else's product. Bet there is some interesting history there.
Also wonder what the environmental legacy is.
Check out the bad boy below! Must have seemed like a great idea at the time...

 

Now I have to google Polonium.

 

"Polonium spark plugs were marketed by Firestone from 1940 to 1953. While the amount of radiation from the plugs was minuscule and not a threat to the consumer, the benefits of such plugs quickly diminished after approximately a month because of polonium's short half-life and because buildup on the conductors would block the radiation that improved engine performance. (The premise behind the polonium spark plug, as well as Alfred Matthew Hubbard's prototype radium plug that preceded it, was that the radiation would improve ionization of the fuel in the cylinder and thus allow the motor to fire more quickly and efficiently.)[79][80]"


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonium

 

Basically snake oil in Firestones' case!

 

But still, Nuclear Sparkplugs!!

 

What do you think they use to start nuclear reactors

 

…maybe why they’re pink

 

Like Uranium, its the isotopes that are the real nasty ones. More common firms of Polonium is not that bad.

But as said. Aftermarket snake oil.

 

I thought it was "Nucular"

 

Those are cool. I have a set of Lodge spark plugs that were in a dragster engine built in '57. They were pink and I believe they were polonium also.

 

I bought a core Buick Straight Eight that had pink Lodge plugs in it. They all look good, and i think I'll run them in the rebuilt engine.

 

I like the pushrod cover
Ben

 

Thanks Ben! I made a matching spark plug cover and the plan is to do an engine-turning pattern on them like I've done on the fuel pump block-off plate.

 

Where is that strait eight going?

 

Might as well start a collection of all the elements touted in spark plugs. Let's see:
Copper, Tungsten, Platinum, Polonium, Iridium, Ruthenium....

Wow, there's more than I thought!

 

A bit of trivia, Marie Curie (discoverer of Radium fame, with husband Pierre) named Polonium in honour of her home country of Poland.

 

I believe that Alexander Litvinenko would disagree, had the Russians not used Polonium to ******inate him.

 

Here are 13 NOS Firestone spark plugs advertised on ye olde HAMB Parts for Sale section!

 

I originally built it for my '37 Buick, but the original motor in it runs so good I really question whether I should do a swap, or maybe save it for a different build. Speedster? Hmmm...

 

Firestone had a whole line of things back in the early 70's and earler. That included some branded household appliances.

 

Saw these at Hershey fall 2024. This guy had quite a load of them. When I asked if he was concerned about radiation, he told me he received more standing around on that bright sunny day than he did from the plugs.

 

Slightly radioactive Thorium is added to TIG electrodes, I wonder why no one has thought to market spark plugs of dubious advantage on that premise.