batmann

I've been looking for tires for my '64. I just called my local tire guy about for a rough guess on Diamondback's pricing - he is guessing between 100 and 130 dollars per tire.

I really don't want to spend 5 or 6 hundred dollars on tires.

I don't need the whitewalls to be exactly 1". They do need to be either Goodyear, Firestone, U.S. Royal, BF Goodrich, or General..per judging manual.

Is there an "Off The Rack" 205/75R15 that has a clean looking sidewall...and close to a 1" sidewall?

Thanks again,
Dave

Chuck Gongloff

Michelin used to make 'em. I have an old set. Chuck

batmann

Do you happen to know what series/model they are?

67435animal

Michelin X-One P215/70R15 worked on my car.

SilverC1

The last set of tires I bought for my C1 (215/75R15, I think) were Firestones - a pretty inexpensive radial that had about a 1" whitewall (maybe even 1 and 1/8"). My car would normally have had wide whitewalls (as in my avatar photo), but these were more like a '62 whitewall.

This was 3 or 4 years ago, though, and I can't recall the model number/name, but they were a standard offering from a local Firestone dealer.

I did a little search on Firestone/Bridgestone's web site, and the closest thing I see there is the FR440 model, which offers "traditional white stripe styling". But in the photo of the tire the whitewall doesn't appear to be quite 1".

Bob Schleicher

Chuck Gongloff

The Michelins that I have are Radial XH P205/75/R15. They have a 1" whitewall. Chuck

Talisman51

Hey Dave,
I feel your pain...I too am attempting to find a judgable WW... Too bad the Michelin is not a OEM supplier. But the difference in deductions is only 4 points, if you have a correct spare....not such a big deal for a good tire with the correct ww.

Non oem 75% deduct x 24 points = 18
Oem 60% deduct x 24 points = 14.4

compromise.. compromise..

JimV

Talisman51

Chuck,

Are those michelins x-ones? or a different model?

Thanks
JimV

Chuck Gongloff

They're XH...as printed on the sidewall. I've had them for awhile. They're my "driver" tires for the 63.

I have a set of Firestone repro's on original wheels on the car now. Drives fine with them. I haven't swapped them around.

Chuck

magicv8

USRoyal is now uniroyal and walmart has 215x70r15 WW tires that work.

JoesC5

My 64(built early Oct,63) came with US Royal Safety 800 tires. I still have one of them and the whitewall width is 13/16".

Talisman51

Thanks Chuck...
BTW...where did ya get your Firestone repros? coker...kelsy...have you had the car NCRS judged?

I may go the steel wheel/repro route for judging. Kinda on the fence about it, with all the negative talk about bias belts..

JimV

Talisman51

Hey Majic...
What is the Uniroyal tire line your refering to...?

Thanks
JimV

Chuck Gongloff

I bought them "locally" from Universal Tire in Hershey, PA. To the best of my knowledge, everybody sells the same Firestone repro, Lucas, Coker, etc.

I've had the car judged. Don't have the sheets handy. The repro's are "10% deduct tires". I have an original Firestone spare for comparison. The difference is the DOT and "Load Range B" markings on the sidewalls.

I'll go out on a limb, and expect to be "flamed" but let me say something....

Both my 63 and my 69 drive just FINE on bias ply repro tires. I'm NOT saying that the repro's are "better", or "safer". Radial technology is definitely superior to bias ply.

IF you have a solid, rebuilt front end, and IF YOU HAVE THE PROPER ALIGNMENT SPECS FOR TOE IN done on the front, the cars will drive just fine. They don't "dart" or "wander". They don't find every rut in the road, etc.

I drove these cars new. I'm 58 years old. I "preceed" radial technology.

The biggest problem that people have with bias vs. radial tires is that they have their cars aligned to radial tire specs, which does NOT put enough "toe in" into the front. That's why your car drives like crap on bias ply tires when you have a "radial tire" front end alignment.

Chuck

Talisman51

Good AM Chuck,

Thanks for sharing your experience. BTW....u and I both "preceed" radial technology!

I am curious about the deduct range on repros. Some, like yours are 10%, while other repros are 20% or 30%. The JM describes attributes but this does not help in the purchasing desicion unless you have an original to compare to. The only sources for repros that I know of are Lukas, Coker, and Kelsey, and I believe they have there own molds and manufacture their own tires. Contrastingly, Diamondback modifies existing radials.

Is universal tire just a local tire shop, or do they specialize in antique and custom stuff?

What year is your car, and what Firestones to you have (Deluxe Champions W/W or Super Sport G/L)?

Cheers
JimV

JohnZ

If you want "off the rack" OEM-brand whitewall radials, get a set of 205/75-15 Firestone "Supreme Si" radials - that's what Diamondback buys to add their features to - they're about $70 each.

batmann

That is currently the tire that's at the top of my list. Over the last week - I've been searching for a tire with a tire that has a wider WW...no luck though.

Chuck Gongloff

Do a Google search for Universal Vintage Tire. They're a re-seller/vintage tire dealer. They do sell their own Universal brand, but they also sell Firestone. I honestly don't know if they make ANY of their tires "in house".

They have the 6.70x15 1" whitewall for $111.00 each.

I have the Deluxe Champion 1" model

I live about 1 1/2 hours from Hershey. Universal Tire used to be located in Lancaster, PA....only about 1 hour from me. I actually bought them when they were in Lancaster. Chuck

Seaside63

I am kind of confused about the whole tire thing.

Why don't people simply have a set of repro bias plys on stock steel wheels with steel wheel covers for judging; and a second set of modern radials on aluminum custom wheels for driving?

If one's goal is to have the car NCRS judged, then why would anyone want a tire/wheel combo that gave them less than the maximum points available?

Chuck Gongloff above mentioned his Firestone repro bias-plys only got a 10% deduction. I think it's awfully hard to beat that.

I have a gut feeling that people spend a good bit of time preparing their cars before presenting them to the judges. What's an extra half hour to switch out the wheels?

chris ritchie

1. They do. Very common practice.

2. Money. Points per dollar. Yes, you do want to maximize the points you get. But you need to know how many pointsyou get for how many dollars you spend. Sometimes the trade-off isn't worth it.

3. Too much trouble. And that only works if you trailer the car, or drive to the meet on the bias ply tires. You can't easily drive to the meet on the radials and then switch to the bias plies at the meet. No room in a Corvette for 4 mounted wheels.