Ozruss61

My 61 that I'm about to register for the first time after shipping to Australia 18 months is difficult to drive. After a complete front end rebuild, I thought this would take out steering wander that it has. Some friends have said it will be the cross ply tyres causing this. Currently they are Remington cushion air 4 ply. I would like to swap over to good quality radials if this will help, what do you think. I want to retain the 2 1/2 " white wall.

Nowhere Man

Yes a modern radial tire will help tremdous Look up Diamond Back tire.

Frankie the Fink

Yes. Diamondback are a great choice and what I run.

vette61

Don't make the mistake that I did and buy DB tires without asking where they were made, i.e., Made In China.

Frankie the Fink

I'm sure living in Australia the OP is used to all sorts of Chinese "stuff"...

Stan's Customs

Their are several choices of tire manufacturers with Diamondback.

Cooper, BF Goodrich ,Toyo and Michelin are at least four brands that they sell...and I didn't research it much at all. There may be several more.

Great company ...best in the business imho..

I chose Michelin...

Stan...

Ozruss61

Thanks for the feedback. I will see if I can soarce these tyres here in Australia but from from what I've observed in the past they will cost me approx $100.00 per tyre more than U.S. prices. I understand the current exchange rate plus shipping have to be taken into account but it might be worth soarcing them from the U.S. as my shipping agent looks after me as far as costs go. Plus I need to buy a std. wheel as well because I don't currently have a spare. Shipping agent operates out of Muncie Indiana, any clues on soarcing these tyres from that area

Stan's Customs

Hey that's no problem...just pack your bags and relocate, we still have room for one more (but you have to bring your Corvette too...LOL)

Ozruss61

Yeh would love to. From a car point of view i find the usa fascinating.
Too much baggage and to many ties here in the land of oz.

Frankie the Fink

I would love to be overseas with a C1 or C2 Corvette, England, Netherlands, or, down under. I can't even imagine the attention it would get. Had a British Disney tourist tell me if I parked my '61 on the street in his town in England that everybody in every pub would dump out to the roadway just to look it over. That has to be cool.

Stan's Customs

I had a dose of Europe back in 1968 before Nam. It was wet ...all the time. I bet a C1 in particular would have a custom "flocked in mold" interior...lol!

Frankie the Fink

Hmmm... I went to Amsterdam on Patent Office biz in '97. Arrived on the first warm, sunny spring day after 6 weeks of rain. So, all the girls were out riding bicycles around the canals in short skirts. It was like drowning in a sea of Sports Illustrated swimsuit models.

One of those "once in a lifetime" memories.

Sorry to wander off topic but cars were the farthest thing from my mind at the time, and, for a moment, just now.

Ozruss61

I live in a rural city of about 30,000 a couple hours north of Melbourne and have had the 61 out for the first time over the last couple weeks. Our registration agency allows us to purchase a permit ( up to 28 days ) to drive an unregistered vehicle for purposes of obtaining a roadworthy certificate which is required prior to being fully registered. Every, and I mean EVERY one you drive past, looks at the car. They wouldn't have ever seen a 1961 corvette before. I just love the styling and looks of my 61 and love to show it off to others that have never seen one.

Ozruss61

Hey Stan, your looking a little puzzled there at the front of that lovely 61. And rightly so, I think someone stole your engine, looking at the front body height!

Stan's Customs

Your right OZ...somebody got it when I was sleeping. My neighbor said he thought he saw a bunch of little blue guys roaming the hood that night...lol.

(...referencing an old Rod Serling, "Twilight Zone" epic. in which the clock stopped at night and little blue guys rearranged a things.)

It's got a new ZZ4 in it with a 2004R overdrive now.

That pic is a friend of mine examining the glow of it's new Mercedes Crystal Laurit Silver Metallic paint in the late afternoon light....right after I got new wheels and tires on it.

Ozruss61

Yeh, I looked at those tyres(sorry I have to spell it that way) and thought, how white are they. Color looks very nice.
Cheers Russell

Y0GI

Maybe I'm way off base, but I thought that all of those major name brand manufacturers got out of the business of making these old model, odd size tires? I thought that, for instance, a classic Michelin tire would be made by some small, custom manufacturer using the old Michelin molds and paying Michelin a royalty for the use of their name?

I just find it hard to believe that Michelin would currently produce these extra wide white wall tires.

Yogi

Stan's Customs

Michelin produces Michelin tires...Diamondback applies the whitewalls, redlines etc.

Diamondback gets a truck load of newly manufactured tires daily.

Coker on the other hand does use old molds for tire manufacture

Ozruss61

That backs up the story I was given by the guy here in oz who is the Australian distributor for diamondback. I have ordered a set of 215-75-15 with a 2 5/8" whitewall.

Audiophobe

I see that in the DB catalog they offer a 3" WW. Anybody have them on a C1? I need new tires and have 2 1/2" and was curious how they look.



I have Am. Classics on my 58. To be fair, I'm not sure how old they are since they came with the car when I got it. The tread is excellent but they seem to be out of round and the belts seem to be shifting.
Everything I have been advised and read points top buying Diamondbacks.