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My engine is complete, brakes relined, new radiator on order, new rear end going in this weekend. So I'm hoping my car will be ready to roll in two or three weeks. The wheels are original 15" American Racing mags. The tires have been on there since 1978 so I'll be looking for new rubber. I want minimum 27" 15X8's in the back, and 27" 15X7's in front. I don't like Coker tires, but I have American Classic tires in a couple of my cars and they look great. They're wide white sidewalls, Should I get narrow white sidewalls, or go with black walls with the AR wheels? Brand?
Bob
I bought V rated 17" Cooper (CS5 Ultra Touring, IIRC) tires in the ~27.4" height AND new 17" wheels for less than those Avon tires cost. Which is why I went with 17" wheels, due to the diminishing choices available for good 15" tires.
Doug
What is pricey?I just saw a set of new A/R Torq Thrust wheels for $500 bucks. I also saw a set of orginal A/R Torq Thrust 15" wheels on eBay selling for $4,000.00. That's pricey! The A/R's on my 'Vette have been on there since late 60's. I plan to have the wheels restored.I don't plan on racing the 'Vette but I do want 120mph+ rated tires. I do want the original looking tread design, such as on the Avon, but with the road tracking of a radial.
Are the original American Racing Torq Thrust wheels that expensive? They would look nice with the Avon tires but they might be an overkill if I don't plan to "push" the car.
Bob
Personally, I believe that if there is any place to splurge, its on tires and brakes. If you're going to stick with 15 inch wheels, you can't get a better tire than the Avon CR6ZZ....believe me, I've spent over a year looking. If you are willing to entertain going to a 17 inch wheel, the options for tires open up a bit.
Avon CR6ZZ... It's not clear to me if you're primarily concerned with performance or cosmetics, but another high-speed tire rated tire designed specifically for vintage performance/sports cars is the Vredestein Sprint Classic.
Information on both tires is easily obtainable with a Web search.
Most currently available 15" tires are low speed rated with rock hard compound and are definitely not performance tires regardless of their appearance.
Avon CR6ZZ... It's not clear to me if you're primarily concerned with performance or cosmetics, but another high-speed tire rated tire designed specifically for vintage performance/sports cars is the Vredestein Sprint Classic.
Information on both tires is easily obtainable with a Web search.
Most currently available 15" tires are low speed rated with rock hard compound and are definitely not performance tires regardless of their appearance.
Duke
Thanks for your question Duke, It seems you are another fan of the Avon tire. To answer your question, my OP had to do with performance and appearance. I also mentioned I had the original spinner hubcaps. I was at the SF International Car Show last November and I saw this C1 with white sidewalls and it definitely got my attention. As for 15" white sidewalls, I just bought a set of these from a specialty tire place in San Diego. They're radials and rated at 120mph+. This alone doesn't make it a performance tire, but I put them on my '49 Olds convertible with an Chevy LS engine...definitely no sports car.
Bob
PS; my '55 Nomad behind the Olds has 17" Foose Wheels and Nitto tires. They look and ride great.
What is pricey?I just saw a set of new A/R Torq Thrust wheels for $500 bucks. I also saw a set of orginal A/R Torq Thrust 15" wheels on eBay selling for $4,000.00. That's pricey! The A/R's on my 'Vette have been on there since late 60's. I plan to have the wheels restored.I don't plan on racing the 'Vette but I do want 120mph+ rated tires. I do want the original looking tread design, such as on the Avon, but with the road tracking of a radial.
Are the original American Racing Torq Thrust wheels that expensive? They would look nice with the Avon tires but they might be an overkill if I don't plan to "push" the car.
Bob
Original 50+ year old Torq Thrusts are not hard to find, at least out here on the west coast. Not super expensive, either. That said, I would simply buy a new set, and may, for my '61 for when I want to run radials. Clean old sets are more pricey, and magnesium rims with age on them are not safe to run due to decomposition.
Original 50+ year old Torq Thrusts are not hard to find, at least out here on the west coast. Not super expensive, either. That said, I would simply buy a new set, and may, for my '61 for when I want to run radials. Clean old sets are more pricey, and magnesium rims with age on them are not safe to run due to decomposition.
Not to dispute what you're saying GT because you seem to be a pretty knowledgeable guy, but I looked on line and on eBay and I couldn't find very many complete sets of these vintage American Racing wheels. Fortunately I already own a complete set which I plan to inspect for cracks and/or out of round.
I'm planning on attending the Turlock Swap Meet next weekend. I'll keep an eye out for pricing on these wheels if I see any. I might take my black '56 Chevy if it doesn't look like rain. It also has 17" Foose Wheels with black Nitto tires.
Bob
Personally, I believe that if there is any place to splurge, its on tires and brakes. If you're going to stick with 15 inch wheels, you can't get a better tire than the Avon CR6ZZ....believe me, I've spent over a year looking. If you are willing to entertain going to a 17 inch wheel, the options for tires open up a bit.
Totally agree with this statement, brakes and tires are the most important items on any vehicle.
01-18-2019, 03:20 PM
Can We Talk Tires
