WWW abuse

bob ward

This is a dead tyre that arrived on a project car. Its an L75-15 Broadway Grand Prix with 4" whitewall. The sidewall is creased from years of sitting flat and the whitewall is perished from years of sun.

The strange thing is its actually a brand new tyre, it probably hasn't done a mile on the road. A bit of a head scratcher, that's an expensive tyre to waste.

Browniepetersen

I have one like that in the trunk of my 54. I expect that someone bought a set of five tires and one spent its life (about 40 years I expect) in the trunk of my car. Cleaned up quite nicely. I plan to keep it as a spare.... It might be good for another 40 years?

RL Chilton

Maybe . . . but I wouldn't go very far on it.

[Deleted User]

I keep a good used bias ply wide white wall tire in the trunk of my '53 Super Wasp just because it'll fit in the tire well versus a new radial (I have new radial wide whites on the car itself). However, in the event of a flat time, that bias ply is just to get me off the road at a slow speed to the nearest service station to repair the flat and no further.

Geoff

You never know with old tyres. I have one on my Essex, 500 x 20" been retreaded, a Canadian "Goodrich Silvertown". Still performing well. How long since they made those? 1950's? And on on my Jet, an "India Super", probably 50 years old, has also been retreaded and showing no signs of deterioration. Conversely, I had a perfect looking South- African Firestone 500 20. I fitted it to a rim, pumped it up, and two minutes there was an explosion, and it blew a huge hole in the side, completely ruining the tube. When I restored my first '29 Hudson in 1971 I bought four old stock 600 18's had been in the tyre shop for years up in their loft. Did only a few thousand miles and the treads opened up exposing the canvas between them. Another old tyre I bought years ago, an original "Goodyear Diamond Tread" looke perfect, dit five miles before developing a balloon in the sidewall. It's a gamble, sometimes you win, most times you lose! It depends on how they have been stored, if in a cool dark place they are fine, any exposure to heat, sunlight, or moisture, and you are in trouble.

RL Chilton

Just like life, Geoff . . . it's a crapshoot!

Frankvintagefullflowcom

First clue: "Firestone". I've seen more of those come unglued internally than any other car/LT brand of tyre. (That was for Geoff)
F

Uncle Josh

I was adding some air to an original that came with my 49 just to move it around the place when it suddenly jumped 3 feet off the driveway with a tremendous bang. I checked to see if all my body parts were there. Since then I try not to blow up tires any more. I've gone to 'inflating' them.

Lee ODell

he he he thats funny Uncle Josh. I blew up quit a few tires trying to find enought tires that would hold air to make the cars moveable at the George Lauder estate Hudson car sale. Many hadn't been registered since the 70's
Lee O'Dell