Tire Advice

cpr3333

My 1950 Pacemaker is getting close to finished and I need to decide what tires to put on it.  The only thing I've decided so far is that I want blackwalls.  I know it sounds weird but the car has been in the family for 64 years and I know it's never had whitewalls so why start now?  That, and when was the last time you saw a stepdown or any other car from the era with blackwalls? 

Anyway, the first decision is bias ply or radial.  I want it as original as possible but still want to drive it.

If I go with the bias ply, the obvious choices are the Goodrich and Firestone tires from Coker.  One other possibility is Goodyear tires from Kelsey but they only come in whitewalls. I think the Goodyears are the closest to what it came with but how would whitewalls mounted backwards look?  Would it be obvious?  Is there something I could do to black them out?

For radials, it looks like Coker has a bias ply look tire but they're a new product so I wonder if the bugs have been worked out.  Diamondback looks like they have something similar but nothing in a 15" size in their online catalog.  I need 7.10-15.

If I go with regular radials, it looks like the closest size is 215/75R15.  There are more choices there, but i think a modern tire might look a bit odd.

I'd appreciate any advice or other options.

Thanks.

46HudsonPU

According to the Diamondback catalog, you can ask for any tire in their catalog as a blackwall - just deduct $50 off the cost of each tire (Page #20).

http://www.dbtires.com/2013_catalog/2013_DBTiresCatalog_Web_Hi.pdf 

Also, the 15" 'bias-ply look' radials will be coming in the 2nd quarter (?) - which means they should be available now (?) (page 22). 

Looks like if you can find a 15" tire that you like in their catalog (whitewall or not), you should be able to get it...

Check with 'Hudson Dave' - He sells Diamondback tires...

http://www.fatwhitewalls.com/

RL Chilton

Chris-

Went through all this with my car just about a year ago.  Check out this thread:

http://openforum.hetclub.org/discussion/164337/yea-or-nay#Item_30

My Hornet had blackwalls for well over twenty years before I changed it last year.  

Your sizes are right for either.  Also, haven't had any experience with Coker myself, but most Hudson folks treat them like the plague due to poor quality and poorer warranties.  Lots of horror stories that always made me steer clear.  

Hudson Grandpa

My 2 1/2 cents..Bias Ply will give you better gas mileage. Less tire on the road. Easier to jockey while parking or manuveuring. When you get to a road that's had a lot of traffic, road is lower where all the tires have been, and high in the middle, you will have to pay more attention to the steering.

215 75R 15 Radial. Your ride will be easier to handle. More cushiony.. However more rubber on the road means less mileage per MPG. Radials handle any road hazard with ease.. Not so easy when trying to jockey the car when parking or manuveuring. No problem with power steering. When I put tires on my car the only thing I knew about tires then was Radials. Never even knew they still made Bias Ply. I;m glad I got Radials...

Browniepetersen

just thought I would make a few comments. There are only one or two companies making the tires for our cars in this day and age. These folks make them for all the various companies. I have bought most of my tires from Coker. They work through my local Big O dealership. In eight sets of tires I have only had one adjustment and it was fast and left me with good feelings for not only Big O but also for coker. The only negative comments I remember for coker were for years past and mostly comments that Walt made. I currently have three cars-three different tire sizes (17 inch, 16 inch and 15inch). All are coker and all are doing great.