Let's see your original tires

[73Coupe]

As I read it on the double white wall page, they carry many styles but do not show all of them on the webpage. I think they expect a call to ensure the correct "custom" white stripe.
All this because Cadillac had a lot of different tires over the years.

I talked to Diamondback a couple years ago, and they said you can basically get any whitewall pattern you want. It just costs a lot.

Basically, white rubber is sandwiched between the carcass and a black outer sidewall cap, vulcanized, and then the stripes are cut on a lathe.

 

[CBODY67]

The tire that Diamondback uses can change over time. In the larger 15" sizes, they were using Toyos, but as I understand it. Toyo stopped building that particular tire size. The other thing is that as DB is modifying the tires, they carry no warranties from the basic tire manufacturer, so you might read the fine print.

Back in the 1970s-1980s, some new car dealers would order the cars without whitewalls and then pay a company to come around and cut the black rubber away to reveal the white rubber in the sidewalls. A few $ here and there they made on the car deal, as a result. But on some brands, the white stripes were raised a bit, as I recall.

I might be wrong, but I seem to remember that DB vulcanized the whitewalls onto the existing tires, no cutting involved. As thin as modern tires' sidewalls now are, compared to prior times, adding that extra layer of rubber onto the sidewall might be a plus?

Unfortunately, some of what Coker now sells is not historically correct. For example, with that 1961-'63 BFG Silvertown tire tread and "piecrust"-design outer tread rib/outer sidewall design NEVER came with anything but about a 1" white sidewall on it, no dual-white stripe sidewalls as they now sell. Same with the "wide white" Gangster Walls. Or some of their red-line sidewalls on BFG Radial T/A tires.

I know others might not share my orientation, but to me, a .75" whitewall is a good substitute for any prior whitewall. Plus something I can buy/order as a new tire from a few tire brands without paying repro prices for a car that I might drive and use a lot. Or even a limited-use vehicle as someday, that tire will need replacing for whatever reason. Things can be different then, I suspect. Just as the old H78-14 size was very common until it disappeared in the middle 1970s. Now, many of the similar 15" sizes are getting harder to find in whitewalls, but at least there can be a larger market for the 15s.

Enjoy!
CBODY67

 

[cuda hunter]

Buying a modern radial with the standard 1" white wall does make a lot of sense.

 

[Big_John]

Interesting. learning about the difference's in the tires.
So how does the bias belted tire compare to the radial tire?
More in terms of using the tire.

Present day, radials win, hands down.

But when these were new, it was more of a toss up than most people knew. One of the car mags did a skid pad test. Basically what tire did the ultimate speed/side g-force in a back to back test. They did every popular tire and the results surprised everyone. The bias ply tires were at the bottom, then the radials were much better, but what no one expected was the bias belted tires actually performed better.

The radials had some better qualities, like the ride for example. In a few short years, the radials became the better tire at the same price point and the bias belted tire went away.

I had bias ply Goodyear Blue Streak repop tires on my '65 Formula S Barracuda. I honestly didn't like them. The biggest issue was they would flat spot when the car sat for a couple days and pulling out of my driveway to go 50MPH with 4 flat spotted tires for a mile until they rounded back out wasn't any fun. They got replaced right away... Maybe if I lived where I could drive slow for a mile or so...

So, nice radial white walls are available... Pick one, buy it and don't look back.

 

[MacLebaron]

Present day, radials win, hands down.

But when these were new, it was more of a toss up than most people knew. One of the car mags did a skid pad test. Basically what tire did the ultimate speed/side g-force in a back to back test. They did every popular tire and the results surprised everyone. The bias ply tires were at the bottom, then the radials were much better, but what no one expected was the bias belted tires actually performed better.

The radials had some better qualities, like the ride for example. In a few short years, the radials became the better tire at the same price point and the bias belted tire went away.

I had bias ply Goodyear Blue Streak repop tires on my '65 Formula S Barracuda. I honestly didn't like them. The biggest issue was they would flat spot when the car sat for a couple days and pulling out of my driveway to go 50MPH with 4 flat spotted tires for a mile until they rounded back out wasn't any fun. They got replaced right away... Maybe if I lived where I could drive slow for a mile or so...

So, nice radial white walls are available... Pick one, buy it and don't look back.

Big John, I agree completely!
One item I did not see anyone mention is the tread pattern on most of the original bias style tires. If you drive your car in rain, or any inclement weather you may want to think about that. Most bias ply tires have the tread patterns very close together and do not offer much for side sipes to evacuate water.
I am not being critical of anyone using the original tires in any way, nor am I trying to start a debate on the subject. But, for those of us that drive our cars in different weather conditions I do not want to be driving on tires that don't offer good traction. The thought of 2-2.5 tons of american steel sliding around uncontrollably on rain soaked roads is not pleasant.
I appreciate everyone that maintains the originality of their car, just a thought to consider when looking for tires.
If it means another car is being used that means we all win whatever style you decide to buy.

 

[ayilar]

@cuda hunter -- get a set of Hankook Kinergy ST (aka Optimo H735) WW tires and don't look back. Most modern tire available in 235/75R15. It is made stateside and is supposed to improve on the Optimo H724, which I have found very comfortable, quiet, and secure in dry weather. Have not tried the H735 yet in rain (and hope never to do so, but I know that will happen when I least expect it).

 

[cuda hunter]

Unfortunately it appears that the Hankook Kinergy ST and optimo h735 no longer are offered with a white wall.
That's what my tire guy told me and when i go online, amazon, none of them have the white wall.

 

[ayilar]

Unfortunately it appears that the Hankook Kinergy ST and optimo h735 no longer are offered with a white wall.
That's what my tire guy told me and when i go online, amazon, none of them have the white wall.

Your tire guy should know better. The Kinergy ST WW and H735 are two different names for the exact same tire. I bought brand new, factory fresh, H735 WW 4 weeks ago for my TNT. I bought them from the Tire Rack and had them installed by the same person as @Ripinator (who, if memory serves, had just bought the exact same tires for one of his C-bodies):

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Hankook&tireModel=Kinergy+ST&partnum=375TR5H735W

PS: if the link below does not work, just type it into your browser search bar

 

[cuda hunter]

Ok, I stand corrected. Why can't I find them anywhere else?
In all fairness, my tire guy is not the many year pro at the shop. He was a parts guy and a mechanic, so maybe not the best tire guy.

 

[cuda hunter]

And thanks for the direction.
I know I read where you bought them in one of your threads, I'm just hard headed I guess.
Thanks again!

 

[cuda hunter]

So Big O tires does not show the white wall hankook tire. They show the non WW. He thinks that bigO has discontinued the tire and will no longer carry it and will not warranty an installation if I don't buy it through them.
How in the world do you get a warranty through an internet company in random towns in America? BigO has locations in most towns with 5K people or greater. That is why I use BigO tires.
I got the part number from tire rack and my bigO guy is going to try to find it.
They have a brand called "custom" that has a white wall.

 

[cuda hunter]

Big O guy can find the kinergy's but they do not show a white wall. All 4 suppliers that they use show a black wall.
Part number 1024740

 

[cuda hunter]

Ok, he just found a set with this part number.
1024740 WSW. But who he can get it through they are 133.00 each.

 

[cuda hunter]

If I buy through Big O they give me free rotation and balance and free flat repair.
But I'm probably not ever going to drive this car 3000 miles in a year. So, 200 bucks more for a BigO warranty or 200 less with an internet warranty.
Apparently BigO warehouses have zero of these tires. Of the 4 suppliers BigO has they have one that has these tires.
He believes they are going to discontinue this tire or already have.
Anyone shed some light on this subject?

 

[rapidtrans]

Present day, radials win, hands down.

Agree 100%.
First car I ever drove with radials was my uncle’s 68 T&C. Most likely Michelins. I was 16 and only been driving for a couple years but couldn't believe the difference in ride and handling from Dad’s C bodies i’d driven. Loved the look of those squat tires and how flat that car cornered.

 

[ayilar]

He believes they are going to discontinue this tire or already have. Anyone shed some light on this subject?

I posted, in the other thread to which you referred, information and the news stories re: the fact that Hankook is expanding the production of those tires. You may want to give your tire guy some reading

Here is another reason why I think that it would make little sense for Hankook to eliminate the H735WW after investing in the manufacturing capacity to produce them: they are the exact same size tires that work for the 1991-1996 GM B- and D-bodies (Chevy Caprice, Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, Buick Roadmaster, Cadillac Fleetwood). Many of those GM full-size cars initially came with 235/70R15 tires, and the size 75 tire looks even better. Plenty of those cars are still around -- WW look best on them, hundreds of thousands were produced in the day, many are still on the road, and so there is a market there as well.

 

[cuda hunter]

Makes perfectly good sense.
Just sucks that Big O has zero of these in any warehouse in America.
Guess I'll just have to buy them from tire rack and not get any warranty, aside from them.
Which when I ask my Big O guy basically means that I have to have proof that I have rotated the tires every 3K miles. Big O will not warranty that. Nor will they give me free flat tire fix/replacement.
He has also said that there are 3 models of BF goodrich's that he has been trying to get since October. We apparently have a tire shortage? Maybe that's all just because BigO doesn't have any in stock even though everyone else has them in stock via internet.

 

[rapidtrans]

The name “Big O” seems rather fitting!

 

[Snotty]

Not original, but this is how my car appeared when I bout it 18 years ago. I still have the wheels and covers, but don't use them.

 

[stubs300]

View attachment 460055

I bet that pick'em up in the background has the original tires on it!