RADIAL TIRES AND CLASSIC CARS

There has been a trend in recent years to switch 40's, '50's and early '60's cars to radial tires. Some do it because they are unable to figure out where to purchase the original style, size and construction tire. Others because they have been convinced or have convinced themselves the car will drive well with radials.

Here is the truth. Very few, if any collector cars drive well with radials. The cars were not designed to run radials and radial tuned suspension was not commonplace on American cars until the mid-1970's.

Radials are lower profile, and make your car ride and look lower. In some cases, such as "950x14" no comparable radial exists. We added a correct set of this size tire to a 1960 Lincoln Continental that had been poorly fitted with the largest available radial. The result was a car that sat almost two full inches higher, and immediately took on the look of a restored classic, as opposed to a run down hulk; down on it's haunches. No other item you can add to your car can make it look crisper, more authentic and standing tall than a fresh set of correct size and construction tires.

Don't know where to buy them contact the folks at Coker Tire in Chattanooga, Tennessee, or at their web site. They have a tire to match all your needs. It's also a great time to restore the look of yours wheels with Eastwood's line of wheel paints. Some folks will tell you their car already has a set of correct style wide white wall tires on it and it drives terrible. This is most likely because the car has a set of older tires or tires made from molds featuring a straight rib tread design. For your car to track properly your tires have to have a real tread. Straight ribs will permit your tires to follow every irregularity in the road. Treaded tires do not.

We recently took a set of Lester straight rib tires (that are no longer made) off a 1938 LaSalle and replaced them with a set of the latest available correct style B.F. Goodrich tires from Coker and completely amazed the owner as to how much better the car drove and steered. You will note that wide white wall radials are now available. While these are great on street rods and car set-up for radials we still recommend going with the OEM bias tires in a correct size and tread pattern.