Re: IML: 61 imperial whitewalls

[Kenyon Wills <imperialist1960@xxxxxxxxx>]

You asked about looks in your original question.

 

The Bias Ply tires are larger and more "correct" for the car.  They fill the wheel wells better and give the car a much more authentic look as well as delivering a smoother more comfortable ride.

 

Radials are not correct for the car and will impart a harsher ride and sit the car lower to the ground because they are not baloon tires and are a smaller diameter.  The steel belts in the radial carcass transmit road shock more directly, and the suspension was designed with the assumption that the stock bias ply tires would do some work (more than radials do) to absorb roadsurface irregularities.

 

The club archives are filled with vitriolic back and forth messages from people championing whatever tires they have found to be the best, so this may come down to an issue of aesthetics more than anything else.  Take a look on the club website and do some research about what you think is the right look would be my advice.

 

Personally I chose bias tires with smaller white-walls because I personally felt that the big whites are overstated on a car that is already overstated (my 1960). 

 

Most of the ads and color brochure on the site show the 1961 car with 3" white walls.

 

I have not heard much from others that have tried both bias and radial here, as most people seem to go one way or another. Having tried both, I chose the bias ply for ride and look.  Besides a possible mileage advantage and small cornering advantage, I can't see any way that the radials out-perform the bias ply tires after all components are factored in, as I will not be putting 40k onto my car soon, and like the old-fashioned feel that comes with the bias tires. 

 

This is my car with the bias ply tires mounted to it:

http://imperialclub.com/Yr/1964/Kenyon64/index.htm

 

Note the obviously poor performace of the radials in snow:

http://imperialclub.com/Yr/1964/BobZubkowski/index.htm

Also, consider what fitting radial tires will say about you to others:

http://imperialclub.com/Yr/1964/KenGilbert/index.htm

 

 

But seriously, check out these two contrasting pictures of what I "think" is a car on radials and a car on bias ply.  The one facing left looks lower to me, and the wheels don't seem to fill the wheel wells fully.  Maybe it's just me, but...

 

Bias Ply:

http://imperialclub.com/Yr/1964/Kenyon64/4-reg.jpg

 

Radial?:

http://imperialclub.com/Yr/1964/Joe/coupe.jpg

 

 

Ask me how I feel about disc brake conversions for all-drum cars sometime, too.

Kenyon Wills