Re: [FWDLK] tires

I have a 64 300K and wanted larger tires/wheels on her, didn't like the look of a 14" radial. Since it's not all original (engine only) and I'm not into "just off the showroom look and feel", I put on a set of 15" American Racing black "wagon wheels" with Copper Mastercrafts, 225-15's on. Since I tend to jump on her more than not, I wanted rubber that would hold up. I don't take her above 60 mph too much, 3.91 gears aren't meant for highway cruising.

If I want the old style look, I'll try Coker or Diamondback, but for now, I want to stay on the road.

Dave Moore

Wallingford, CT

----- Original Message ----

Hi Gary,

Taking into account the many different aspects of this hobby, and the fact that different owners use their cars for different purposes, the choice of tire is up to the individual owner based on taste as well as anticipated use of the vehicle.

What I am trying to say is that, if the car is a "trailer queen" and hardly gets driven, and is only taken out of the trailer for shows and awards, then, of course, correct-appearing tires would be the ticket. However, for folks like me who couldn't give a rat's ass about awards, who never trailer their cars, and who drive them hard as often as possible, I'd go with performance over correct looks. Indeed, the tires on my cars are all serious Goodyear Eagle GT+4's, V-rated, with "only" a 1" whitewall. My personal choice, and I am sure there are other suitable tires out there besides the Goodyears.

John Hertog

Sag Harbor NY

I play the other side of the coin (for the most part)

My muscle cars get stout radials with raised white letters, or just straight blackwalls. For me, the jump in looks is not too great to distract from the originality and looks of the car in question. Most muscle cars were wearing tires like this after the original set wore out anyway. They are fairly period.

The FL cars are another matter. Back when we began rounding these up in the mid-late 70's, most had fallen into the hands of no-caring owners who just kept them running and little more. They got holes drilled in the side trim and sheetmetal screws were used to hold it on, Western Auto mirrors were added the same way. More often than not, the tire situation was a grim set of mismatched, undersized radials with skinny white wall stripes to match missing or incorrect wheel covers and paint that had not been washed since 1963. We called them "hillybilly cars"

On the rare occasion a nice FL car was found, it was utterly breathtaking how it commanded your attention and gave us hope for all those nasty ones we came on to. The end of the FL period was the very last of the super formal family cars. A New Yorker from 65 simply lacks the ostentatious presence of a 56. Why ? Styles changed, people's expactations changed. Those high steppin' wide whites and wire wheels gave a 56 a formal sportiness and glamour. Put them on a 65 and it made it look like a pimp wagon - and not the kind of recent TV show popularity.

I am still chasing the dream of wandering around my Grandfather's garage. A lavender 59 Electra sat quietly in the shadows next to my Grandmother's yellow and white 56 Roadmaster. The sun filtered across the darkened recesses in a shaft of gold and sparkles from the dust that would kick up by being there. The curves and chrome of those sculpted bodies rolled in dances of light and shadow as this wonder-filled kid walked around them in awe. They were art. On a later trip, the cars were changed out for a 66 Electra and a 63 Special. Square, boxy tubs with all the glamour of a shoebox and a brick of cheese. The flat sides and squared bumpers did nothing in the light. By contemporary standards they were neat cars. Compared to the previous garage inhabitants, they had all the panache of a bread truck. The dream was gone.

I don't hammer my cars too bad. The muscle cars get a leg stretching from time to time, but the FL cars I keep for a different reason.

There is no more compelling reason to do these cars than to see the smiles they put of the faces of goobers like me who remember a time when these were the glamour queens of the boulevard. I can't stop anywhere without drawing a crowd. My favorite is just driving slow in traffic and seeing people point and smile. I do not show my cars. Landfill trophies and "look at me!" competition defeats the very reason I own these. I'll just park my car at the gate and let people enjoy it without all the hype. I do not want credit for what they are seeing. I only saved it. Someone else built it, someone else bought it. What we have in common is a soft recollection of some time long ago when these shapes and images gave us some sort of happiness. For this reason, a correct dimensional whitewall is mandatory, like NOT wearing sneakers with a tuxedo, or loafers and black dress socks with Bermudas to the beach. The right shoes for the right occasion. For me, the FL occasion is a high steppin' event of collective memories of everyone's Grandpa's garage. I am not a stylish guy by most standards, but this is one style I hold true.

BTW - my cop car wears appropriate tall, skinny blackwalls.

Brent