Re: Tire Shopping for a '54 Clipper

Posted by d c On 2015/4/27 17:47:59

from above- radials ride harder, are noisier and...
55 PackardGuy wrote:
That's been my contention from the start. A lot of people don't know how good the old bias ply tires were back when, except for wear ch...
And: Driving old cars as orig equiped is " part of the experiance".
Well , not for all of us. I would like the wife and the ordinary person who may never have driven an antique car to be comfortable and confidant upon taking the wheel of my cars for a pleasure drive or in a situation where I am unable to drive it.
O D , what were the price of those tires and what can they be purchased for now. You bring up a good point in the tire life and longevity debate. I will try to add some common sense to the discussion with some ridiculous examples. If you take a 45 year old car to a drag strip in NJ for example it can be raced wide open if it passes tech and is equipped with the factoty seat belts. I have seen belts with frayed stitching and mold deterioration and dryrot which were considered ok for street stock racing. Now take a 73 year old car, reenforce the frame, add modern suspension , brakes, seats, tires , NEW wheels, safety glass, etc etc , and install a 5 pt racing harness and race the car. In 2 years the tires will be out of date requiring replacement and the belts need replacement or recert every 2 yrs also. The major factor for deterioration is moisture and UV light. My strip cars were always stored indoors and showed no breakdown in years and years. So are the regs unreasonable? Why not pay for quality tires once and care for them properly and inspect carefully if they will provide 6 , 8 , 10 yrs or more service? I am not sure of 25 yr bias svc life. What are others thoughts on tire life expectancy? 55 are you looking for tires for a 55 or 54? PS? Driver? Trailer queen?