The Modern Tires You Need For Your Classic Muscle Cars
With every passing day, the famous muscle cars of the 60s and early 70s are becoming very rare to find. Hence, it’s becoming challenging to get most of their OEM parts and the interior components. These are quite necessary to keep them in the original state. But another vital thing is the tires of your muscle car. In this post, I will be telling you a few facts about the tires you can use on your muscle cars.
From the 60s to the 70s, the muscle cars are usually considered as the most American ride. Mostly they feature a V8 engine that has ample horsepower but other cars like Impalas, Catalinas, Satellites, and Torinos are included in this category too.
Now let’s look at the tires. We all know that tires also do have a shelf-life and even sell-by date. If you have a tire that’s more than five years old, it will probably have some cracks. So getting a 50-year-old OEM set of tires won’t do you much good. Also, going for other bias-ply tires is not a good idea since they are relatively less flexible when it comes to rubber compounds and construction. If you have stiffness, it probably means more rolling resistance, greater heat buildup, bad riding, or handling. All of these aspects are responsible for making the bias-belter tires obsolete and thus giving radials a superior hand. There are a few things that you need to keep in mind about tires.
A pair of tires can make or completely break the overall look of your classic muscle car. Since there are plenty of options, you need to choose wisely.
A number of muscle cars were actually designed for 14’’ or 15’’ wheels. But the great thing is you can still find them as reproductions for your muscle cars.
With a bit of research, you can even dig out white-letter tires that feature size designations on them, just like in the early 70s. A perfect piece for your muscle car!
Needless to say, very few things can be as appealing than restoring your muscle car with an accurate set of tires that look absolutely appropriate. No matter if you are looking for a bare-bones look with steelie wheels, dog dish hubcaps, and black walls or want that classic white-letter look. With a bit of research, you can easily find the historically accurate reproductions of vintage tires.
Conclusion
Well, honestly speaking, nothing can beat the fat whitewalls on late 50s Cadillac or White-letter tires on a ‘70 Olds 442 or redlines on a Plymouth RoadRunner. Previously, you had to limit your choices, but now it’s not like that anymore. The new market is there, and more manufactures are coming up with products to satisfy your needs.
So just take your time, do some research and then settle for the classic pair of tires for your vintage muscle cars.