Wide Whitewall Tire choices?

[pbrown]

The tires on my new 59 Silver Hawk are 10 years old. They look good, but I suspect that they are not as safe as I would want them to be.

My wife is enamored of wide white wall tires, so I've been looking at wide white wall radial tires...and am amazed at the prices! Apparently it only took a short while for me to become a CASO!

It appears that my choices are thin white sidewalls for reasonable money, wide white sidewalls for $250ish a tire, or to perhaps try a non-standard approach...

So I'll ask the learned bunch here their opinions

The non-standard approaches seem to be based around taking a tire and widening the white part of sidewall by either 1) painting, 2) grinding or 3) adding something to the tire.

1) The reports of painting lead me to think it would be a poor choice.

2) Grinding the sidewall seems to be effective (and safe, as it only removes a little rubber - take a look at 2:41 on this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkcm3rh60p0, but I'm not sure that my wife would be pleased with the straightness of the final result.

3) The last option is a company called Calli Tire & Wheel. From their website: http://www.callitw.com/calliwwtires.php

Calli Tire & Wheel LLC is proud introduce our line of custom made and affordable whitewall tires! Our process takes a radial blackwall tire and turns it into a whitewall tire using real whitewall rubber. This is not a paint, but real whitewall rubber (pictured above). The rubber is vulcanized (cured using heat and pressure) to permanently bond the whitewall rubber to the tire.

So, anyone tried Calli Tire & Wheel?

Or (if Calli is not the answer) am I underestimating the finished quality of "ground sidewalls"?

Or does someone have another alternative to the expensive Cooper tires?

Or do I just need to bite the bullet and spend the big money?

Thanks in advance

Phillip

[StudeRich]

I believe Diamond Back has the "laid-on" Rubber wide whitewalls also.

http://www.dbtires.com/why_choose.html

[rknight89]

I chose the non CASO route...Diamondback Tires will take ANY tire you want and add a whitewall to it. They have several already in stock for sale but will add a whitewall to any tire you'd like. Not cheap but the tires you get are modern tires with a whitewall added. They have new tire warranties and new tire technology. They aren't new molds of old tires. Nothing against the new(old) bias ply tires, but I'd rather have a new tire with the old look. 5 tires for about $1200. Expensive...but they are safer than other repos and if you're gonna put the miles on it...spend a few bucks and get good tires. The Lark is in for an alignment today to help get the most out of the new D-backs as possible. I don't know anything about Calli tires, but if it's the same process...GO FOR IT.

[acolds]

I got Diamondbacks thru mid Atlantic Packards they had lower price than buying direct from Diamondback shipped to my door . They are on Cooper tires handle great car steers and tracks a like a newer car with the radials. My brother has repo wide white bias tires on his President the radials on my Clipper handle a lot better. The radials were not that much more cost wise

[avantilover]

Am getting a Set of Diamondback's for my Lark.

The Toyo ones listed on page 5 of their catalog.

Tyres aren't cheap but that's all connecting you to the road so worth it.

[RareBird]

Am getting a Set of Diamondback's for my Lark.

The Toyo ones listed on page 5 of their catalog.

Tyres aren't cheap but that's all connecting you to the road so worth it.

I have them on my Packard Hawk as well. I was told by an old timer that if your trailering your car go with Coker. If your driving it go with Diamondback. Very happy so far!

[raprice]

I have Cooper Radial whitewalls on my '59 Lark and they look and handle great. No, they're not the wide whites that many want, but they do the job. I'm not looking for trophies. I just want to enjoy driving my car. I still get terrific comments on my car without spending a fortune on tires. My Coopers were very reasonable too.
Rog

[paintim613]

Replaced Coker whitewalls with Diamondback ones. Pricey? Yes. Better looking? Definitely!

[Pat Dilling]

I am also an advocate for Diamondback. Just wish they had a West Coast dealer.

[Washtubman]

I just replaced my bias plys with 4 new Coker radial wide whites G78-15. They look and ride fantastic! Got them thru Summit Racing for 209.00 which included shipping. The folks that mounted and balanced them said they have mounted a lot of Cokers and spoke highly of them. Mine needed minimum weights for balancing and nothing out of round, etc.

[new2drive]

Wow.... I guess that is what separates the boys from the men.... The tires on my minnivan are nice, coming in at about $155 each pre mounting and balancing... That is still only ~$700 for tires I drive on everyday... For a set of $1200 tires... on a car I will drive only in nice weather... during the summer..... wow...

Maybe someday when I get closer to retiring.... I do love whitewalls, but not now... I cannot afford them!

[Gunslinger]

My local speed shop called Diamondback about the tires I wanted. They were able to buy the tires and sell them to me at the regular price and were still able to make a few dollars. I didn't have to pay for shipping, mounting or balancing either.

You don't have to go directly through the distributor and get a decent price on the road.

[RareBird]

Wow.... I guess that is what separates the boys from the men.... The tires on my minnivan are nice, coming in at about $155 each pre mounting and balancing... That is still only ~$700 for tires I drive on everyday... For a set of $1200 tires... on a car I will drive only in nice weather... during the summer..... wow...


Maybe someday when I get closer to retiring.... I do love whitewalls, but not now... I cannot afford them!

You forgot the spare! It's only money - you'll make more !