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  • White Sidewalls

    The 62 GT I just bought has new blackwalls on it. I want whitewalls but not at all comfortable just taking off a set of good matching tires.
    I remember that years ago something called "porter walls" were sold. I used them and they worked with no problem that I can remember.
    Is there any such thing around now. No, I am not going to paint my tires with white barn paint.

    Thanks for suggestions.
    sigpicJimmie
    Orange County, Indiana
    1950 CHAMPION -ORANGE COUNTY, INDIANA

  • #2
    Try this.

    Don Wilson, Centralia, WA

    40 Champion 4 door*
    50 Champion 2 door*
    53 Commander K Auto*
    53 Commander K overdrive*
    55 President Speedster
    62 GT 4Speed*
    63 Avanti R1*
    64 Champ 1/2 ton

    * Formerly owned

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    • #3
      They were popular back in "the day". I remember the highways were littered with Portawalls that flung off at highway speeds especially on hot summer days. I don't recall that wide whites were in vogue by 1962, I think that style had gone out a year or two prior.

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      • #4
        The Porta Walls worked on Bias Ply Tires with Tubes, but do not do well stuffed in between the Tire Bead and the sealing edge/Bead of the Rim with a Tubeless Tire.
        Also as Radials have flexing sidewalls the Porta walls will groove the sidewalls and weaken the Tires.

        No problem just Paint them White with Vulcanizing White Tire Paint. Wide Whites were only used up to 1962 Year Model.
        StudeRich
        Second Generation Stude Driver,
        Proud '54 Starliner Owner
        SDC Member Since 1967

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        • #5
          Well...as I am usually reluctant to offer an opinion......The GT Hawk is one of the South Bend offerings that can easily wear black or white sidewalls and still be one of the "coolest" cars on the road. If you insist you want the "vintage look," complete with white walls, the best option is Diamond Brands. Certainly not the cheapest option, but their method is to take top quality modern radials and vulcanize top quality whitewalls on the tire. I have been through their manufacturing plant and observed the process. In my opinion, Coker can't touch them for quality.

          Even after being treated with such kindness by the Diamond folks...I still couldn't bring myself to pay so much for a set of tires wearing a bright white halo.
          But, I will happily recommend them as the top choice. (I'm still running aging Coker tires on two of my cars.) As far as costs, I'm a poor soul living in today's world with last century's prices engraved in what's left of my brain. If I were having to face the issues of running a tire business today...setting a price that determines the difference between "Profit or Loss"...I'm sure I'd have a better understanding.

          Heck, I have a motorcycle that came with whitewall tires. There are two reasons it has had black-wall tires for over ten years. More than price...it was the extra work to keep them clean and white! What ever you do, have fun and enjoy it. That's what it's all about.
          John Clary
          Greer, SC

          SDC member since 1975

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          • #6
            It is Diamond Back tires. Good products.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by 5brown1 View Post
              It is Diamond Back tires. Good products.
              See there...as an incurable CASO, I was so traumatized by the price...I couldn't keep the name right.
              John Clary
              Greer, SC

              SDC member since 1975

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              • #8
                Cooper Tires makes whitewalls in their Trendsetter line. They're not wide-whites though if that's what you're looking for.
                Poet...Mystic...Soldier of Fortune. As always...self-absorbed, adversarial, cocky and in general a malcontent.

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                • #9
                  J C Whitney had them for years, even came with the glue

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                  • #10
                    Back in the 1980's, I stopped by a friend's auto parts store one day. He was in the process of moving to another building. He gave me (the incurable scrounger) a bunch of old inventory that, in his opinion, was not very marketable, nor worth the effort to lug to his new store. Part of that inventory was a large quantity of Porta-walls. I eagerly snapped them up. I installed a set on my Hawk, and proceeded to sell the rest of them at Studebaker swap meets and cruise-ins. They went fast.

                    Way back when they were common, I had a tire guy show me how to "seat" them so that they would lay flat against the tire. He would install tire and porta-wall, then inflate the tire to seat the bead. If the porta-wall wrinkled or didn't lie flat, he would deflate the tire (not completely) and bang the porta-wall with a big rubber mallet on the high spots. Dang if it didn't work. Even on the stubborn ones, if you are persistent, you can get them to hug the tire.

                    It has been so many years since I have done this, I'm not sure I would have the arm strength and stamina to do it today. Come to think of it...I think the spare in my Land Cruiser has one of those things installed. And...I don't think it is lying flat like it should.

                    I'm not going to go out there and beat on it though.
                    John Clary
                    Greer, SC

                    SDC member since 1975

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                    • #11
                      The narrow whites from Cooper would look great even though they were not available till 1963.

                      Denny L

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