We all know the look of classic car tires. Thick white walls on a wide side wall and deep dish hub caps. Trouble is, where can you find tires for classic cars these days? How do you get around obscure wheel sizes from a begone era? In todays article will address where to find classic car tires and you help you find what you navigate what’s out there on the market.
If you are doing a classic car restoration and your aim is to keep the vehicle as periodically accurate as possible, then you are looking for bias-ply tires. These tires are not easily found and then even when you do find them, you need a wheel that matches your bolt pattern. My best advice is often to call a tire shop and talk to the customer service. Places like discount tire have really good customer service and can help you find what you need.
Top 10 Tires for Classic Cars
Here is a list of the best tires for classic cars you can find…
- American Classic Bias Look Radial
- Coker Classic 16 inch Radial
- BFGoodrich Redline Radial
- Firestone Deluxe Champion
- Firestone Wide Oval
- BFGoodrich Silvertown Bias Ply
- U.S. Royal Bias Ply
- Excelsior Stahl Sport Radial
- Michelin XZX
- BFGoodrich Radial T/A
Bias-Ply or Radial Tires for Classic Cars
A bias ply tire will keep your classic car closer to original. While that is great for vehicles value and overall asthetic, you will sacrifice both stability and traction.A radial tire will give you higher performance with a smoother ride and better grip.
Bias-Ply or Radial tires are what you would want for a period-correct tire selection. These can be really hard to find. One of the best brands you can look for is Coker, which makes tires that fit odd wheel sizes. The two kinds of Coker tires to look for are the American Classic and the Coker Classic. They make both car and truck tires sizes in each model. Another good brand is Kelsey Tires.
White Wall Tires
White wall tires are the look for a classic low rider or cruiser. These tires provide that finishing look that complete a restoration and can seal a winning placement at a car show. The best white walls are manufactured by Vogue. They are not vintage, but they are the best throwback white walls you can get. Some people like to add a little flair and choose the gold stripes. Vogue is actually the originiator of the look as it made them for their horse and chauffeur drawn carriages in 1914.
Tires With White Letters
Tires with white lettering are commonly associated with old muscle cars. Some of the most popular tires with white lettering are the:
- BFGoodrich Radial T/A
- Goodyear Eagle GT
- Uniroyal Tiger Paw
- BF Goodrich All-Terrain T.A KO2
- Cooper Cobra Radial GT
- Hankook Ventus H101
What’s great above the tires listed above is they are all in production. That means you get a classic tire that also has the modern technology. So you get better grip, traction under extreme conditions, longer tread life, and a better chemical compound in the rubber.
If you you were really in a pinch and doing a car on a budget, they also make white tire markers. This lets you color in the the letters on your current tire to turn the them white. It’s not really an option for a show car, but it’s a budget friendly option for those trying to fake it till they make it.
Vintage Hub Caps to Complete the Look
For some vintage vehicles, the tire is only have the battle to complete the look. Some vehicles also require a vintage hub cap like an old Deep Dish. So where do you find old hub caps for sale? Vintage hub caps for classic cars can be difficult to find. So many of the best vendors are the ones on the side of the road and junkyards. The trouble is often finding 4 of good enough quality.
There are however those companies like Hub Cap Mike, who sell them online. There you can get vintage hub caps, replicas, custom caps, or even wheel skins.
Tires for Classic Cars – Wrap Up
Tires for classic cars have odd sizes and wheels with obscure bolt patterns. The best thing to do for these in my opinion is to just call a tire shop directly. These shops, even if they don’t carry what you need, can point you in the right direction. On a classic car, getting the tires right makes a huge difference in the overall appearance. It is something you should work to get as close to the original as possible to finish off the vehicles look. In my opinion you should also try and avoid replica hub caps and the like and try and track down a set of original hub caps to complete a resto.