65 Riv GS tires FYI

FYI for 1st Gen owners, When I bought my Riv GS in March it came with Goodyear Eagle GT tires 245 60R 15 F and 255 60 R 15 R in pretty decent shape even though they were way low and wide but looked great and rode well. Today after my usual spirited ride I had a flat tire and found the side wall cracking. I really wanted wide tires with narrow white walls and after my usual search of everything I found that Hankook has one of the only WW still available and in one size 235 75 r 15 with 3/4' ww. I have used these on Rolls Royce cars and there great. I ordered 5 and with my company discount $380 delivered.

The pickings are getting slimmer every year for WW. That's why I got 5 that way with 5 tire rotation and regular driving they should last a long while.

I had to laugh because my Z06 tires cost a lot more then that each! I actually had the salesman repeat the price! LOL Jim F

Did you buy the tires at a Chain store ? I see Wal-Mart offers them ?

No I usually call them and there never any S+H either. I buy all my tires from them direct.

Can you post the number that you call - cant find it on their web site ?

In my area, I can have this Hankook white wall delivered to my local Wally World for $75 each. Doing the math, that's $300 for four delivered.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hankook-Optimo-H724-Tire-P235-75R15-XL/17792288

Here's the site http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/home.do

1-800-589-6789

I rechecked and my total was 385 for 5 delivered to my door. $77 each.

That mean no S+H and no tax either.

I used the 225X75 of the same brand for the same price.

Steve

sllsteve that's great. I started this thread so others might know what is still available. Tkx Jim

I just checked their website and found the 225 tire for $90 and the 235 tire for $85. How do you get it for $77?

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findTireDetail.do?ra=searchTiresBySize.do&fl=&pc=10985&counter=0&ar=75&rd=15&cs=225

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findTireDetail.do?ra=searchTiresBySize.do&fl=&pc=10986&counter=0&ar=75&rd=15&cs=235

Ed

Ed I am repeat customer and I guess since I use my old company name and its still on file I get a Company discount because he quoted me one price and then he saw I restored cars he gave me another. When I had my restoration co. I have 14 truck and 10 personal cars so I bought a lot of tires. Jim

Jim

If you could drop a name, I'd try calling and see if he would offer some kind of Car Club discount. I wouldn't use your name.

Ed

Ed Id be glad too but every time I call over the years I never got the same salesperson twice. Going in cold my be just as good a try as any. If you need me to do anything let me know. Jim

I'll see what I can finagle. Thanks, Ed

I will second these as being s good replacement for our cars and also other vintage cars that take a touring style radial but need a white stripe. But they do come in other sizes as I installed a set of these on my 63 Studebaker Avanti (205/75/15) a few months ago. I see that 225/75/15s are also available which I think is closest to the correct size for first gen Rivs and don't rub in the front.

The 235 size is an XL (extra load capacity) and has a stiffer sidewall which is why it is popular with the Rolls and Bentley crowd as those cars push 6k lbs. GVWR. These tires may offer a little better handling due to their added strength for our cars. The 225 still has a 102 load rating which is more than enough for a Riv.

Here is a link to a tire size conversion chart which helps in choosing.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/45_conversionchart.html

in '63, and probably '64 as well, if you did not order the optional 7.60 x 15 tire, your car came with the 7.10 x 15 tire. IF, and this is another IF, you ordered the optional 7.60 x 15 tire, your car was also equipped with the wider 6" wheel; the standard 7.10 x 15 came on a 5-1/2" wheel. Now if you go back and look at the tire rack conversion chart, you'll see that the 7.60 (I'm figuring that we all want the bigger tire, no matter what width rim we have) the conversion calls for a 225/75R15 or a 235/70R15. If you get into the 235/75R15 tires, they're going to be too big of a diameter and they will 1) rub and 2) throw your speedometer off. If you do want to stick with the correct tire for your rim size and you have the 5-1'2" wide rims, then according to this chart, you'll want to run either a 215/75R15 or a 225/70R15. Just sayin' what the chart says - no 235/75R15 for the 1st generation Riviera. That size converts to an 8.00 or 8.20 x 15 which is probably the correct size for the Electras and Estate Wagons.

In '65, the tire industry went to a different measurement system, but even though the sizes sounded bigger for that year, the tires had the basic same dimensions as the previous years. The 8.45 and 8.85 were respectively the same dimensions as the 7.10 and 7.60 tires. All of this information coincides with the weights and measurements guide on the Riviera Owners Assn. website.

Ed