1st Generation Riviera Tires

[tim63riv]

Good afternoon everyone!

I was just getting my Blue Riviera ready to go out to MSRA's Back to the 50's car show. As I was putting some tire gloss on the tires, I noticed one of them had a cracked sidewall. Decided it was time to inspect the others a little closer and found that 3 of the 4 had sidewall cracks! Needless to say, I am in need of a new set of tires! Just wondering what people are using these days? I don't need an exact OEM replacement and would be OK with a thin whitewall, Red Line or Black wall, wide white walls don't do it for me on a 60's vintage Buick!

Thanks,

Tim McCluskey

Edited June 21, 2018 by tim63riv
Spelling (see edit history)

[Paul K.]

I've been running Hankooks on all of my old cars. The H724 I hear is being discontinued so I went with their fairly new Kinergy H737 PT. Very happy and as one review stated took very little weight to balance. They also offer an ST version. Not sure which offers white stripes. 

[bob71GS]

I've been running the Hankook H724, they are available at Walmart

 

Bob Bonto

[RivNut]

Ditto to what Mr. Bonto says.  Not just on my Riviera, but on the last three daily drivers. 

[Seafoam65]

                         I don't like the Hankooks because the whole black part of the sidewall has a ribbed pattern instead of being smooth........ and the lettering on the sidewall is so big it belongs on a billboard!

It doesn't look like a tire from the 60's 70's or 80's. I just bought a set of p225-75R15 whitewall radials which are much more attractive than the Hankooks and cheaper too. They are Venezia Classic 787 tires in the P225-75-15 size. they have beautiful sidewalls and a correct width whitewall

for the early Rivieras. I bought mine online for 267.00 for a set of four delivered to my door. Sorry, I don't have a picture yet because I just got them 

mounted on my car a few hours ago, but they are really beautiful on my car, and yes Ed, I know if there isn't a picture it didn't happen!  They are sold by a company in Houston, Tx., and in a lot of searching all I found was very positive reviews for these tires, comments along the line of that they perform like an expensive tire but are bargain priced. Since I will only put a few thousand miles on them before they are too old to continue with them, they should be fine and they look fantastic.

Edited June 21, 2018 by Seafoam65 (see edit history)

[bob71GS]

I think you need to check where Venezia tires are made :Venezia Tires is a private-branded label made in China. The tires are manufactured for, sold and distributed exclusively by American Omni Trading Company, an international import/export company that is based in Houston, Texas. Your Venezia tires were made in China for a distributor that is based in Houston, TX.

 

Being the corporate credit Manager for a wholesale Tire Distributor, we know where tires are made. The company I work for does not sell passenger or light truck tires, we only sell OTR, farm  & tractor tires. Our salesmen get many calls a day about passenger/light truck tires, they only recommend Hankook's. 

 

I checked my Hankook' they were made in Indonesia, not china.

 

Every tire manufacture has several tiers of tires, Venezia is the lowest tier. I know all about Omni as they buy from us. 

 

Bob Bonto

 

 

[Seafoam65]

                        Sounds like you know what you are talking about......anyway I like the way they look and I saw a lot of good reviews online. If one

of them blows out and tears off my fender I will let you know and post a pic of the damage. I couldn't stomach the Hankooks, the sidewalls are hideous looking. I'm glad I got them before the Trump tariffs kick in. I'll make this observation....they are perfectly round and required very little weight to balance them.

Edited June 21, 2018 by Seafoam65 (see edit history)

[Seafoam65]

              Another pic of my beautiful Venezia tires!

Edited June 21, 2018 by Seafoam65 (see edit history)

[Seafoam65]

One last observation........I'm fairly sure that the Venezia tires are of better quality than the B F Goodrich tire that exploded on me  at 70 miles per hour

and tore the fender off my pickup truck when it had only 25 miles on it!

[Rivdrivn]

I have Hankooks and am generally very happy with them. But here you can see what Winston is describing. The sidewall pattern is visible at certain angles when the light hits it just right. Usually it’s not noticeable. So they’re not perfect but still a good value.

[tim63riv]

Bob, Paul, Winston, Ed and Steve,

Thank you guys for your input and opinions! I really do appreciate the responses! I'm OK with a less than premium tire on this Riviera because the car is really rough looking but is a pretty much un-messed with original Minnesota car. I have later road wheels on it so it looks OK with black walls. I have Michelin rain sense tires on my Black Riv that have a decent size white wall and look very good for almost 10 year old tires! I'll be replacing those over the winter before I have any issues with them!

Thanks again!

Tim

[steelman]

Winston, you mean like this?

 

[Seafoam65]

Yes.........I hate that the whole black part of the sidewall is a ribbed pattern,not smooth, and the name "HANKOOK" is so

large I could read it from 50 yards away.

[jframe]

Anybody tried the American Classic 225/75-15 on a 65? I have one for a spare, and like the look of the SOMEWHAT wider whitewall. Just wondered about the ride and handling characteristics over my Firestone FR710's that are in 215/70-15.

[gungeey]

Mastercraft 225 75 15 plain old Made in USA just like the rest of your car didn't get imported 75 bucks 

Mastercraft  a Cooper tire

Steve

[Seafoam65]

That's a good looking tire......nice smooth sidewall and tiny lettering.

[1965rivgs]

On 6/21/2018 at 5:50 PM, Seafoam65 said:

                         I don't like the Hankooks because the whole black part of the sidewall has a ribbed pattern instead of being smooth........ and the lettering on the sidewall is so big it belongs on a billboard!

It doesn't look like a tire from the 60's 70's or 80's. I just bought a set of p225-75R15 whitewall radials which are much more attractive than the Hankooks and cheaper too. They are Venezia Classic 787 tires in the P225-75-15 size. they have beautiful sidewalls and a correct width whitewall

for the early Rivieras. I bought mine online for 267.00 for a set of four delivered to my door. Sorry, I don't have a picture yet because I just got them 

mounted on my car a few hours ago, but they are really beautiful on my car, and yes Ed, I know if there isn't a picture it didn't happen!  They are sold by a company in Houston, Tx., and in a lot of searching all I found was very positive reviews for these tires, comments along the line of that they perform like an expensive tire but are bargain priced. Since I will only put a few thousand miles on them before they are too old to continue with them, they should be fine and they look fantastic.

To my eye these look like a typical modern radial in that the tread extends into the sidewall, not smooth. If you are concerned with the original esthetics why not get rid of those lug nuts? Stainless versions which are so very close to the originals as to be indistinguishable are readily available.

Tom

[Seafoam65]

Tom, I didn't know the lug nuts weren't right or I would have changed them out long ago! Where do I get the correct lug nuts?

[RivNut]

The correct lug nut was a steel nut with a stainless acorn cap.  Those caps would crack and come off leaving you with a nut that wouldn't fit any sized socket.  If this is what you have, I think Tom is saying you can run solid stainless versions that wouldn't be prone to cracking.  Or Tom's eagle eye sees something the rest of us don't recognize.

[Seafoam65]

                    I hate the stainless capped nuts........anybody out there ever get a deduction from the Buick

Club of America point judging for using chrome steel acorn nuts? If not, I think I'll leave my lug nuts alone.

[1965rivgs]

On 6/23/2018 at 6:36 PM, RivNut said:

The correct lug nut was a steel nut with a stainless acorn cap.  Those caps would crack and come off leaving you with a nut that wouldn't fit any sized socket.  If this is what you have, I think Tom is saying you can run solid stainless versions that wouldn't be prone to cracking.  Or Tom's eagle eye sees something the rest of us don't recognize.

Ed, This is not correct !  The capped lug nuts didnt come along `till much later. The original lug nuts are solid chrome plated steel acorn nuts.

  Tom

[1965rivgs]

2 hours ago, Seafoam65 said:

                    I hate the stainless capped nuts........anybody out there ever get a deduction from the Buick

Club of America point judging for using chrome steel acorn nuts? If not, I think I'll leave my lug nuts alone.

Winston, your lug nuts are quite a bit different in appearance compared to the originals. The area above the hex on the originals is a small rounded dome. Yours are taller and much more pronounced. There are several sources, Cars, Mitch Romanowski and I see Ebay auctions by Inline Tube but I am not sure these are the correct size/thread.

  Tom

[Eric's.64.Superwildcat]

I remember seeing a thread about correct first gen tires some time ago but I can't find it.  It documented the original whitewall design (which had multiple white stripes close together vs. a single solid stripe).  I have a vague recollection that someone mentioned they could still be purchased as a special order from a certain vendor and were quite expensive.  Does this ring a bell with anyone?  

 

Thanks.

[Seafoam65]

Diamondback Tires will put the triple whitewall on the radial tires that they sell. 

[1965rivgs]

10 hours ago, 1965rivgs said:

Winston, your lug nuts are quite a bit different in appearance compared to the originals. The area above the hex on the originals is a small rounded dome. Yours are taller and much more pronounced. There are several sources, Cars, Mitch Romanowski and I see Ebay auctions by Inline Tube but I am not sure these are the correct size/thread.

  Tom

As a followup I took a look at the chrome lug nuts being offered by Inline Tube and they are not the correct size for big Buicks. Their product is 7/16-20 and the big cars are 1/2-20. I`m quite sure Cars or Mitch have the correct lug nuts,

Tom

Edited June 25, 2018 by 1965rivgs (see edit history)

[Seafoam65]

10 hours ago, 1965rivgs said:

Winston, your lug nuts are quite a bit different in appearance compared to the originals. The area above the hex on the originals is a small rounded dome. Yours are taller and much more pronounced. There are several sources, Cars, Mitch Romanowski and I see Ebay auctions by Inline Tube but I am not sure these are the correct size/thread.

  Tom

Thanks Tom, I'll get some on order.

[1965rivgs]

  These are pics of the original spare from my `66 Riv GS MZ car. I managed to find it by contacting a previous owner in California. He removed it from the trunk when he "discovered" the car 25 or 30 years ago when it made its way into a dark corner of his garage. After 10 (?) years of emails it is in transit to be reunited with the car.

  This is the same tire, Goodyear variety, installed on the `65 models. Firestone also made triple white tires and in my experience the Firestones seem to be more prevalent. My personal preference is the Goodyear due to the smoother/cleaner sidewall.

Tom Mooney

 

 

[Seafoam65]

                       Tom, I have literally begged Coker to make these tires for our cars but they absolutely refuse, but

you can buy those hideous whitewalls with an extra red stripe for the 64 Thunderbirds.

[petelempert]

Coming in late on this thread. Someone asked about the American Classic 225/75-15's. I have been rolling on a set of these on my 63 for almost 5 years. Nice ride, good whitewall, no squawks. Get them from Coker. PRL
 

[jframe]

6 hours ago, Seafoam65 said:

                       Tom, I have literally begged Coker to make these tires for our cars but they absolutely refuse, but

you can buy those hideous whitewalls with an extra red stripe for the 64 Thunderbirds.

I can't believe our Rivs were the ONLY cars that had these tires when new. You would think Coker would want to broaden their market appeal to other than Chevy and Ford and Mopar.

[1965rivgs]

4 hours ago, jframe said:

I can't believe our Rivs were the ONLY cars that had these tires when new. You would think Coker would want to broaden their market appeal to other than Chevy and Ford and Mopar.

Cadillacs were equipped with triple whitewall tires but in a larger size

Tom