Jim65Riv Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 I need to get new tires for my 65, as the ones I have are 14 years old (only 10,000 miles on them though). They are Cooper Pacesetter 225/75R15 with a 3/4 inch white wall mounted on standard steel wheels. However, the tires rub the frame rail on full lock, and the spare is too wide to go up on the shelf. I would like to go to 215/75R15. I have looked at all the classic tire sites. Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Stoneberg Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 I just bought a set of Diamondback radials and I love them. New tires with all the correct white walls on them. Rides smooth as glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 You are going to find that any 75 series radial you buy will not sit on the shelf because they are wider than the original tires were. What I did on my car is put the 225-75-15 tire on the shelf with most of the air let out, and I carry an air pump in the trunk when I go out of town in the car to air it up if I have a flat. You could buy an original skinny bias ply tire to use for a spare and that would fit on the shelf fully inflated. You shouldn't be having tire rubbing problems with the 225's.....my 225's don't rub. Perhaps you have sagging front springs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim65Riv Posted April 13, 2016 Author Share Posted April 13, 2016 Thanks for the replies. I'll check out Diamondback. Seafoam - I like the idea of the underinflated spare tire. I'll give it a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msdminc Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 (edited) Jim if you look at my profile picture it has diamondback triple stripe white walls and they are very good tires. The don't pass muster with BCA judging but drive great. The triple white is very similar to the tires on the 65 Riviera promotional literature. There are more pictures in my albums. The guys at diamondback are top notch too. Rock On gord Edited April 13, 2016 by msdminc (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim65Riv Posted April 13, 2016 Author Share Posted April 13, 2016 Checked out Diamondback's catalog. I didn't see any whitewalls narrower than 2 inches. But - Wolfgang - I love the look of the triple stripe tire. I'll check those out. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrlforfun Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 OK Riviera People: This is an original 8 45 15 tire from a 65 Riviera. It's on a 1960 Buick rim though. Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 If you are going to use Diamondback, get them to make you a set of the correct triple whitewalls that the car originally came with. Keep in mind that a set of Diamondbacks have a custom sidewall and a set of them is 1000.00. You can buy a 3/4 inch whitewall radial from a conventional tiremaker for a lot less money if you aren't interested in redline tires, goldline tires or triple whitewalls. I have the Diamondback redlines on my car. They are p225-75-15 Toyo radials. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Here's a close-up of the triple whitewall diamondbacks on Gordon's car. I took this pic at the Buick nationals last summer...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivdrivn Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 I'm happy enough with my Hankook Optimos. $100 each 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 Wild thought process but what's new? As many of you remember, white side wall tires were the thing to have back in the mid 80's. I used to call on dealerships and tote-the-car lots offering a variety of vinyl repair and other "cosmetic services." There were always a few guys out calling on the same dealers who were "installing white wall tires" on the odd black wall tire on a car or a complete set on a car. That guy would pull out his jack, sit the tire on a device that would spin it, and using a specialized took, cut a very shallow grove about 1/2" to 1-1/2" in a black wall tire. That shallow grove would then be filled in with a white latex rubberized paint. Wah-lah: instant white wall. Here's my new thought - the whitewall tires, such as Steve shows above, are a white wall with a black overlay. The part that is not overlayed is the white side wall you see. IF, we could find one of those old tire spinners and the cutting tool that goes with it, we could open up the white side wall of a new tire to the dimension of the original. No way would I attempt to do it like the guy in the attached video is doing it, but I thought that I'd post the video to show you the composition of a white side wall tire and how there's as much white as you want under some of the black. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN2y0XIbW8Y Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msdminc Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 Jim, the triple stripe whites are on page 36 of the latest 2015-16 catalog on the dbtires.com web site in their specialty wall designs for the luxury cars of the 60's and 70's. Incidentally they can do any side wall design according to their catalog. Rock On gord Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1965rivgs Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 4 hours ago, lrlforfun said: OK Riviera People: This is an original 8 45 15 tire from a 65 Riviera. It's on a 1960 Buick rim though. Mitch Mitch, The tire sidewall details and triple stripe look correct but the tire is clearly marked "8.55" ???? No oversize tire option on `65 Riviera. Is this a Cadillac tire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1965rivgs Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 1 hour ago, Rivdrivn said: I'm happy enough with my Hankook Optimos. $100 each Steve, Like the look...all black with the GS hubcaps, nice, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telriv Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 I have 225x70x15 on my '64 including the spare fully aired. The spare IS a tight fit but has the correct air pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 10 hours ago, telriv said: I have 225x70x15 on my '64 including the spare fully aired. The spare IS a tight fit but has the correct air pressure. That is puzzling......a 70 series 225 is wider than a 75 series and on my 65 the tire won't even begin to go on the shelf unless I let the air out of it first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivdrivn Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 Here is an original spare vs. Gordon's Diamondback. Looks good to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1965rivgs Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 23 minutes ago, Rivdrivn said: Here is an original spare vs. Gordon's Diamondback. Looks good to me. Steve, Is that the spare from my blue/blue GS? Looks familiar! Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telriv Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 Yes, but a 225/70 series replaces a 215/75 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivdrivn Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 47 minutes ago, 1965rivgs said: Steve, Is that the spare from my blue/blue GS? Looks familiar! Tom Why, yes it is. Nice car. I trust you got it running properly. By the way, I still do intend to try redlines with my Gran Sport spinners as you suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 Summit Racing has Coker BF Goodrich Vintage, 7.10-15, Bias-Ply, 1.0 in. Whitewall, @ $197 each and not charge for shipping. That's what I have on my car and what they will be replaced with. Even the biased alphanumeric tires in the 1970 - 80's rubbed the inner fenders. A 7.60 was an option to consider, but after reading years worth of radial, modern, safety, diameter, aspect ratio, and a whole string of other writings it pretty much boils down to two basic observations: 1. If you replace a 25 year old set of biased tires with new radials the car seems to handle wonderful. 2. The wrong sized tire, no matter what, is still the wrong sized tire. Yeah, I slow down for the corners, but it's a straight run up to Albany and I can get there fast. Just so's John can point out my biased tires. Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dwhiteside64 Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 (edited) 9 hours ago, Seafoam65 said: That is puzzling......a 70 series 225 is wider than a 75 series and on my 65 the tire won't even begin to go on the shelf unless I let the air out of it first. My 225 75 series also doesn't fit On my trunk shelf unless I let a little air out as well... Edited April 14, 2016 by dwhiteside64 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrlforfun Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 OK Riviera People: I stand corrected on my picture. It is the whitewall style that was oem for many luxury cars in the 65-66 era. Ed: I had the whitewall guy come to the lot twice a week for years cutting whitewalls. Towards the end of my career (2005) there were more raised white letter tires and he did a great job on them. Now? I hardly ever see a whitewall on a car in daily service. Even raised white letter tires aren't as popular as they were. In the mid 70s there was a guy with a high cube van that came around who cut a groove in the sidewall and actually vulcanized, (or what ever that process is called) the white rubber strip into the side wall of the tire. Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 13 hours ago, telriv said: Yes, but a 225/70 series replaces a 215/75 One may replace the other but the 225/70 is 225 mm wide and the 215/75 is 215 cm wide but that 10mm is almost 1/2 of an inch. Are all these tires mounted on the same width rims? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telriv Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 10mm is slightly more than 3/8ths. inch. Yes, ALL rims are 6". The ones on the car are Keystone Kustomags & the spare is a 6" Buick Rally wheel. On a full turn the tires rub ever so slightly on the inner frame. Nothing sharp there to worry about. It's nice & smooth in that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telriv Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 Check the size of a 225/75 or a 235/75 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now