White walls vs. Blackwalls

[60FlatTop]

2 hours ago, Pfeil said:

 

Thanks for sharing your family information. Just what I wanted to read this fine Sunday morning.

 

The writer's term for that is necessary fiction. Sometimes I use it to make points. Henny Youngman never really wanted anyone to take his wife.

 

I like to smile while I write. I wouldn't have smiled if I wrote "Cars with blackwalls blend into the scenery".

[C Carl]

Bernie, I just gotta say, that is quite a family you have ! I can laugh until cramps set in when I come around the corner and bump into some of them here. I'm sure 90+ percent of us ol' folk remember some of the characters who would come through the door down at the "Old One-two". As in the Barney Miller show, you just never knew who or when. The sudden appearance of Scanlon, for example, when he would cast an accusitive eye about when he cocked his head into the squad room looking for trouble. Picking on Wojo', gunning for Barn',  as I say, you never knew when, but lived with the certainty that the day would come. You, you yourself, kinda remind me of the guy with a hip flask, hanging out in the sideshow tent at the state fair, while mama and the kids roamed elsewhere.    -    Carl 

[Ghg]

Back in the day only the Hoodlums had the Wide-Whites in my Neighborhood 

[padgett]

Believe it or don't but there was a time when most of my spending money came from cards and pool. Is part of the reason I never smoked, discovered early it would throw my game off.

[chistech]

On my restoration of my 32’ Olds DCR, I went with wide whites. Part of my reasoning is every single sales factory promo photo shows all the Olds models with them. My car was originally black with a tan/brown whipcord interior and top. While I didn’t go with the whipcord, I stayed with the color combination and used a factory photo for the overall look of the car.

[Pomeroy41144]

On 10/3/2019 at 2:46 PM, edinmass said:

Here is a shot when new......check out the logo on the canvas tire cover.

 

 

 

 

Edin, is this a V-16?  I am thinking it is.  

 

 

[edinmass]

10 percent V-16. No question.

[Ken_P]

Funny - I own 1 old car. 1937 Packard 120, black. Came with WWs.

I often prefer blackwall tires, but as I thought of this car - all black paint, black wheels - I think it would look kind of silly without the white walls.

What are my options for period correct WWs? It has 7.00-16 Firestones right now, and they look great, just wondering what others have used and liked.

[JamesR]

On 10/2/2019 at 9:44 AM, 46 woodie said:

Another consideration is that if you have your car judged, you can have points deducted for whitewalls, if the car did not come with them. I have a 1946 Ford Station wagon and it wasn't available with whitewalls. I don't care however, I like the look.

 

I'm kind of with you. Even originality oriented folks need to have a little fun, now and then. 😄

[Billy Kingsley]

If you really can't decide, put black walls on one side and whites on the other. Not like you can see both sides at the same time anyway, without some complicated mirror system.

[John S.]

I have a 1949 Champion with black wall tires. I am shopping around for new tires, and was asked if I would put white walls on it. I think for the time that the  Champion was new, it rode on black wall tires. I am keeping them black. John

[Buffalowed Bill]

I don't know John, your choice but... We have a 50 Starlight coup and 51 four door in the collection. The 51 "Amy" looks real cute with proper (optional) wide whites. Mary was looking at the the 51's WW the other day, and indicated that was what she wanted on the 50, and I couldn't really argue with her.

 

Bill

[Ron Green]

45 minutes ago, Buffalowed Bill said:

I don't know John, your choice but... We have a 50 Starlight coup and 51 four door in the collection. The 51 "Amy" looks real cute with proper (optional) wide whites. Mary was looking at the the 51's WW the other day, and indicated that was what she wanted on the 50, and I couldn't really argue with her.

 

Bill

 

Assuming "Amy" and "Mary" are your cars names sometimes it is best to keep the cars separated so they don't compare notes.   Made a trip to Universal Tire yesterday as the 55 Pontiac "squash" was looking at the 67 WW's I just put on the Amphicar 6 months ago and wanted a new set since hers were 22 years old.

[60FlatTop]

I grew up around used car lots. You had to go back a couple of rows to get to the black wall tire stuff. Front row cars were red with white walls. Sometimes you just get conditioned.

 

Today the front row cars are all painted white and the tires are black walls.

[keithb7]

I am fortunate to own two old cars.  For one car I purchased brand be new Coker white wall radial tires. They suit the car, a '53 Chrysler. In my opinion more of a luxury market type of car.  The other car got brand new skinny Coker bias 6.00-16 period correct, black walls. A working man's 1938 Plymouth. It was a bottom end priced car. I don't think it should have white walls. Just my opinion of course.  The old Plymouth with black walls certainly gets its share of attention while out cruising today. I'm not looking to win any trophies, just do the car some justice and drive it too.

 

My two options, seen below.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by keithb7 (see edit history)

[TexRiv_63]

I used to think all prewar luxury cars came with whitewalls until I found a collection of 1932 Cadillac V-12 factory photos: 

[John_Mereness]

2 hours ago, TexRiv_63 said:

I used to think all prewar luxury cars came with whitewalls until I found a collection of 1932 Cadillac V-12 factory photos: 

Whitewall tires were generally optional in very late 1920's to ... and in large cities people had better access to aftermarket tire dealers. 

[60FlatTop]

The working men from the 1930's were still around putting hours in at my grandfather's shop when I was growing up. They were the ones who had one twenty dollar bill and when the cashed their pay check they asked for as many ones as they could get to wrap that single 20 around for show when they went out on the weekend. Those guys were white wall buyers.

And if they stole a pair of nice shiny leather shoes they would slit the sides with their knife so their feet wouldn't hurt when they were dancing.

 

I sat in the shop office and ate my lunch with quite a few of them.

[Paul Dobbin]

I like whitewalls on all cars, if they belong to me.

 

[Dynaflash8]

I hate blackwalls on any car, old or new.  Period. 🙂

[SC38dls]

I think my 38 Studebaker State Commander looks best with white walls. They just seem to highlight the lines of the car. 

[TexRiv_63]

Three out of the four prewar cars I have owned had blackwall tires and I think they all look appropriate and more reflective of how they would have looked when they were built.

[Pomeroy41144]

I like them both.  My wife asked for the whitewalls. 

 

They do look good on this car. 

 

And they were a Ford option in 1937.  

[Paul Dobbin]

Your wife was right again!

[Pomeroy41144]

1 minute ago, Paul Dobbin said:

Your wife was right again!

 

 

 

Thanks Paul.  I'll tell her.