The tires on my Chrysler Airstream Convertible C-8 are dated 1944

[Professor]

Hi All,

 

I purchased six new Coker bias ply tires for my Chrysler and they arrived yesterday.  Today I took off all six tires and wheels and took them to my local tire shop.  The owner inspected them and then noted that the date code on the tires was 1944.  He said the tires were in amazing shape.

 

I cannot help but wonder if I should save these tires for someone who wants to show original tires.  They would be fine for driving on and off a trailer.  I would give them away if someone wanted them. I drive my restorations so I need safe and reliable tires.

 

Thoughts?

 

If someone reads this who wants these six tires, they are free to pick up or if you want them shipped, you can pay for shipping

 

Joe

[bryankazmer]

they might be good for exposed spares, side or rear mount, not counted upon as functional spares

[28 Chrysler]

I would like to see a 1944 date code.

Most WWII replacement tires were not to good. Anyone else remember the S3 tires ?

[gossp]

They will be wanted, even if just for rollers during a restoration, and I wouldn’t give them away. Charge enough to make it worth your time to package for shipping or to wait around for a guy.... so, 25 bucks and whatever 2-3 hours of your time is worth. The price would still be low enough that anyone that wants them will be thrilled to pay, but some cost weeds out the time wasters. 

[gwells]

When I bought my 1930 Model A in Oct 2014, it was fitted Firestone gum-dipped whitewalls that were more than 40 years old, but because the car had been garaged for the vast majority of those 40 years, the tires were not dry-rotted and in fact still had the molding nubs on the treads. The car had only traveled 1,536 miles since it was restored and did more than twice that mileage getting back to Georgia.

But as soon as those tires started getting exposed to the UV rays in sunlight, they deteriorated pretty quickly. I've got four new Universal blackwalls waiting to be installed.

[George Albright]

Give them to a museum for a display. Great piece of automobile history!

[W_Higgins]

What exactly is the code?  I thought early on they didn't provide enough information to determine the decade in which they were produced.  

[Buick35]

What size are they and where are they located?Whitewalls? Thanks,Greg.

[Buffalowed Bill]

I would build my own display around them. I can still remember as a kid seeing the Fisk tire displays.

 

Bill

[CarlLaFong]

I  thought date codes on tires was a relatively new thing. Were tires in 1944 date coded?

[auburnseeker]

Were they even making civilian tires in 1944?  I thought everything,  especially at that point would have gone to war production. 

[Marty Roth]

9 hours ago, Joe West said:

Hi All,

 

I purchased six new Coker bias ply tires for my Chrysler and they arrived yesterday.  Today I took off all six tires and wheels and took them to my local tire shop.  The owner inspected them and then noted that the date code on the tires was 1944.  He said the tires were in amazing shape.

 

Joe

 

Joe,

 

It is possible that the gentleman inspecting the vintage tires may not fully understand date coding, or the lack thereof, and might be making an assumption - even looking at manufacturer code or some other designation.

 

Prior to the turn of the 21st century, date codes were three (3) digits, the 1st two digits for the week of the year, and the final digit for the year - so for instance, a code of 194 could have been the 19th week of either 1974, 1984, 1994, etc.

 

Just my 2 cents (in 2020 dollars - not worth much at all).

 

Your own personal display, or a museum as noted above is a good idea, especially if you have the pace and the inclination.

 

(A clock was to be installed in the Leaning Tower of Pisa -

 What good is the time if you don't have the inclination?).

[c49er]

Let's see a picture of the date code and of the tires...

[BucketofBolts]

1944 Tires must be as hard as granite after 76 years. 

[John_S_in_Penna]

3 hours ago, Marty Roth said:

Your own personal display, or a museum as noted above is a good idea, especially if you have the pace and the inclination.

 

I agree.  If you don't sell them, I would keep at least one

for historical purposes.  Ideally, get a tire stand by the

same manufacturer, and put the tire in it for a historical

display that few people have.

[edinmass]

In 1944 it would be easier to find a pound of plutonium than four new tires...........the few wartime tires I have seen were all marked with a stamp with something like WPB or something similar. They were very poor construction, and didn’t have most of the normal writing on the side. They were three sizes fit all like 5.50/6.00/6.500 - 16.

[Professor]

I am not confident that the tire shop owner is correct, but he did know that the last three numbers were the date code on the tires in question.  The tires are 6.50 x 16.  I think I have some pictures of them which may be good enough to tell.  I will go down to the tire shop today to see if I can take a picture of the back side of the tire where the information was located.  As others have suggested, I suspect the tire shop owner may be incorrect.

 

9 hours ago, edinmass said:

In 1944 it would be easier to find a pound of plutonium than four new tires...........the few wartime tires I have seen were all marked with a stamp with something like WPB or something similar. They were very poor construction, and didn’t have most of the normal writing on the side. They were three sizes fit all like 5.50/6.00/6.500 - 16.

 

[edinmass]

I thought date codes were introduced in the late 1960’s. I have seen that posted somewhere......but my memory may be incorrect.

[John_Mereness]

Coker was not in business in 1944 (not to mention the comments above about date codes not being in effect at that period) - the only thing they have ever sold with a date like that could have been some sort of reproduction military vehicle tire that for some reason or another were dated.  Or whoever was reading the date code did not know what they were doing - I am leaning here.

[padgett]

Undoubtedly some manufacturers had proprietary date codes before the DOT standard. Highly likely that the Mil-Std from WW2 required a date code.

BTW tires from the 90s had a decade symbol (triangle) following the year digit.

Here is one that the triangle looks like a 4 but is from 1992 (and separating).

Edited June 6, 2020 by padgett (see edit history)