Oh dang, those are close ones! Glad it didn't end up worse.
The tires were the first thing I replaced on my Dodge. It already had radials but they were old and cracking.
Are those still tubed?

Not a clue. But at least when I get new ones, I can have them put the weights on the back side of the rim only so the hub caps fit flush. Gotta look on the bright side.

Considering they're not radials and the way the valve stem looks, those might be tubed tires. The spare in my Dodge is completely original and has a tube. The valve stem looks similar to the one you have.

I would upgrade all your wheels to tubeless radials. A lot safer since you're trying to daily drive it!

Those tires look nice... In their best shape. I am happy you was fast and on your wits. :3

I thought so too. and thank you.

Good lord...

How old are those tires?

old enough I guess, they actually looked pretty fresh. I only had the car for a year so who really knows

If those are actually vintage tires...

You're very lucky, and luckily these old, useless tires didn't kill you.

Get those things off of there and put some modern rubber on right now. You shouldn't drive on 10 year old tires, let alone 30+ year old tires...


If you insist on vintage style bias-ply tires, then get a new set from Coker, but those can be very very expensive compared with a set of modern radials.

Seconded, man. You really need to get a good set of rubber son that car, if you don't have the dough then get some good used tires, they sell them anywhere tires are sold. Don't ruin that car or possibly yourself...

you know it. I've seen the consequences at the body shop I worked at. first thing tomorrow I'm idling the thing around the block to my shop. I'm was going to ask them about the modern equivalent with the vintage style.

If you want to maintain a good vintage style, I'll recommend something like the BF Goodrich Radial T/A.

They're radials, and so won't have the same look as those old junk bias ply tires you have now, but they're meant for vintage applications, and definitely have a vintage look to them that works great for classic cars.

Classic style, modern technology, from an excellent brand.

If you are driving the car on a regular basis, I highly discourage you from buying new Bias Ply tires. There is a reason they've not been used for thirty years.

If it were a show car, that were driven on the occasional Sunday, then you could get decent tires from Coker Tire, but you'll be paying through the nose for the fact you'll be getting new tires from a vintage mould.

it really depends. i'll try and get radials in the matching style of what comes off. but I want it to at least "look" period correct, just because the tires are such a big part of the look of the car. I'm willing to just eat that cost if I have to. the money isn't that big of a deal. but I do want to up grade, so I won't be using bias ply's. bias ply's are of the cars period but that being said, most people drove less than 20 miles a day back then and now its around double that

If you want a period correct look with radial tires, then the BF Goodrich Radial T/A's are definitely the way to go. Alas, in the more truck sizes, there aren't many whitewall tires left, and they don't look very classic in design or especially tread pattern.

The Radial T/A looks just like it did forty years ago, even if there are a lot of improvements that actually make it a good, modern tire.

You seem to know these pretty well. :3 May I ask a few questions please, in PM or something?

Absolutely!

I've been selling tires for seven years, and really do the research to know my stuff.

Like I tell my customers, tires are very important, and cannot be neglected as a critical component of the car. I don't care how good your brakes are, they can only stop your wheels, your tires stop your car. I don't care how strong your engine is, it can only spin your wheels, your tires move your car. And a properly set up suspension? You can make a Nissan Leaf thrash a Ferrari in a handling course by putting race tires on the Leaf and junk tires on the Ferrari.

yeah I just got back from the shop. i'll be going with radials. not vintage looking either, the price difference was to intense not to i'll be getting all 4 white line tires for the cost of one coker tire. and I don't know much, but I do know my car isn't for race tracks but for wallowing around like a large boat and cruising the left lane in style and luxury. more low and slow

I'd change them... right away...A blowout on the front is very risky, especially at speed, I have a tire with sidewall damage on the front of my PUP truck, I need to change it to the back for just this reason... Keep your mind ready for a blowout and remember not to overcorrect... Orvercorrecting can flip the vehicle...

oh I'm not driving the thing farther than the 1/4 mile to my shop tomorrow. and on the highway I just limped it home the last mile in the emergency lane. at my old shop, we watched all kinds of wrecks on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Lk.....detailpage#t=5 and I don't want to be part of a fail compilation... or dead

well there is a way to find the tire date on the tire
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiret.....151101235823:s
Better get that speedometer working

that will be useful.

a friend had ancient Montgomery Wards Money Maker tires on a cargo van for years!
no failure until one tire went flat twice within 5 miles of 1st repair!
So all 4 were replaced
it had the solid MW logo on the tires

I have a really nice set of old school bias ply tires. Identical to these.

Honestly the set I have is in perfect condition. If they're the same size as those, you can have em free of charge if you want some spare good vintage rubber. We don't live terribly far apart.

I don't plan to use em.

thank you very much for the offer but I'd like to get some new radial tires that only look like the original bias ply ones. The cost is annoying but I don't want to sound arrogant or anything but the money isn't as important to me as doing right by the car is. I'm just trying to make the car smoother and as solid as I can while maintaining its look. i'll be switching a few other components to modern equivalents. if the snow and cold hold off, I might try and bring the car to mff. (i think you said you go there every year? can't remember)

Yeah I attend MFF every year. If no snow has fallen I may drive my 1979 Ford Courier there. If not, it's Ranger season. I won't drive the Courier in the snow or salt. It's too fragile.

And no worries! Figured I would offer. I have no use for em. They were given to me when I got the Courier.

the crazy thing is that my tires have zero dry rot and the tread looked brand new. i'll have to try and find you there if i go. it will be spur of the moment depending on how I'm feeling.

If you can afford them, Coker makes vintage looking tires with modern architecture.

I've been looking at those and assuming there the only alternative, I'll just have to suck it up and spend the cash.

Folks say coyote's have luck (never heard if good or bad) but think you got me beat with that one ^^

it is kind of lucky. if the whole tread came off it could have destroyed the fender. or if it blew out all together, i could have been added to that Illinois highway fatality counter they have over my stretch of I-80

I'll see your "Slipped into reverse" accident, and raise you a "Foot slipped off the clutch." No, I didn't do it lol.
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/18117443/

Yeah I saw that. That's a crazy story too. I had flash backs to that oil change shop I worked at. We had customers drive through our glass garage doors, into our inspection pit, and even pull the gutters off the building with a motor home. But at least we never had a bad injury, hope your coworker recovers.