Firestone Wide Oval Radial–The Ultimate Muscle Car Tire

[secluff]

Agree with HemiKiller. After the dust and excitement dies down on these and they have been out for a while, I look for package deals and specials to appear. When I visited their display at the Spring and Fall Auto Fair in Charlotte, they always had Show Specials where they had fantastic deals on wheels, tires, and wheel and tire packages. I'm sure a fair amount of that price goes to Firestone for licensing. They do offer a heck of lot of vintage rims and tires. I picked up a set of F60 X15" Goodyear PolyGlas tires mounted on Chrysler Rally wheels for one of our shop tech's 70 Dodge Super Bee and they looked great!

As David stated, us old school dudes grew up with the bias ply tire. Most of my time was spent drag racing so handling was not so much of a concern as traction was. If racing on street tires I found that the Goodyear's seemed to "Hook Up" better than the Firestones. I've had similar experience's with that "Sweet Spot" with bias ply and radial tires on when they break loose and you know she's comin' around! But after driving a friend's new 73 Mustang with a set of the then new radial tires, I then realized how crappy my car actually rode and handled. The worst tires I ever had were probably some Daytona nylon belted bias ply tires that were on a 72 429 Gran Torino. Like David had posted, when cold these tires bounced and vibrated so badly that they actually felt square and I would stop to see if I had a flat tire.

Since Money Pit #2 came equipped with F60 X15" tires from the factory, when it comes time for new tires, I will probably "Pull The Trigger" on the Firestone tires. I like the BFG tires and have run them for years. Like I said on an earlier post, If looking for a period correct white letter tire but wanted a radial, the TA's were just about the only game in town. But I have always liked the look of the white lettered Firestone's and figured one day Coker tires would manufacture a radial version of the Firestone or maybe the Goodyear's.

Maybe after they see how these sell, they will offer other sizes in addition to the "stock" sizes the Big 3 production installed.

 

[mwilson7]

David,

While it is true that the NASCAR speed record is held by a bias ply tire don't forget that the only reason that is the case is because of restrict plates. I can tell you from first hand experience that a modern race tire is FAR superior to a bias ply. If that wasn't the case you would see bias ply tires available in all race series as both the drivers and tire manufacturers want the fast tires possible.

Modern tire technology is simply amazing......

 

[Pastel Blue]

Its all a matter of what you want from and how you intend to use your car....

I would not buy these new radials personally, I would buy the bias ply as I look recreate the old school look and feel. I had them on my 71 BB Mustang on and off for years.

Big shows, the bias ply's went on, regular driving, back to a radial. I had no real trouble driving with the bias ply's, you could feel the road more, that's for sure.

 

[jbojo]

Agree with HemiKiller. After the dust and excitement dies down on these and they have been out for a while, I look for package deals and specials to appear. When I visited their display at the Spring and Fall Auto Fair in Charlotte, they always had Show Specials where they had fantastic deals on wheels, tires, and wheel and tire packages. I'm sure a fair amount of that price goes to Firestone for licensing. They do offer a heck of lot of vintage rims and tires. I picked up a set of F60 X15" Goodyear PolyGlas tires mounted on Chrysler Rally wheels for one of our shop tech's 70 Dodge Super Bee and they looked great!

As David stated, us old school dudes grew up with the bias ply tire. Most of my time was spent drag racing so handling was not so much of a concern as traction was. If racing on street tires I found that the Goodyear's seemed to "Hook Up" better than the Firestones. I've had similar experience's with that "Sweet Spot" with bias ply and radial tires on when they break loose and you know she's comin' around! But after driving a friend's new 73 Mustang with a set of the then new radial tires, I then realized how crappy my car actually rode and handled. The worst tires I ever had were probably some Daytona nylon belted bias ply tires that were on a 72 429 Gran Torino. Like David had posted, when cold these tires bounced and vibrated so badly that they actually felt square and I would stop to see if I had a flat tire.

Since Money Pit #2 came equipped with F60 X15" tires from the factory, when it comes time for new tires, I will probably "Pull The Trigger" on the Firestone tires. I like the BFG tires and have run them for years. Like I said on an earlier post, If looking for a period correct white letter tire but wanted a radial, the TA's were just about the only game in town. But I have always liked the look of the white lettered Firestone's and figured one day Coker tires would manufacture a radial version of the Firestone or maybe the Goodyear's.

Maybe after they see how these sell, they will offer other sizes in addition to the "stock" sizes the Big 3 production installed.

Coker sells Goodyear? I was on their site looking but didn't see any, is this just a show item?

 

[secluff]

jbojo, as this took place a few years ago I had to make a call to Super Bee so he could refresh my memory. It was GOODRICH not Goodyear. Sorry, a mind is a terrible thing to waste. Lol. He said he knew he could get the BFG's anywhere, but he got a show special where he got the equivalent size to the F60 X 15's mounted on a set of Chrysler Rally wheels that were the proper argent color and had the darker color center caps and trim rings he said were hard to find. He said they did have the bias ply Firestone tires then, but he doesn't like Firestone tires.

 

[jbojo]

jbojo, as this took place a few years ago I had to make a call to Super Bee so he could refresh my memory. It was GOODRICH not Goodyear. Sorry, a mind is a terrible thing to waste. Lol. He said he knew he could get the BFG's anywhere, but he got a show special where he got the equivalent size to the F60 X 15's mounted a set of Chrysler Rally wheels that were the proper argent color and had the darker color center caps and trim rings he said were hard to find. He said they did have the bias ply Firestone tires then, but he doesn't like Firestone tires.

Thx Steve, I was hoping that there was another source.

 

[will e]

For a while goodyear had a 'wingfoot' tire that has a nice rwl and looked pretty good.

I am not going to spend that kind of money on a tire for 'the right look'. Not when the BFG Radial TA is about $140 each.

Although the tires for this thing are $420 EACH (and I carry a spare) and then I take them out in the desert and rip them up!



(Don't try this with your mustang...)

 

[4Vforever]

My vert came from the factory with the GR78X14 radial ply tyres according to the Marti report. No mention of them being BSW or WSW, nor manufacturer, so I take it they would've been the crappy Firestones. I'll have to pull out the paperwork I have of the car since new to see if the invoice or window sticker says anything. It will be interesting to see when the first set of tyres were purchased as well and if they used Firestones again or they went with another manufacturer. I'll have to find time and go through them all to find out (the folder is atleast 4 inches thick) but is not an easy task and I got jack of it trying to sort it out in order one time. Atleast all of my paperwork since owning the car is in order, so part of it is done.