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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / How Wide Whitewalls?

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Posted By Discussion Topic: How Wide Whitewalls? -- page: 1 2     Gary M. 07-14-2011 @ 7:13 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 222 Joined: Oct 2009 I did notice some of the early 1900s cars with solid tires were all white. I learn something new every day... kubes40 07-14-2011 @ 5:03 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 3577 Joined: Oct 2009 "ITSTOM". I'll try to answer your actual question: As "Supereal" explained, the width of the whitewall depended on the manufacturer. In 1939, Goodrich, Goodyear & Firestone supplied tires to Ford. Also, Ford manufactured their own tires as well. If you are desiring "correct" as would apply to a top point restoration, I would suggest you attempt to acquire as close to 3 1/4" as possible IF you decide to go the whitewall way... Now comes the 'truths' (facts) many guys would rather pretend not to know: 1) SINGLE whitewall tires were NOT available in 1939 from Ford. No how - no way. If you want "correct" and you want white walls, you must utilize double side whites. Period. 2) You don't mention if you have an 85 or 60 H.P. equipped 1939 Ford. Some "rules" to apply here: 60 H.P. equipped passenger cars came with 5:50 x 16" tires as standard equipment mounted on 3 1/2" rims. As an option on 60 H.P. cars, one could get 6:00 x 16" as well as 6:50 x 16" ONLY if that buyer also purchased the wider (4") rims. 3) If the car was equipped with the 85 H.P. engine it also received 4" wide rims and 6:00 x 16" tires. It didn't matter if the car was a "standard" model or a deluxe. I hope this helps you decide. Look forward to seeing you in Auburn! Fordially, Mike Kubarth This message was edited by kubes40 on 7-15-11 @ 6:25 AM supereal 07-14-2011 @ 1:49 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Actually, white tires were available back at the dawn of motor cars, as the color of natural rubber was white, or very close to it. To preserve the rubber from the effects of sunlight, carbon black was added to the mixture. After WWII, there was a scramble to obtain new tires, as the "35 MPH" tires which had been rationed during the war, were shot, and people didn't care what color they were, if they could get any at all. You could bet that if whitewall tires had been available right after the war, the dealers would have loaded them on, too, to "up" their prices. TomO 07-14-2011 @ 1:36 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7386 Joined: Oct 2009 Gary, white wall tires were available in the 1920' and 1930s. They were very scarce during WWII and just after the war. They were seldom ordered for the low price cars, but were an option on them from the 20's to the sixties, when they started to become standard on some cars. In my neighborhood, quite a few of the cars had whitewall tires. During the war, most of them were retreads made from the tires of the more expensive cars that were mothballed due to gas mileage during the war. Our neighbor across the street had his RR and Pierce up on blocks and drove a 41 Ford during the war wit 760x16 tires from the Pierce. Tom Gary M. 07-13-2011 @ 6:26 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 222 Joined: Oct 2009 Whats next you ask? Ive seen tires that throw off assorted colors of smoke while doing a burn out ! Blue,red yellow and green. ford38v8 07-13-2011 @ 5:42 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2883 Joined: Oct 2009 Bob, remember what would happen to Porto-Walls when the tire brushed the curb? They went like a lace doily! Remember what we installed to protect the Porto-Walls? Curb Feelers! Alan supereal 07-13-2011 @ 9:41 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 When I was a kid, in the 40's and 50's, most of us couldn't afford white walls of any kind. Instead, we usually painted them on with a Western Auto product. When we were flush, along came "Port-O-Walls", which were held in place between the rim and the tire bead. As in all things, change was constant, and we eventually had narrow whites, red stripes, and then raised white letters. Now, most, if not all, tires are all black. Kinda makes you wonder what is next! itstom 07-13-2011 @ 3:56 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 4 Joined: Jan 2011 Thanks guys! Gary M. 07-12-2011 @ 6:42 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 222 Joined: Oct 2009 I was told that whitewall tires were not even available until the 40s. I dont know if glue-on whitewalls were avialable in the 30s but I think they were more of a modern add-on . ford38v8 07-12-2011 @ 6:37 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2883 Joined: Oct 2009 Tom, 6.50x16 was not available for Ford in 1939. 6.00x16 blackwall, and 6.00x16 double whitewall was available. Your choices today do not include the original tread pattern, but do include a service replacement tread pattern that is made from the actual Firestone molds. These are, of course, acceptable on the Concourse, as is the Ford Script and the BF Goodrich. All are available at Coker. As Super advises, whitewalls were not usually ordered back in the day, but are popular today. It's your car, so, your choice. If you intend to have your car point judged at Auburn, you should know that single whitewalls will draw a point deduction, as singles were not available until mid 1940. Alan

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