Bias-Ply Model A fit help!

Hey folks, sorry for the repetitive thread subject...

I am about to buy my first set of bias-ply tires and could use some advisement from knowledgeable dudes. First off, I have utilized the search function long and hard and have been rifling through pages of the HAMB for weeks researching this, but I am still unsettled and figured I would break down and ask for help.

Here is the situation:



My recent purchase/steal is a '29 model A that was mostly completed in mild street rod fashion sometime in the 90's (hence the monochromatic paint). Anyway, the goal is to slowly transform it into a late 50's/early 60's era hot rod and the first logical step would be to replace the disgusting late model radials with some white walls... mostly to break up the overload of orange. like this:



So here comes the part where my limited experience leads me to a roadblock. This is my first old rod and I have never picked out bias-plys for anything before and I don't want to screw it up. I've been looking at bias-ply and radial numbers and conversion charts for the last couple weeks and I've gotten to the point where I want to eat a bullet if I think about it any more.

I would like to keep the rims I have for the sake of my budget (15x5 and 15x8).

I'm thinking Coker white walls.

I'm thinking L78-15 on the 8 inch rim. Will this be way taller than my current 255/70/R15 radial? Am I on track here? Or completely out in left field?

Any suggestions for front tires? The 135/R15's that are on it now are kind of low profile. Should I go bigger?

Any thoughts, comments, advice will be greatly appreciated! Or if you feel like ripping on the shortened sedan body, the stupid grill, or the weird ladder bar style rearend set up, go for it. I'll listen to anything.

Have a nice day!

 

I'd sell the wheels & tires and use that money buy some 16" steelies and 7.50 & 5.50 Firestone blackwalls. But I think the wheel/tire combo on your car should be the last of the worries of the transformation. Hell, just a couple cans of black paint on the chassis & suspension could help that car out in the looks department.

 

Yeah, the suspension will definitely get quick and dirty treatment! Although I need to be careful with the orange/black Halloween car factor...but I'm afraid that threshold may have been crossed already when the builder shot the thing with gallons of orange paint.

I figure tires are a cheap and easy way to make it a little better. I'm finishing up school now so a full body work-over, teardown, and re-paint is out of the question for the next year and change at least. But when time and money allows, I will do as much as I can. I can see a sixties era drag treatment being applied with the way the body is already modified.

 

Measure tire height and tread width on your radials.
Rim width would be a help.

Call Coker and see what sizes will do the direct - or close to it - replacement bit.


Right now, it looks good to me with blackwalls.

Got a dead-on side view pic?

 

Yeah, here it is. Sorry for the poor lighting.

 

Good lookin' it is.


Why not try a cream colored wheel?

That would kill some of the orange factor.


Changing color on the bones and hairpins as well as on the grille shell cross-bars could help as well.

May as well do the front axle, spring and rear axle while you're at it.
Black would do the trick and wouldn't look too Halloweenie....

 

5.60 x 15 or 6.00 x 15 fronts and 8.20 x 15 rears in my opinion. I like blackwalls too. A few small colour changes like C9 says and call it done...........for now

Pete

 

B.F. Goodrich are better tires in my opinion. 5.90x15 front & 8.20x15 rear.

 

I think 'striper' is spot on IF you keep your existing wheels.Me personally,I don't think you can beat 4x16 front wheels with 600x16 black wall Firestones and 4 1/2x16 rears with 700x16 'stones.But it's your car!