I have wide white Firestone radials on my 51 Merc. I think they look pretty good. However, when the thing is parked next to my Model A sedan with wide white Firestone Bias Plias the bias plias look better. It's kind of a little detail, but noticable.
I grew up with bias plys and nylon tires, hate them. One good thing about bias tires was in the corners you could tell by the howl how far you had to go before diaster was going to happen.
I prefer radials over bias ply tires any day,and this is from experience. I've ridden in and drove cars with bias ply tires,and the damn things grab any difference in the road and will throw in whatever direction they see fit to follow with those differences. Radials are not like that unless you have shitty,sloppy steering or your alignment is out. Case in point,my buddy's '53 Plymouth Cranbrook was running 3" wide white bias ply tires,hit the onramp last year for Bo Huff,caught a weird groove in the onramp and it shook us to the point I didn't think we were going to control it and flip,changed to radials after that day,hit the same onramp this year and the same spot,and we didn't have a problem this time. Also don't have to worry about the tires becoming out of round either or truing them like bias ply's.
This thread is very interesting!!! I just bought some Firestones 670-15's for my chevy and i've never driven on bias ply's. But I KNOW they'll look right on the chevy, Radials i know just wouldn't look right!!! They drove for years on those tires and the way i see it , if it was good enough for them, i'm sure it'll be good enough for me....And YES i plan on driving this car a whole lot!!! But the radials on BASSFIRE are the best looking ones i've seen for sure!!!
Radials are the only choice for me, I like the clean look of the WWW by Diamondback. Had them on three customs now they ride and look clean and don't standout like a sore thumb like a lots of bias plys. BadBob has a point about ugly mirrors on a custom like the modern Calif. types plain ugly, traditional customs need a good chrome mirror. CRUISER
I run both. I got bias up front and radials out back and it drives great at high speed and looks sick in my opinion. And my opinion is all that matters because its my car. -R.Otto
For me, it has to be Bias. They are the difference between a "traditional kustom" and a "traditionally-styled kustom".
I run Bias Ply., damn thing is such a handful on our rutted roads that Im going to run radials when these are worn out.
this whole thread is fucking stupid. how many of you "old skool hard core bias ply" guys have a modern air ride system and mustangII under your "hardcore" ride??? or worse... the dreaded Camaro clip?
I have to agree with the idea if you are actually building a car to resemble a specific period in time then you should use all of the specifs of that time this goes for the tires aswell. I have Biased Ply tires on my 39 Ford 5.60 x 15 in the front and 8.20 x 15 on the rear and I drive it when ever and where ever I can. I have to say it is a blast to drive especially after it has sat for a few days ...............lol............. I just love the fact that we can experience the feel of what these cars felt like to those who had started this stuff in the first place.
You guys kill me with this stuff. Are you also running traditional mechanical brakes, 30w non-detergent oil, hi-octane leaded gasoline, non-hardened valve seats, inner-tubes, and shiny lacquer paint, or are you also just a poser? Things have changed...
My two cents. Mom had a 68' Barracuda, bias-ply. My 67' Formula S, Eagle ST Bias ply.- with ST radial, not so good. Dad had a 73' LTD Wagon (460). blew 5 Firestone 500's one weekend. same with replacement 720's (?) He told Firestone to keep'em, and got Michelans. Did You know they were the same size and made in the same plant as the ones that were blowing on Ford Explorers in 2000-2005 ? How soon people forget. Get what works for your application, I've seen the results. I in school had a $200 car with $400 tires and got shit for it, until I was pulling them out of a ditch...
Dad had a 73' LTD Wagon (460). blew 5 Firestone 500's one weekend. same with replacement 720's (?) He told Firestone to keep'em, and got Michelans. Dont think that your old man was much of a driver. Did he blow them all at once or one after the other ? Bet he was good at changing a flat. How many spares did he have ? Is that 10 tyres, one weekend, or did he have so much fun that he did it all on nuther week end ? Traditional must somewhere be linked with SAFETY. Bias tyres coupled with powerful 350 or 454 driven hard on old country roads( very traditional) aint all that smart these days.
I run radials.No spinal control,ittie bittie chick of a wife driving me around in a big old panel on shitty roads,no brainer for me.And though I do love the look of bias plies I think I can live with the look of the Karts radials,as the comfort they provide means I can travel further and spend more time in my favorite place,my Kustom. Paul
Depends on the era you're going for... traditionally 60's for my Buick... and by the way Radials came about in 1915...
Now that's funny right there. Seems to me that the person that's trying to make their car LOOK like it was built in the 50's or 60's right down to the period correct tires when the car, in fact, was built recently would be the poser. The person, building what appeals to THEM without regard for what others might think, that's the real deal. Run bias if you like 'em or radials if you like 'em. It's your money, use it to impress yourself, not others....IMO.
Wow, so in one fell swoop you pretty much called the whole basis for this board posing. I'd say you might rethink where you are.
Hmmm, I see where you're coming from and, upon re-reading my post can see how you came to the conclusion you did. I know what it is that I was trying to convey and can see that it was done poorly. I feel compelled to try to clarify but, being functionally illiterate, I think, in the interest of preventing further missunderstandings, I'll just leave it alone. Thanks
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