Trying to figure out what kind of tires to put on my truck. Its a 58 Chevy Apache, short bed, side step. Flat back, with red interior. I'm runnin 7x15 slotted aluminum mags. The look I'm going for is the way I think I remember seeing a similar hot rod truck in the early 1970s (when I was just a kid). If I remember right it had skinny whties, with smaller tires on the front and larger on the back. Is this going to look OK if I put some Firestone skinny whites on it...as far as looking like it coulda rolled in 1978? Thanks for any advise you got for me.
If you're going for a late 70's look, you need some bias-ply raised white letter tires. Like these old ****py ones on this set of chrome reverse wheels. Coker might sell some, otherwise NOS sets come availible every once in a while. I don't have any that aren't dry rotted ****, but maybe someone around here does.
I thought about that. I remember a lot of rides with raised white letters, but I swear this one truck I remember had skinny whites. Anyway, I just thoutht that truck was totally kick ***, but of course I was 12 years old at the time...
I bet if it had skinny whites on it in '78, it was because the guy was low on funds. All the coolest **** back then had "SuperWide 60" tires on them. Some guys around here still think those are the coolest, on a set of Keystone Kl***ics with the ***-end jacked sky high with air shocks. Would look cool if done right, but i doubt anyone will ever look at the 70's as the golden age of customizing.
That's what I remember. And they had to have raised white letters. STP and Wynns stickers were popular too.
Dont forget to put the HUGE bowtie in the rear window - that was the craze to put the large MOPAR or CHEVROLET decal in the rear window. Ditto on the Keystones or Cragars For tires, when did red lines come in and go out? I remember buying a red line crayon at the local parts store and "modifying" dads Delta 88 white walls with it in the early 70's - let's just say he wasn't pleased
Dixiedog, Redline's came in around the mid-sixties and left around 69. By 1970 I think all production muscle cars were using Firestone or Goodyear white lettered tires. My 1968 Coronet R/T came factory with wide oval redline's, but I don't recall seeing them on any cars built after 1969.
OK, I'm not gonna go with raised white letters. Like it, but not on my truck. What is ya'll opinion of skinny whites in front and wide whites in back? 1) Cool 2) Different, but not my choice 3) Retarded
Anyone else remember WIDE OVAL 60's? I never could figure out why anyone would want oval tires...I want mine round! Brian
That's funny, oval tires. Anyway, skinny whites in the front and wide whites in the back is going to look dumb in my opinion, from the sides it's gonna look like you had a flat and changed the front tire. I think slots aren't gonna look right with any kind of whitewall tires, just the lettered ones and blackwalls. If you really want to have some little detail on your tires, buy some blackwalls and sand all the lettering and ******** off of the sides so they're totally smooth. Grease 'em up with Armor-all so they're shiney, it'll look real cool.
There were pin whites and "fat whites", the latter being something like 1 1/2" vs the standard 1" or 3/4" whatever the standard white was of the time. On trucks back in the 70's, yes either RWL Mickeys or BFG's, or the fatter of the whites on the older guy's trucks (some still today run em!). My opinion? I'd run a thin white front and back with a chrome reverse style wheel. With or without "baby moons", either would look real period right on yer truck. Cragars would mean a 5 lug conversion is needed from the standard 6.
I agree that pinners and chrome reverse would look nice but it sounds like he's got slots on it and he wants something to go with his slots. In that case I think the pinners are going to look out of place.
No shortage of opinions on this. Late '70s were the age of BFG Radial T/As of if like me Goodyear PolyGlas GTs. Poly Glas are bias ply and have RWL. I used to run F7014s or E6014s. You could get H60-15s too. Good tires with a good look. You could also get Firestone Wide Ovals, General Tiger Paws (were those General Tires?) and Kelly Springfield Super Chargers. Redlines showed up around 64-65. You could get Goodyear Blue Streks in 65. There were also Goldline tires too about the same time. Seems that redlines became hard to find after 71. You could always go with Vogue Gold Lines these days. RWLs and slotmags go together like love and marriage.
"RWLs and slotmags go together like love and marriage." Yep I know RWLs would work...but would anything else? Woud Wide Whites work with slotted mags or is that just wrong? Are my only real choices to go with black walls or RWLs?
Good year Blue Streaks, BFG'S, Indy profiles, and a Thrush woodpecker in the corner of the window. Oh ya dont forget painting underneath the rear end area white and throwing a set of those little egg shaped purple trucker lights.
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