Tire finding trouble please help

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kegan36

kegan36

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Wapello,IA
I am having a difficult time finding tires to fit on my original rims of my car. The car is 1938 Oldsmobile F3 8 four-door sedan. The wheels are 16 inch but they are only 4.5 inches wide. I have called Coker, and the tire size they gave me will absolutely not fit my rims. I thought about going to a 15 inch rim that is 6 inches wide but when I look under the car especially in the rear, I can’t imagine they would fit. I have heard so many conflicting opinions between bias ply, and radial, that I am seriously overwhelmed. And the tires I do find or basically for trailer. I drive this car maybe once a week around town on its 6.5 x 16 dry rotted tires that have tubes in them. But I would like to go to some car shows that are at least an hour away. Does anybody have any idea at all what tires I can use on this car that won’t put me in the poor house?
 
Also, does anyone have any opinion about Callie White walls? They seem to be inexpensive enough to put a white wall on this car. But there’s no reviews on these tires.
 
Just go up one size. 7.50 16 is one of the most prolific light truck tires ever made and they are available in bias ply and radial in a large variety of tread patterns.
 
Sounds like a neat car. A lot of the older classic car owners use Diamondback tires-supposedly a lot better quality that Coker.
 
Lester's will last forever. But they will put you in the poor house. I like RRR's idea.
I need 12, 6.50x17s wide whites for my cars. About $4k worth. $5k with tubes.
 
Tiresize.com shows a bunch of tires that will likely fit...... but they are all labeled "spare". They do say they will work up to standard load and up to 85mph.
It looks like the most common normal tire that would fit your wheels would be a 195/75x16.
 
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The other issue when replacing the older car tires is the tubes. Anything newer does not do well with tubes internally unless they are designed to work with tubes.
I had a friend from a tire shop who would put half a container of baby powder in each one to help lubricate the tubes and allow them to last a bit longer.

Will your older rims would tubeless?
 
Syleng1 said:
The other issue when replacing the older car tires is the tubes. Anything newer does not do well with tubes internally unless they are designed to work with tubes.
I had a friend from a tire shop who would put half a container of baby powder in each one to help lubricate the tubes and allow them to last a bit longer.

Will your older rims would tubeless?
Click to expand...
The car currently has tires on it that are biased ply and have tubes in them. They are 6.50 x 16 and from Montgomery Ward. I had one tire place tell me that the DOT wouldn’t allow them to put tubes in tires anymore. I have plenty of room to put larger rims and tires on the front wheels but the rear wheels don’t have a lot of space so I’m trying to stick to original size. It’s literally driving me nuts I spend too much of my spare time looking for answers. I called tire rack And they can’t help me at all. I’ve been to Discount tire and they keep telling me I can put larger rims and tires on the car because there’s room but then they tell me I need to drive the car there to make sure I know this car better than they do . . .
 
33IMP said:
Tiresize.com shows a bunch of tires that will likely fit...... but they are all labeled "spare". They do say they will work up to standard load and up to 85mph.
It looks like the most common normal tire that would fit your wheels would be a 195/75x16.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Being that the car is original. I’ve only driven it up to 55 mph by the current tire scare the heck out of me. I’ve only been out of town twice.
 
33IMP said:
Lester's will last forever. But they will put you in the poor house. I like RRR's idea.
I need 12, 6.50x17s wide whites for my cars. About $4k worth. $5k with tubes.
Click to expand...
This whole car may put me in the poor house. LOL
 
Looks like 6.50x16 was stock size for an Olds six, eights used 7.00x16.
Bolt pattern is 5 on 5, so a common bolt pattern, you should be able to find other wheels, if you have to go that route.
You could explore Tiresize.com, LOTS of info there.
 
33IMP said:
Looks like 6.50x16 was stock size for an Olds six, eights used 7.00x16.
Bolt pattern is 5 on 5, so a common bolt pattern, you should be able to find other wheels, if you have to go that route.
You could explore Tiresize.com, LOTS of info there.
Click to expand...
I have a straight 6. The manual says 6.50 x 16. I was surprised that the rims were only 4 1/2 inches wide.. I may try and get rims that are 5 inches wide but I don’t think the rear end could take much more than that because of how tight everything is.
 
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