'69 Valiant SBP on steelies: Comparison of original bias-ply with various radials
This isn't as much a question as rambling through one of my crazy projects.
My '69 Valiant originally came with 6.50x13 bias-ply tires on the original 13" rims (don't know if they're 4" wide or 4.5") - of which one bias-ply still survives in the trunk. The rest of the car came with a set of P185/70/R13 Goodyear radials on the same rims, which are terribly undersized in diameter to the original 6.50's.
Since then - following a lot of failed attempts, I finally got my hands on a mutt set of 14" SBP rims (three 4.5" wide, and one 5.5"), and I may be able to get the final 5.5" rim. I'm not keen on the idea of two different rim widths, but this is all I've found locally, and I dare say the difference won't be that noticeable. Seeing that I've got a bone stock 225 slant under the hood, I see no reason to overplay or even try to play big and littles - not that I want to, either.
In the meantime, I wanted to get an idea of how each of these wheels appear next to another, so I shot a few quick comparison pictures. Nothing here is too scientific, but it might help someone in the future.
Note that I haven't mounted any of these, so I don't know if the 215's will clear everything on the Valiant to begin with. We'll see when I try installing it.
In the meantime, here's how the tires stack up next to the Goodyears on the car now:
6.50x13 bias-ply next to Goodyear P185/70/R13. (Had the PO made an effort to match the originals, a P185/80/R13 would have worked, though they're hard to come by):
P215/70/R14 on 14x4.5" SBP rim. Looking good, and a bit better contact patch too. Yes, I know the bead is not mounted correctly on the inside.
I also found that the P215's (with rims) will fit in the trunk cavity, but stick out quite a bit. Ditto for a P195/70/R15. Width is an issue, and far as I can see, the only thing that actually fits in there is the old bias ply (which might explain why its still there).
Honestly, I'm not sure if those P215's are too big for the front or not. I plan to try them out today.
-Kurt
This isn't as much a question as rambling through one of my crazy projects.
My '69 Valiant originally came with 6.50x13 bias-ply tires on the original 13" rims (don't know if they're 4" wide or 4.5") - of which one bias-ply still survives in the trunk. The rest of the car came with a set of P185/70/R13 Goodyear radials on the same rims, which are terribly undersized in diameter to the original 6.50's.
Since then - following a lot of failed attempts, I finally got my hands on a mutt set of 14" SBP rims (three 4.5" wide, and one 5.5"), and I may be able to get the final 5.5" rim. I'm not keen on the idea of two different rim widths, but this is all I've found locally, and I dare say the difference won't be that noticeable. Seeing that I've got a bone stock 225 slant under the hood, I see no reason to overplay or even try to play big and littles - not that I want to, either.
In the meantime, I wanted to get an idea of how each of these wheels appear next to another, so I shot a few quick comparison pictures. Nothing here is too scientific, but it might help someone in the future.
Note that I haven't mounted any of these, so I don't know if the 215's will clear everything on the Valiant to begin with. We'll see when I try installing it.
In the meantime, here's how the tires stack up next to the Goodyears on the car now:
6.50x13 bias-ply next to Goodyear P185/70/R13. (Had the PO made an effort to match the originals, a P185/80/R13 would have worked, though they're hard to come by):
P215/70/R14 on 14x4.5" SBP rim. Looking good, and a bit better contact patch too. Yes, I know the bead is not mounted correctly on the inside.
I also found that the P215's (with rims) will fit in the trunk cavity, but stick out quite a bit. Ditto for a P195/70/R15. Width is an issue, and far as I can see, the only thing that actually fits in there is the old bias ply (which might explain why its still there).
Honestly, I'm not sure if those P215's are too big for the front or not. I plan to try them out today.
-Kurt
