After 35 years of faithful service, one of the tires on my '55 Bird blew out on the order of Old Faithful after participating in a July 4 parade in Granby, Colo. Happily, we were headed home on US 40 and didn't suffer the embarrassment in front of the several thousand spectators at the parade. Neither injuries nor damage were sustained.
Yes, yes, I know, I know, I should be on my sixth or seventh set of rubber after 35 years. So sorry for ignoring good advice. I promise to be better if no one says anything hurtful. I'll be looking (God willing) for a new set five or six years from now to replace the ones I'm looking for presently.
Which begs the question: What's the preferred tire in the $100 range?
I'd like to put on Cokers with wide whitewalls, but I can find only one variety of theirs that "might" fit a '55 Bird, so I'm looking for something else with a lower price tag and fitting a phoney white wall over it.
Any suggestions, or am I overlooking either a radial Coker or another brand that'd be suitable? The car's mostly for show and Sunday jaunts.
Another key question is tire size. The old ones are 205/75r-15. I can find few of that size online. What I find mostly in tires touted to fit '55 Birds are blackwalls sized 205/70r-15 (670-15). That's why I'm considering going that route and adding a faux whitewall.
So, what's the difference and will either the 75 or 70 work? And is there a wide whitewall out there with my name on it?
Many thanks,
Richard Johnson
Denver