Baugher Garage

Hey all - I'm acquiring a '62 Ninety Eight that has some OLD tires... H78s? The rims are 14" X about 7.5" (trying to measure with the old tires still on). Can someone tell me what tire size works best for this car? According to info I've read, oversized tires were new on the cars with AC (due to weight?). PLEASE HELP!

Thanks! Mike

Oh, and I'm looking for the best deal, not the greatest tires (won't be spending $1,200 on Cokers). So the most commonly available option is what I need.

rocketraider

9.00x14 with A/C. Closest size would be 235/75R14, which no one makes anymore.

You might try getting Diamondback Classics to make you a correct 1-1/4" whitewall on a 225/70R14 tire. I think you can still get Firestone Firehawks and BFG Radial T/A's in that size. It would still be just a shade too short, but short of shelling out the bucks for repro tires, about the best option you have.

jaunty75

He might have other options. Firestone makes a tire in size 225/70R14, their Firehawk Indy 500. It's the one you mentioned, but I don't see it in 235/75R14 size. In fact, that size is not available when you search for tires by size on the Firestone website.

http://www.firestonetire.com/product...Y_500_%28TM%29

I have a set of Firestone FR-380 in size 215/70R14 on my '67 Delta, which weighs pretty much the same as a '62 98, and I've had no troubles in now more than two years of driving on them. The nice thing about the FR-380 is that it comes with a white sidewall, which looks so much better than blackwalls on these cars. The FR-380 is also available in size 215/75R14, which is a better match, aspect-ratio-wise.

http://www.firestonetire.com/product...ckSearch/FR380

The point is, I think tires of similar but not necessarily the exact same size can work. No reason to mortgage the farm to get something.

Baugher Garage

Thanks for your replies!! I did find a nice set of used tires on Craigslist that are white walls with a gold pinstripe. Vogue tires. 205-75s. Think I could get away with that?

jaunty75

With the 205, you're getting into a significantly thinner tire than the 235 you really should have. The suggestions I gave are 225 and 215 in width. The 225 is at least close to the 235.

Plus, how old are these tires? You don't want something that's started to dry rot.

Baugher Garage

Thanks - I'll keep looking!

D. Yaros

Mike,

As I indicated in my pm, my 62 Dynamic 88 convertible w/o AC has P 215/75 R 14" tires. They run and handle fine, and look proportionally correct to me.