Tire size

[ginog01]

Hi All,

I have a 59 Plymouth Sport Fury with G78-14's, 4 ply. I wanted to see what would be a better tire and what size can I use vs the G78-14's?

Thanks
Gino
59 Plymouth Sport Fury

[Fins59]

When I bought my Sport Fury about 10 years ago it had bias ply Commander wide whites G78-14's on it.
A couple years later I replaced them with radials P205/75R14.
Car rides and handles great with these radials. Some guys are pro radial and others pro bias. But with bias on my car I couldn't keep it between the lines and tires would grab every crack/crevice in pavement.
I got the Coker Classic wide whites for appearance but any P205/75R14 would work. I think our cars came with 750-14's from factory. The 205's is the modern equivalent. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

[ginog01]

That is the same issue that I have with the G78's, every crack and every divit sends the car in that direction. I appreciate the tire size. Are they going to fit on the metal wheels without any bulging?

[Dick Koch]

I put radials on all my cars, what a dream, I use Diamond Back Tires www.dbtires.com because they are a domestic tire that diamond back vulcanizes the white wall onto. Coker radials are made in Mexico with old molds that tire companies hame replaced. Check thier on line catalog. I prefer the 215-75R14 equal to 800-14.
Dick

[rogerh]

I well remember driving my 2dr HT back from a car show here in WA. As I fought to keep the car in my lane of traffic, with all the ruts pulling me left and right, a loudspeaker voice startled me. "Nice car, but keep it in your lane" was the trooper's comment, as he overtook my car and passed.
I have Coker Radials on my convertible, and the difference is like night and day.

[Dick Koch]

Roger - I know what you mean "keep it in my lane". It was bad enough with Bias Ply tires and then add to that front drum brakes. I never know what lane I was going to be in when I stopped. That's why I put front disk brakes from AJ brakes. With the front disks I don't really need power brakes. Im putting them on becauce it looks cool and would be safer.
Dick

[rogerh]

From the factory, our cars came with 7.5 x 14 bias ply. Wagons had 15" rims, I believe.
Watched the archive film footage in Ephemera...it shows them unloading tires, made in Oakland, CA, I think.
On one of my family camping trips as a kid, we in our stationwagon ( 5 kids, mom and dad) were just about to head out into the Mojave Desert when the car blew a tire. We got to a repair shop, where the mechanic pointed out to my dad that all four tires were shot (tread separation, sidewall bubbles). That was an expense he was unprepared for, but happy for having avoided a calamity.