| john38coupe | -- 06-30-2011 @ 6:53 PM |
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Putting together a 38 "standard" coupe with V60 engine and want to purchase the correct tires in preparation to show the car possibly next year. I have the 38/39 Ford book (wonderful) and it states I should have 5.50 x 16 tires. Three questions: First, what brands do you recommend and why. Second, what does judging require for full point achievement and Third, is there a tire that provids a better ride, is correct size but will only lose a point or two for being "non-original", such as a radial? My goal is originality, but don't want to ride in something harsh and uncomfortable if there is a worthy compromise. Going to Saratoga,(first meet experience) and is that a good place to meet tire vendors?
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| ford38v8 | -- 06-30-2011 @ 8:49 PM |
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John, Glad to see there is another 60 hp '38 soon to be on the Concourse! A Standard Coupe is pretty rare also, so congratulations on your very worthwhile project! In answer to your questions, first, the correct tire is available from Coker Tire. You have achoice between Firestone and Goodrich, both are available for the same price. For ride comfort, of the two, my choice would be the Firestone, it being load rated slightly higher, whether that translates to better ride is open to question, though. Both will require tubes of course. I doubt if a radial is available in anywhere near that size, but if you did find some, they would cost you points on the Concourse. You'll see on the Coker website that a whitewall is pictured, but you will most definitely want to go with the blackwall for that car. http://www.cokertire.com/ Coker has the actual Firestone tire molds, and is unquestionably the most popular supplier of tires for our Fords. I doubt that tire vendors will be at Saratoga, but they are available from Coker's website anyway. For the Judging Guide used on the Concourse, go to the home page of this website and click on Forms from the menu. There are three forms there for you , General; Owners; and 32 - 48 Supplement. They are generic, but the items listed are all checked by the Judges on every car, no matter the year. This will give you a pretty good idea of the way we judge in our club. I would highly recommend that you volunteer as a Novice Judge at Saratoga. If you haven't signed up for it yet, be sure to stop at the Judges table in Registration. You'll find the experience to be invaluable in the preparation of your own car. Enjoy the Meet! Alan
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| john38coupe | -- 07-01-2011 @ 9:51 AM |
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Alan, Thanks so much for the guidance and advice. Many of you probably take the Forum for granted but as a new member, this is a fantastic tool to both gain expertise and meet great folks. I will spec out the tires advised and my ambition was to purchase blackwalls for the standard. If you have a "60", I would be interested in an email address to talk further sometime as my car goes together. Thanks again for the assistance. John johntesch@aol.com
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| ford38v8 | -- 07-01-2011 @ 11:40 AM |
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John, I don't have a 60, and my '38 is a driver. I will possibly judge your car when it is finished, as the '37-'38 class is my area of expertise. A personal collaboration being somewhat of an eyebrow raiser in that situation, I suggest that a better way to communicate ideas is right here on the Forum, where everyone can benefit anyway. Regarding the tires and mounting, it has been reported that on occasion a tire has been found to be out of spec in balance. Coker will stand behind their product, so if you find one, don't just assume you have no recourse. Your wide 5 bolt pattern presents a problem in Spin Balancing, as the center hole is so big. You'll have to obtain an adapter plate for this type of balancing, or resort to the old method of bubble balancing. Someone in your RG may have a plate you can borrow, or if you are a machinist, you can make your own. A first time used plate should itself be balanced, by drilling or filing metal away. The wheel without tire is then balanced, permanently marking the heavy side for placement opposite the heavy side of the tire to be mounted. Good luck on obtaining original lead weights, as the EPA prohibits their being supplied by tire shops these days. The substitutes today are larger, having no lead content. Alan
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| trjford8 | -- 07-01-2011 @ 7:01 PM |
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John, if you have a V8-60 car you need to make sure you have the correct rims. The V8-60 cars had the 16X3.5 inch wide rim. The V-8 cars used the 16X4 inch wide rim. The narrower rim was the reason the 60 cars used the 5.50X16 tire rather than the 6.00X16 tire used on the V-8s.
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| ford38v8 | -- 07-01-2011 @ 7:07 PM |
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Tom, thanks for that catch. I was lax in not including the rim size in my post. Alan
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| john38coupe | -- 07-01-2011 @ 7:40 PM |
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Thanks Alan and Tom for the information and hope there will be an RG member who can assist me when I have everything ready to mount/balance.
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