History White-wall size for a 54/55 custom?

Hi again guys.

I’m modifying/adapting my recently imported 52 Victoria Custom to look like it was done in 54/55.

I’ve just upgraded to 15” rims from the 14” it came with, and am wondering what size white-wall to put on???

The place I buy my rims and tyres from in Australia has this on their general information page:

Traditional Whitewall Widths
Pre-1954 - 3" whitewall or more
'54 thru '56 - 2 1/2" - 2 11/16"
'57 thru '61 - 2 1/4" - 2 1/2"
'62 thru '64 - 1" whitewall or less

Therefore, should my 52 Victoria have 3” plus white walls, or 2.5” – 2 11/16”?

Thanks,
Dave

 

i like the firestone 670-15 bias plys. seems like a lot of other guys around here like those too. get whatever whitewall width you think looks cool.

 

Coker Tire shows that 54' to 55' would have had a 670-15 with a 3-1/4" to 3-5/8" white wall.........

M-

 

3" or slightly bigger would look best

 

Thanks guys!!!

What size WW would you say are on this beauty - Dave Leather's awesome chopped 51 Ford Victoria?

 

Thanks gasalley.

Can you send me the link to this guide on Coker Tire please...

 

At least a 3" whitewall will look best, I feel the bigger the better on customs


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Firestone Deluxe Champions with a 3-1/4" whitewall.

You can't go wrong.

 

I have 2 1/2" on my '55 and wish they were a bit wider.

 

Here you go.......

http://www.cokertire.com/catalogsea...er_make=FORD&header_model=Customline&q=670-15

M-

 

I am running a Firestone Champion with 3-1/4" www. I love the way it looks......





M-

 

Thanks all.

I have put on Coker Classic 3 1/4" white walls and they do look great.

Dave


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Here's an updated photo with the Coker Classic 3 1/4" white walls after the wheels have been powder coated gloss black:

Next to do is shave the mirrors, remove the door buttons and install electric door poppers, install fender skirts, put full moon wheel covers on the front, and paint it all the dark green of the rear of my car, hence removing all the flames and pin-striping.

Is the dark green on my car a traditional colour of 1954/5 period?

 

"bigger the better"

 

In the mid fifties, customs pretty much took their styling cues from new luxury cars. By the mid fifties, big fat whitewalls were considered outdated and kind of corny. As usual, I admit to a West Coast bias. Back in the land of continental kits and bubble skirts it was probably different.

 

Modern photos don't matter to someone who wants to know what was common then, and neither do opinions. These are photos from the 1955 Custom Cars Annual. Notice how wide the white walls are...

 

Notice also that they are not all the same

 

1954

 

1956

 

1957

 

There was plenty of variation in all those years. Pick what you like best and rest assured that if it was available that year it WAS used on a Custom or Kustom.
There is even an Olds featured in the 1954 book with BLACKWALLS!

 

Sorry about all the sideways photos! Quick shots from my phone.
These cars were considered good enough to feature in the annual books. If you look at readers' rides in the back on the little magazines of that era you see even more variation and a lot more blackwalls.
I suspect some wanted the widest whites they could afford and others wanted the most "modern" (current) whitewalls they could afford.
I know which of those two camps I fall into.

 

Anything over 2 1/2 is a gangster wall. They don't look good in my opinion

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