Technical Cheater Slicks?

The traction with Towel City slicks was much better than the Firestones I used to run but I still pucker up driving in the rain. Undivided attention for sure.

 

Then post a picture of your Towel City tires. And perhaps some information about them, how much you paid. What you like about them. But don't come after me with some interpretation of something I never said.
I truly try on the HAMB to post relevant pictures and comments on others posts and cars. Also to help others if possible. To be positive. Review any and all of my posts as nd call me out if I'm wrong.
No interest in argument. Peace.
You're from MD, we'll run into each other at a show sometime, we can discuss it over lunch.
Back to the op,
Pretty sure the NHRA sanctioned tracks say retread tires won't pass tech. Any one with real world experience?

 

It's possible that some tracks have such a rule, but it does not appear to be an NHRA rule. However, Brian's trick of treating the tires may not be ok..

 

Not a great pic of the tires but it's the only one I could find with me in it. Baseball cap with shades on directly above the tire. So you know who to look for, I go to the Jalopy Showdown and Jalopyrama every year.

 

I like my Towel citys. These are 30x9x15 and yes they are heavy compared to a modern racing slick.

 

The Radir 10.00 x15s were $680 for the pair five years ago. Got 'em from a vendor in Pottstown PA.
The tread surface is a little bit cupped. So a burnout leaves a darker print at the outer edges and in the middle. Others have told me this will wear in, if that's the right term.

 

The 10"x 29.5" 15 TC sell for $450 a pair now. I think I paid about 350-375 for two about 4-5 years ago. The Firestone Dragsters from Coker sell for about $750. The Firestone's are not recaps and are bias ply. I could not get a flat tire foot print out of them(high center). Dropping the pressure didn't help and yes it was on the recommended wheel. TC are capped on radials, are a much nicer ride and hook better. No they will not compare to drag slicks but they look and handle well and the wear pattern is great.
I usually will pick a set up when I go down to the Charlotte swap meet, their shop is close by. I have seen a few FED's running them at nostalgia events and I might try them on mine if I ever get it back together. Old picture, its in pieces now. Motor is in the Austin.
^These are not TC slicks.

 

I ran Radirs 10x15 for a few seasons. Coupe runs in the low 10s and has seen a high 9. 12 to 15 psi on the track. I still have a new set to run when I do not have the M&H slicks on. I love the Radirs, But if you get caught in the rain , it is a white knuckle ride.

 

Towel City caps modern DOT legal tires from select matched tread-worn modern tires with dates of only a couple years ago. Thats what he told me. Doesn't keep a lot of tires on hand for that reason. Mostly made to order. Mine worked fine for 1.5 years and then changed the look of the car and sold them.

 

Oh I was Puckered up for sure. But I was expecting it to be like driving in the rain on the hoosier slicks I ran on my old Malibu when I still drag raced a lot. It was actually better than my Truck when the back tires were worn out on it.

 

Jalopy Showdown Drags at Beaver Springs next year? We had a good time last week, was hoping to see your car there.

 

I'm on my second set. I just like the look. But I'll pull it off the road when I see the first drop of rain. And then wait until the road is dry again. I'll continue to run them, as long as a cop doesn't tell me, that I can't. But the cops are all pretty cool here. And I do drive it a lot.

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Could not make it this year, work got in the way. Hope to tear it up there next year with you guys.

 

I talked to friend of mine that is a VA state Trooper about them and he told me as long as they have the DOT numbers on them and are not a full slick that your good. That's why I have the 2 cheater grooves in mine. I have put about 4 thousand miles on mine this summer and not on issue. Even went through a few DWI checks on the way home from Fri night cruise ins.

 

Lots of good info in here. I plan on running a set of Towel City tires on my coupe someday.

Am I crazy or did they at one time offer the real early style slick with the "bullet hole" sidewall instead of the pie crust? That's the style I would like to find.

 

Looked at all I could find, finally went with the Radirs, just think the look fits my coupe.

 

now when towel city says they smooth the sidewall, do they remove all the info? i would hope they would leave the DOT info in case we were ever pulled over for running slicks on the street.

 

Good question, I'm embarrassed to say I never looked. I don't recall any thing on the side walls, I will look tonight.

 

No pictures handy that show it, but mine still have all the DOT info on the inside of the Tire, not the outside. The outside on both the front runners and the rear slicks are smoothed the entire sidewall.

 

here is a picture of my roadster with the front runners and slicks from Towel City from last weekend at the Old North State Invitational. It drives and rides like a Caddy with these tires on it.

 

I have some of the old Hurst recaps on my 62 Vette that I bought from hotrod rubber that are 28" tall and 8" wide. They are pretty close to what I can run at a maximum for size. You may be able to see from the pictures that I am pretty close to the dog leg (1" from the pie crust edge of the sidewall to the bodywork (possibly 7/8 from the crown of the tire). I want to switch to Radir pie crusts but my options are to run the 7.75 x 15 that are 26 1/2" tall and 7" wide which is a bit smaller than I wanted. I would prefer to run the larger size which are the 8.20 x15 and are 29" tall and 8.5" wide. The section width is reportedly 12". Right now I am not only close to the bodywork but also somewhat close to my leaf springs (at least with the Cragars I am running).

Curious if there is someone out there running the 8.20 x 15 and could give me an accurate measurement. If they are over 29" I would be dangerously close to my dogleg bodywork and if they have a pretty fat profile in the section width I may have to go a different direction (also if the 29" is at the center crown area or the pie crust edge-as I have more room for a higher crown once the tire is inside the bodywork). If they are a tad under 29" they would probably fit pretty well (I hope). It seems the 7.75 would look a bit small for my taste but if anyone has a pair of those how do they look? I do not want to spring for either tire without being correct. I know the Towel City slicks are a bit smaller but not sure if I wanted to go that route.

 

i can see it now, "Yes officer, my tires are DOT approved for street use, you just have to sort of get down and crawl underneath my car to see it".

 

I never checked to see if my cheaters have the dot still on the tire. Will look this weekend. When I purchased mine this spring, I had shoulder grooves put in for an additional $20 per tire. Not sure if that would help much if caught on wet roads. I've yet to run these on the track.

 

yeah that wouldn't work real well I'm sure. I think the open headers distract from the tires though.... Fines are different from moving violations....

 

Rain grooves or not you just slow down in the rain when you are running any street legal slick. With about anything we build there is a trade off.

Funny thing about the widest tires that I could afford when I was in high school were dirt track tires, I knew a guy who raced and he sold me a pair used for 15 bucks a tire. They still had good grooves in 'em and I figured that they watered dirt tracks down before the race so they should handle well in the wet. I did my first 360 with those tires in an Oregon rainstorm. LOL

 

Anybody running the M&H vintage slicks on the street and strip? I think I like the looks of these better than Pie Crust sidewalls to put on my 62 Nova. https://www.cokertire.com/tires/brands/m-h-racemaster/vintage-drag-slick-900-15.html

 

@Malcolm races those don't know if he drives on 'em you may ask him.

I prefer a smoothy to a pie crust myself.

I like these:
http://www.towelcityracingtires.com/vintage/traditional-cheater-slicks.aspx

 

I like the M & H slicks as well and have an original pair from the 60s that are still new (never been raced) but there is some minor cracking in them so don't want to run them. The Meltdown crew though is planning a pie crust race for next summer (June I believe) and thought it would be fun. Just thought if anyone had the 8.20 x 15 they may be able to give me an actual measurement. Hopefully run into someone that does.

 

Is anyone running Hoosier quick time pros on the street ?, limited use of course. If so how are they holding up?.

 

Nice slingshot.....bet its fun

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