Let's see some pix of rear tires of what you Street Gasser owners run on the streets, size and where you can get them from. Thanx!
While my roadster is not truly a "gasser", the tires I've been using seem like they would work well on a gasser and they are DOT legal. I've gotten them direct from M&H and also from Summit Racing. They hook decent even "cold" but when warmed up they hook my 550hp/565tq in a satisfying manner. M&H 275/55-16 drag radial rears, M&H 185/75-15 front runners.
got these "American racer" tires from a local tire dealer . they are circle track tires DOT approved size is 305-50-d15 and they stand 29.6" high . I paid as much for them both as I would for 1 micky or hoosier . they don't have a shit load of tread depth , but they sure are sticky . they also balanced out very well , and handle very well . so for my money - they might not "look traditional gasser" but its mine and my brothers car and we don't give a good shit what anyone else thinks , we sure do like them , and the "look" they give us .
Your tires look pretty good for a Gasser. Where can I find them and how much are they? How wide is the tread and overall width? Thanks!
I run M&H Drag radials on my Austin. Street legal, DOT approved, and rated for long trips, not just trips down the strip. Unfortunately the M&H Cheater slicks were designed to meet DOT required classes, and M&H will tell you themselves they are NOT a tire designed to be driven far, or often. They steered me away from them when I bought mine. I run Hurst slicks on my Falcon gasser, which are recaps on DOT casings, but I don't think they're actually DOT approved.
I've been running Micky's E/T Streets for a bit now. I love um. They actually are wearing MUCH better than i anticipated, Good and sticky too, especially when warmed up proper with the line-loc at a stop light. I don't think twice about running around on them, drive great. They are DOT legal, Bias ply. No radial here. Those M&H dragmasters are a good choice too. I love the hurst's ones/ pie crusts etc, they have the looks down, But thats about it. Tire tech has come along ways, I wouldn't put my cash on them for running down the strip at least. Plus they are crazy expensive! I think these look the part. Look awesome, and WORK well. 28x12's on mine
Thanks for the ideas guys. I need something 30" tall by around 10" tread by 15" to fill up my radiused fenderwell on my 55 - got busted for "bald tires" with my M/T pie crust slicks.
They are companies that will groove the cheater slicks to any style you want. I've seen them with the Chevy logo, tire track pattern, flames, etc.........
Thanks Ric. What do you know about grooving slicks? How deep, how many, etc. I've heard bits and pieces but never really investigated the particulars. Know of any place that grooves them? Vic
How thick is the carcass on these? I was glad to see someone start a thread on this subject as I am in the market for tires on my 55 as well. Currently running the hurst 30x10's but needing something more street friendly. Another part of my dilemma is I live out in the country and 3/4 mile down a gravel road, that's why I was asking about the carcass thickness. I used to dirttrack race years ago and ran some similar tires and they were nice and sticky but VERY light and felt thin. They look like what I want but I don't want to get a flat from rocks the first time I head to town...thoughts???
This is the fenderwell I need to fill up. It's sure hard to find a DOT tire that looks right on a Gasser. As the saying goes, "clothes makes a man, tires makes a car"... and I tend to agree. To me the only tires that looks right are the pie crust slicks. I may have to end up grooving mine or buy a set that's already grooved. Any other suggestions?
American Racer Tires are the old McCreary brand tire rebadged. They are selling off their old McCreary tires and the new American Racer Tires on that auction site we all know and love. Butch/56sedandelivery.
Ive got Towelcity on my Nova,runs fine on the street and highway,no problems at all. They can make custom Grooving. http://towelcityracingtires.com/Pie_Crust_Cheater_Slicks.html
I second the towel city racing tires... had them on my t-bucket for about 3500 trouble-free miles before i sold it last summer and they still had plenty of life left. They will also cut up to 4 grooves for free or you can pay an extra charge for custom grooving, plus they are about half-2/3 the cost of the other pie crusts on the market.
If you've already got pie crust slicks, then I'd contact any local tire stores or recappers in your area to ask about grooving. They should be able to direct you to someone local who can cut a pattern that will be acceptable.
I bought grooved Radir slicks however, the ones I took off weren't grooved. When Groucho found out I bought new tires, he said he knew someone that could groove them. Unfortunately, he's not here on the HAMB anymore but you can contact him on Facebook under John Randazzo. You can groove any pattern you want. I had 2 grooves going around the tire with no cross grooves. Take a penny and look at the top of Lincoln's head. The distance from his head to the edge should be the minimum depth.
i loved my set until I drove it to california. the tires love to follow the semi truck grooves. since most of the WA freeways have them, it can get unsettling at times when cruising at 70 to 75. I just pulled them off and went with radials. I hate I did it but having a big car loose traction and get side ways at 75 will wake you up real quick. If the car only ran around town or shorter freeway drives I would have kept them. Can not beat the look of them.
I shoulda post this sooner as I saw Groucho at Bob's Bigboy last Friday night. Thanks for the specs, seems like it's same as a regular tire.
I have a set of 10.50 x 15 Radirs (actually made by Mickey Thompson for Radir), I have to look at em again, but I'd sweat that on the side wall in small print it say's "Not DOT Legal" Hey Vic, I think the best overall looking & hooking tires are M/T ET Street bias ply's (13.5 x 30 x 15). The 13.5 is the "belly" or side wall to side wall dimension, the tread is 11" wide. The other very similar tire would be Hoosiers QuickTime Pro (13.5 x 29 x 15). They both look very much like an M&H rinkle wall from late 60's-70's. They are 2 ply rinkle side wall and the manufactures DO NOT reccomend run them for long periods of time at speed (freeway driving), however, I know lots of guys that do, with no issues. The Hoosiers are about $40-$45 cheaper per tire than the M/T's. I put M&H 17.5 x 30's on the '56, but they are too wide, and they have that "rounded corner" where the tread meets the side wall giving them more of a radial look. I'm going to the Hoosiers, soon. A little lacquer thinner will remove the white from the lettering if you don't like it. Here are some pic's of Gil car & my brother Marcs car with the M/T ET Streets.
Nothing to do with "street gassers", but I like the M/T ET streets as well. They wear better than expected, and hook as good as slicks.
I think it depends on what your priorities are. If it just has to look period perfect go with pie crust. But if you intend on beating me off the line your going to need some radials! Based on personal experience, bias-ply sucks on the street. They beat you when it's cold and spin when it's wet. But if a long trip is down to the local cruise night they would be OK. But it's not uncommon for me to drive 3-4 hundred miles in a day in my "street gasser". M/T, ET radials.
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