From what I remember Baby Moons where out in the 40 or 50'S & as far as I know even back in 63 there were Wide whites I don't remember Narrow Whites that dosent mean that they werent there Just my 3.5 cents
I was in high school in '57 and up. Baby moons and inch walls were very in. Even I had black wheels with them on my '49 Olds coup.
My dad bought a brand new 1962 Ford with narrow whitewalls and I'm pretty sure baby moons predated the whitewalls. HRP
Yes, 1957. (Rich Fox hailed from South of San Francisco, so did I...The trend was black wheels, inch walls, and 'baldies', as HRM called 'em) I had just gotten my license, so I reversed 4 F-1 steelies and painted 'em black. My buds (the Donahue bros.) and I knew the manager of Firestone in San Jose, so we were welcome to go thru the 'Reject' tires. I got a pair of 8.20 X 15 for the rear, and some scarce (even then!) 6.40 X 15s for the front: all 4 inch walls! One 8.20 got a boot inside the tread, (tubeless tires, large nail hole; I put a large hot patch inside (a 'boot') and ran tubes. My medium blue '46 Tudor was the hit at school Monday, front was dropped (heated spring, 4" shackles) and shiny black wheels with a set of 'Baldies'... $6.00 for all 4, at American Auto Supply! I also had a '50 Merc, factory black...Looked terrible until a friend said he could 'detail it'. He power-buffed the paint, steamed the underside & engine, and polished all the chrome. I scored some more inch walls, black wheels, and a set of Baldies for it also. (swapped wheels from my '32, so I could have the Merc ash cans on the Deuce) Guys started asking about the inchwalls & baldies...like I had a corner on it. Hell, everybody was running them! (in the South Bay, anyhow)
The 1 inch Narrow white walls allegedly first came out on 57 Caddy Eldorado Broughams and no doubt the tire manufactures picked up on it fairly quickly after that. As to what whitewall you run it might depend more on the date (era) the car is built as. Pre 1950 would call for a wide whitewall or blackwall as whitewalls were pretty hard to get. Early 50's would still be the wide whitewall and getting a bit narrower at the end. Late 50's early 60's would have the 2-1/2 or 3 inch whitewall and late 50's though mid 60's builds would most likely have the narrow whitewalls. It isn't that hard to comprehend when you see photos of cars in shows from the different periods. As for baby moons, the "Big guys" meaning high school seniors had them on their cars in the late 50's when I was first noticing tricked out cars. A hunt though old magazines will probably show adds for them or photos of cars with them. Since I was on Bainbridge Island Wa in that time period we were a year or more behind Atwater Mike and his crew in Cali on the latest car mods. It took a while for car stuff and other cool stuff like the mini skirt to filter up to us in the PNW in those days.
I have to add here...There were trailer lots (camp trailers, small mobile homes, utility trailers) that mostly used the Ford type 'baby moon', or "Baldy". A couple of enterprising sophomores made it known that they could supply these "hard to find" hubcaps, as they 'had them in stock'. There wasn't a hub cap on a trailer for 2 years in Santa Clara valley...
In 1967 & 68 I was still in High School. My car was a 61 bubble top Impala. 283 with three on the tree. I ran 1" whites with black wheels and baby moon caps. I paid $90.00 for that car and drove the wheels off of it. I can't tell you how much I miss that car. The motor was so strong that Dad & I yanked it and put it in his 62 long roof that I think he drove for another 10 years. Myself I "upgraded" to a 69 Nova with a straight six and three on the tree. This was probably around 1970. Found one used that was a pretty good deal and parted out my bubble top. The baby moons made there way to the Nova. Still had black wheels but no white walls by this time. I still wish to this day I still had the 61. It was a great car.
My '59 J.C.Whitney catalog, usually a good indicator of what's "hot" or "in", does not show them, but then trends from the West coast generally took a year or more to reach the mid West and rest of the country. I did, however, install them on my '54 Ford high school car in '63. According to '50s and '60s books on hand, narrow white walls were standard issue by '62, but were available as previously noted a few years earlier.
Yes Coker makes a 1 inch whitewall tire. I think it's know as a 1 by 1. starting from the rim you have 1 inch of blackwall then 1 inch of whitewall and then the rest of the side wall is black. Diamonback can make any size whitewall you want.
Do you mean the new format that will not include fiberglass cars with 350/350 combos and GM metric disc brakes. Guess I'm not fully understanding your excitement towards the "new" format that just may exclude your own car and build style??
Thats good to know as I have been thinking about whitewall tires for my 55 Ford but wanting a early 60s look with the smaller whitewalls instead of the larger mid 50s version. Not sure if I want bias plys and would rather have radials.
The way I remember it, the narrow whites were kind of slow to catch on, and didn't really emerge as a trend with widespread use until around late '61, early '62. I also remember the baby moons becoming a very popular look about the same time. The late 50's through 1960 seemed to be the time of the gaudy full caps, spinners/flippers and full moons. The chrome reverse wheel fad became huge around '62, often paired with the baby moons. It remained a hip look until the later 60's as more and more aluminum wheels hit the market.
That's because you don't read or perhaps don't understand what I have written. I'll repeat it for you. My car isn't traditional. It never was intended to be. That's why you won't find a lot of threads about my car, unless it's info about something that can be used, not only on my car, but other peoples cars as well. I do however like traditional hot rods. I like most old cars, especially stockers. The new format won't change what I drive. Unlike a lot of people, I don't try to follow trends or fads and I sure as hell won't change what I like to fit into a website. I'd be here even if I didn't own a car. Now, as I've also stated before, one day I plan on owning an old stocker or traditional hot rod. I'm here for that. I joined for that. Believe it or not, some people come here to be educated. So, I have nothing but pleasure in knowing that I won't have to read all the stupid threads written by guys who can't figure out if they get a pass or not for their air bags or S-10 frames. I also look forward to fewer threads by guys who can't use their own imagination or be creative. Threads like, "What color should I paint my car?" or "Do these tires look okay?" My build style? "The guy who doesn't give a fuck what other people think because he's too busy driving and having fun to notice the line of mini-truckers who stumbled on a car show and saw Jesus." So, yea. "Oh shit. Here we go again. Is the new format ready yet?" And here's a "", so I don't sound like a bad guy. Not that I give a damn.
I have always considered the 1940 Ford hub cap the inspiration for the baby moons. I believe the U.S.Royal master was the first narrow white wall tire. Here is an add from 1957.
I was in high school in '65, 10th grade. and worked in my dad's gas station. Couldn't afford new whitewalls. So his accessories supplier sold me some 1" portawalls. Ran them on my '52 plymouth more door. At least I thought I was cool.
The magazines I have show that by 1962 many folks were running baldy/moon caps on painted or chrome steel wheels. Folks were also running skinny whitewalls... alongside regular whitewalls, solid blackwalls, and white-letter tires. So... some time before 1962.
In southern California and southern Nevada during about 1959 to at least 1962 a very popular combo was white wheels, blackwalls and baby moons. Jerome
Bludice, Go out to the first page of the HAMB and read the sticky titled "There will be casualties..." That will explain everything. Thor
Oh oh?! I really like this place, and it's been a ton of help and knowledge for me building my Tbucket first and now my shoebox. I always knew I could come here for help with problems, or answers to some simple questions. I hope this doesn't change.
The Jalopy Journal
