Just how old are these??

I picked up some "pie crust" white wall bias ply tires off of craigslist with tubes. The brand is Mobil, yup just like the old gas stations. But just how old are these and are they safe? They have absolutely no cracks or sign of aging, and tread is perfect. were these ever reproduced by coker or some other outfit? Or are they a billion years old and belong on some museum car? Let me know what you think guys. Thanks-

 

Wow those are cool. Ya gotta love having Pegasus on the side wall. I seriously doubt that they are modern reproduction tires. How old?...hard to tell. 60s or earlier would be my guess.

All I can tell you is I found a pair of 550-16 'stones on Ebay still wrapped in the paper that they used to use. I've had them mounted on my roadster for several years now with absolutely no problems, no cracks or checkering.

I'm sure there will be people that will say that I am endangering the entire eastern seaboard but you can cut down a brand new tire at speed and not lose control. I had a rash of 3 cut down tires at speed (not this size) and just pulled to the side of the road. That was an expensive run of bad luck. The tires on my 56 are all checked and weathered so I don't plan on using them. It's your choice.

 

Bias ply hold up pretty well if they're not exposed to the light, and you run tubes. I had a Hudson that hadn't been registered in about 45 years and never even had to add air to the tires in all the time I had it; I didn't drive it but I towed it a couple of times and it towed fine.

 

This might be the w-i-d-e-s-t thread on the board!!

those are sweet tires, oh and note to self: "steer clear of Maryland!"

 

HA, that's why I didn't seee the tires when I firtst looked at this thread

There is something about old tires, man they just don't build them like they used to. New tires weathercheck in a year.

 

This is from 1957:

 

I have four of those exact tires on a barn find I bought last year. The car was last registered in 1963 and I would guess from what history I know that they were purchased about 4-5 years earlier. Ain't no way I'm driving on them but for now the old tubes in them hold air so I can roll it in /out of the shop.

 

The gas station collectors out there like these tires to display in old Mobil branded tire holders. There are going to be more tire displays that survived that actual tires. There are other oil company branded tires out there

 

Don't even tires that old have a date code? It won't have a way to decode what decade they were made, but should get you month and year.

 

Yeah, I saw a Gulf tire stand with NOS Gulf Tire at a swap last year.

Went, back to pick it up, gone.

Rich

 

probably too old to trust

is it just the camera shot? or are there only 3 lugs nuts holding that laeft front wheel on?

 

I saw some of these while busting tires for a living around 1973-1976, so I'd say they may be from as late as 1970-1972ish. Lots of gas stations marketed their own tires, Gulf was another one of them. Some tires bore a resemblance to Sears Allstate brands, so whoever was making theirs was making them for others.

Bob

 

Wait till summer, drive on hot asphalt in over 100 degree weather. See if the tread comes off

Is that a BB chevy in your ride? Squirrely ?

 

I'd say the tires are safer than the lack of lugnuts holding the wheels on.
Just sayin as you probably set it up just for the pics.

 

I worked at an Esso station in 1971 and we had Atlas Tires. Man that was a LONG time ago..Those Mobil tires and very unique

 

3 outta 5 ain't bad! Just kiddin that was I pic when my car was mocked yp

 

Socony-Vacuum brand tells me they are 1955 or older. The company was renamed Socony-Mobil in '55.
I've seen guys run old bias ply tires with tubes without problems. I think I'd run them around town at low speed for awhile to see how they hold up before running them at high speed. Keep a close watch on the sidewalls as that's where they'll likely fail (if they're gonna fail), and keep them inflated properly.

 

They are not going to last long behind that bbc anyways....haha

 

I've been told by a few sources that they are okay to run as long as you can't fit a penny in the cracks.....this applies only to tires with tubes.

 

This sounds like the tread depth check trick... If you can see the top of Abe's head then there is enough tread left. If you are talking about cracks in the sidewall nearly as thick as a penny, I wouldn't even air them up let alone run them. JMO

 

Yup! It's a 427..its squirrely if u want it to be!

 

All I can tell you is Mobil (least around here) went to all radial tires in about 73/74 (about a year before the leaded gas went away) . The station I worked at could not get any bias ply tires through Mobil after that time period. Gene

 

I would say at least 1963! Cool hell yea!! Run em'? Hell no. I collect petroliana. Would love to find for display. But would not risk my life or those with me. Those bad boys are OLD

Larry

 

Socony-Vacuum changed names to Socony-Mobil in 1955. Also, wide whites were on the way out by 1960, so I would say your tires were sold in that transition period of 1955-1959

 

i would never run tires that old,