Like Bowie says, I bought a pair of recapped slicks in probably 1967. As I remember, I paid $15 for the pair. They were hard as a rock and probably 2-3" taller than my normal tires. Even then, their major feature was the wow factor. Tires were too hard to gain any traction. I did set an AHRA mph record using them but my ET was worse than using street tires. But it looked cool at the drive in with slicks on the car!
10.50x15 M&H ripple walls were available around ‘67, but 7” wide recaps were the widest allowed for street cars being drag raced until about “66.
Hello, He time period of 1960s was interesting. The early 1960 and earlier days saw nothing but Bruce Slicks on most fast cars. The Cook and Bedwell dragster made the name Bruce’s Slicks synonymous with drag racing. The majority of racers used those slicks on all sorts of race cars, including some teenagers with original 7 inch wide Bruce Slicks on a 1958 Impala. The advantage to having those Bruce Slicks was that the size fit inside of the rear fender opening with plenty of room to spare. The fit was good so as to adjust for lowering upon acceleration or expanding if they did. We were allowed, as all stock class racers, to use the slicks on our factory-built stock cars, but only during the time trial runs and tuning runs. The stock tread tires had to be on during eliminations as per rules. 55 years later in 2017, at the original Grand Opening of the Original, Lions Dragstrip Museum. Did the slicks make better speeds and lower E.T. times? They certainly did and with a flourish. The stock tire times were averaging low 15 seconds. Sometimes, dipping into the very high 14 second range. The top speeds were usually mid 90s for the quarter mile. But, with the Bruce Slicks on the back, the best e.t. was 14.68 (me) and the top speed was 98mph (my brother), consistently. Bruce Slicks on our 1958 Impala Jnaki The advantage to the 7 inch wide Bruce Slicks mounted on Chevy rims was that when we were building our 1940 Willys Coupe for the Gas Coupe/Sedan Classes. With the Positraction 56 Chevy rear axle set up, the 7 inch wide Bruce Slicks fit inside of the stock 1940 Willys Coupe rear tire opening, with no modifications. My initial job was the tire changer from our towing tires to Bruce Slicks once we got to Lion’s Dragstrip pits. The odd thing in the above photo, is that it was cut from a full photo showing the most prolific tire salesman that we had ever met. His name was Bill Moxley. He parked next to us when we were racing the 58 Impala. He was also instrumental in selling us a set of Moxley Cheater Slicks for the Impala. At the time, it was legal to run the Moxley Slicks with the grooves. It was considered another brand of grooved tires. But, a lot of the stock class racers protested those that were running the Moxley Slicks and said that they are not listed under the factory parts list and not considered stock. Moxley Cheater Slicks on different rims for the 58 Impala, timed runs So, despite the conflict, those tires were taken out of the elimination rounds and classified as regular slicks for stock car competition. The Cheater slicks did not improve the times and speeds. We sold them to another friend to run on his car for the street. If it was necessary to have slicks on the street encounters as the Cherry Avenue Drags location, the 7 inch Bruce Slicks made an appearance on the 58 Impala. Note: In early 1960, my brother had ideas picked up from the more well established racers, that were slowly going to wider slicks, whether Bruce or the newest compound M&H Slicks. In our backyard garage were some 15 inch Chevy rims that were 9 inches wide… ready for the larger wider M&H slicks we had on order in late July 1960. More power asks for more traction… Note 2: The 7 inch wide Bruce Slicks fit inside of a 1956 Chevy two door post, a 55 Chevy two door post and a 57 Chevy Bel Air Hardtop with plenty of clearance for the openings. Compare the small Moxley slick to the competition version in the photo. The Bruce Slicks were made in similar fashion. The original photo and explanation 1960 photo by Greg Sharp
We had a local place here in town called TDI. I recall they were down on around 21st and East Burnside? I bought my first pair of TDI recapped slicks back then, and they were about 8" wide. Thought that was a lot of rubber back then! I put them under my '53 Chevy 2dr. hdtp that had a 371 Olds with a hydro behind it, and it still didn't hook up very well. But the smoke show was impressive! Back then I didn't see many pie crust slicks. Most were solid sidewalls, as my TDI were. I think the pie crust design was to save weight, reduce the amount of rubber used, and cool the tires a bit too.
Iran on my 64 Chevelle 13 1/4 Ripple Wall Goodyear Slicks and they Fit under the Car rear with no problem.! even though I First Though They would Not Fit So I Did a little Radias of the Rear Fender my Mistake. Just my 3.5 cents Live Learn & Die a Fool
A few years back, a friend gave me these old "Racemasters" from waaaay back, to put on my wife's '55. She decided to drive it around with them mounted, so I figured I better check for air pressure. Suprise, suprise..... Zero.... This is a "before" picture.... Talk about hard !!
The Jalopy Journal
