<VV> tire size choices

[Bruce Schug]

On May 20, 2011, at 4:33 PM, Ramon Rodriguez III wrote:

> Hate to bring this subject up yet again but it seems things are  
> continuously
> getting worse for the poor folks trying to stay near stock.
>
> I searched the archive but couldn't find a suitable size available for
> purchase.  What I need to know is what my choices are (that are  
> actually
> readily available for a reasonable price) for stock wheels.  This is  
> a first
> time thing for me my taste runs to very custom rolling stock.
>
> Bryan's site recommends 195-70-13's as do many of the archived  
> posts, but
> both tirerack.com and discounttires2go.com have no tires in this  
> size.  I
> would actually like to go with about as wide a tire as practical/ 
> possible on
> the stock wheel, but stay within a reasonable margin of stock tire  
> height.
>
> On a final note.. just to make things even more difficult, my father  
> would
> really like whitewall tires on this (his) car.  I told him this  
> might not be
> possible but I want to try.  We need tires that are a reasonable  
> price for a
> daily driver, no wild custom/classic tires.
>
>


As others have replied, 185/80-13's (24.6" D) are the only tire  
available that are anywhere close to stock late-model size. They are  
about the same diameter as 6.50-13's (24.5" D) and a very good  
replacement for them. For 7.00-13's, (25.3" D) they are thus small,  
but the only choice (it would take a 195/80-13 - 25.3" D - to be close  
to a 7.00-13).

There is no 70-series 13" tire that is as large as the 7.00's (a  
225/70-13, 25.4" D, would be about the same diameter as a 7.00-13).

A 205/70-13 (24.3" D) is about the same as a 6.50-13 (24.5" D).

Bryan's recommended sizes, I believe, are based on revs/mile, trying  
to match the speedometer/odometer. This, of course, should give you an  
accurate speedometer/odometer. This will not give the same diameter as  
the original tires. The original tires did not give you an accurate  
speedometer/odometer. A late-model speedometer/odometer is set for 825  
revs/mile. If you wish to match that, look at the manufacturer's specs  
for a tire that runs 825 revs/mile. Original tires were not speced for  
their revs/mile.

Web sites of interest:

http://www.tirerack.com/

http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp

I buy most of my tires from Tirerack and have always been happy  
dealing with them. However, their business is selling lots of tires.  
Do not expect them to have sizes that do not sell well, unless they  
just have a few left over.

Bias-ply 6.50-13's are available from Coker and others. 7.00-13's are  
not.

Radial 185/80-13's are usually available from Clark's, Larry Claypool  
and perhaps other Corvair vendors. I realize many Corvair people try  
to buy Corvair parts from other vendors, hoping to save a couple of  
dollars, but if you want a tire for a Corvair, a Corvair parts vendor  
might be the best place to buy them. These vendors have advertised in  
the Communique before, suggesting folks buy these tires from them.  
Those who don't, and then end up wondering why no one has them, have  
only themselves to blame.

There was a project going on to reproduce bias 7.00-13's. I haven't  
heard anything about it in months and think it probably proved to be  
financially impossible. Unfortunately, Corvair owners typically are  
looking for a tire for about forty-bucks, when a reproduced 7.00-13  
might cost $125 or more.

The future for those looking for original size 13" Corvair tires is  
bleak. 14 and even 15" tires are getting hard to find too. Ten years  
from now, perhaps Coker or someone will make a good 7.00-13 radial and  
people will buy them for about a grand a set, having learned a lesson.



Bruce

Bruce W. Schug
CORSA South Carolina
CORSA member since 1980
Performance Corvair Group
Stock Corvair Group
VirtualVairs
FastVairs
'67 Monza, "67AC140"
bwschug at att.net