<VV> tire size choices

[Sethracer at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/21/2011 6:51:15 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
bwschug at att.net writes:

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.
 


Very true, Bruce. So the logical explanation of "What to do" when  faced 
with the above problem is to change to more easily available tire sizes.  13 
or 14 or 15. Holding your breath until you turn blue - for a $40 7.00-13 will 
 result in you passing out. Either the 7.00-13 is what you "need" - in 
which  case be prepared to fork out the big money, when/if they become  
available, or "settle" for the $60 or $70 or $80 replacements in other  diameters. 
With commonly available (virtually free) 14" steel wheels easily  available, 
you could pick a correct diameter 14" tire hit the swap meets  for Impala 
wire caps, and except to the eagle-eyed hyper-critical, it will look  stock. 
If it is a goober-looking tall/narrow 14, it will even resemble some  tallish 
7.00-13s, the kind the tire companies say they built, but (almost) no  one 
remembers seeing. Remember many more Corvairs came with 6.50-13s than ever  
came with any 7.00-13. Either you like the look of the tiny-tyke tires, or 
you  don't. You pay the money and you take your choice. I have a beautiful 
set of  new 14" diameter modular wheels in my garage. They even clear my  
4wheel disk brakes. But I have no idea which car to put them on, all my  
Corvairs have 15" wheels of varying widths, and performance tires are easily  
available.  Tag - You're it!
 
Seth Emerson