<VV> Space Saver Spare for Early Model

[Mike McGowan]

I have been investigating space-saver spare tires for early Corvair cars. 
Late models and FCs are easy.  The 4-bolt 4-1/2 inch pattern is common to 
many Japanese and other imports, but most recent ones are front wheel drive 
with radical insets.  This doesn't matter with skinny donut spares.  I found 
the following matches for wheels, there are probably more:
Car    Wheel    Tire    Diameter
Nissan Altima 93-01      15x4     125/70-15          22.1
Nissan Sentra 00-06      15x4     125/70-15          22.1
Hyundai 4-bolt, most    15x4     125/70-15          22.1
Infiniti G20                   15x4     125/70-15          22.1
Saab 9000 84-88            16x4     115/70-16          22.3
So I went to the junkyard and picked up a loose wheel because they didn't 
have any of the listed cars with their spares intact.  The center hole was 
too small although that is fixable.  I also bought a Saab wheel on the 
Internet because I can't find one in a local yard.  Tire diameters are kind 
of small, here are some comparisons to stock:
Corvair 1960-64 6.50-13             23.75
Corvair 1960-64 7.00-13             24.10
Corvair 1960-64 185/70-13          23.54
So I looked up replacement tires.  You can get buy them new, or I get 
junkyard spares for $5.  Buy one for the wheel, and one for the tire size. 
Virtually all spare wheels are 4 inches wide, so all interchange if rim 
diameter is right.  Dismount, remount, done.  Following are tires and 
diameters:
115/70-15          21.3
125/70-15          22.1
125/80-15          22.9
135/80-15          23.5
135/90-15          24.8
115/70-16          22.3
125/70-16          22.9
135/70-16          23.7
125/80-16          24.3
125/85-16          24.4
135/80-16          24.5
125/90-16          24.9
145/80-16          25.4
Has anyone else done this?  Any experience, tips, warnings?  I can write 
this up as a Tech Tip but I imagine someone has tried this before me.
--Mike McGowan