Production Line Tires

[Jeff P.]

Hello everyone,
I have to buy tires for judging. My 68 came with the stock blackwall. This ia a March 68 built car. Were there certain periods where one tire was used then they went on to another? Example : were Goodyears used for a few months then Uniroyal, then Firestone. Thanks for your help. Did original factory tires have actual dates on them ? How far out before they were put on the cars ? Thanks,again Jeff

[Terry M.]

Re: Production Line Tires

Hello everyone,
I have to buy tires for judging. My 68 came with the stock blackwall. This ia a March 68 built car. Were there certain periods where one tire was used then they went on to another? Example : were Goodyears used for a few months then Uniroyal, then Firestone. Thanks for your help. Did original factory tires have actual dates on them ? How far out before they were put on the cars ? Thanks,again Jeff

A search using the subject "tire dates" sill help you, but I'll get you started.

As far as we know there were no periods during the early C3 era when one brand was used to the exclusion of another brand. That being said some styles of tire (WW, RWL, etc) were in or out of supply at various times (no we don't know when those times were.), but since you know your car came with black walls that doesn't matter.

Yes, ALL tires had/have a date code on them, but before Spring of 1971 the date code was a business secret to each manufacturer. ANY reproduction tire will have a date code that shows its date of manufacture, and most judges know how to read that code. You can read the date code on the tires on your driver car if you wish. Remember the Ford Explorer and Firestone tire issues. The affected date codes were printed in full page adds in the daily newspapers.