OT - Free tires

Bruce (VA)

Well-known Member
I drove a 47 Chevy in high school (1964-67) and never bought tires for it. The neighborhood gas station let us go through the trash tire pile & take whatever we wanted. At some point, I put 6-lug 15 inch rims on the car because free 15 inch tires were easier to find than the OEM 16 inch tires. So the 16 inch rims w/ the tires still on them got tossed in the back of the barn....sometime before December, 1967 because that's when I totaled the car. And one of those tires & rim has followed me around all of these years. It now rests beside the chopping block by the pole barn. Notice the total absence of tread as well as the fabric showing. That was when we got around to changing tires back then: when you could see the fabric.
IMG_20131204_094234_952_zps91db50dd.jpg
 
I ran my 8N for many years with a front tire that you would swear the air was gonna show any minute, but it stayed full all the time.
You don't need no stinking tread!! haha
 
(quoted from post at 08:46:22 12/04/13) I drove a 47 Chevy in high school (1964-67) and never bought tires for it. The neighborhood gas station let us go through the trash tire pile & take whatever we wanted. At some point, I put 6-lug 15 inch rims on the car because free 15 inch tires were easier to find than the OEM 16 inch tires. So the 16 inch rims w/ the tires still on them got tossed in the back of the barn....sometime before December, 1967 because that's when I totaled the car. And one of those tires & rim has followed me around all of these years. It now rests beside the chopping block by the pole barn. Notice the total absence of tread as well as the fabric showing. That was when we got around to changing tires back then: when you could see the fabric.
IMG_20131204_094234_952_zps91db50dd.jpg
h yes-----I remember that dual painted ring around the wheels on a '46 i had in like '57 or so. Was ten at time and drove it around on farm with rod knocking and no driver door.
 
We lived on dirt/gravel roads and Dad was always on me about driving too fast and busting the tires with those big roundy gravel rocks. Much later invention of steel belts was great!
 
I drove my 1949 Ford with used free tires. WOuld run them until I could see two layers of cords, That is until I blew one at 60 on a narrow road! Lots of fun! At least there was no other traffic!
 
Still have a '38 two-door with painted rings like that. They
are kind of nostalgically (is that a word?) cool. As others
have said, I put 6-lug 15s on my '37 coupe back in the '60s
-- wider tires and meaner looking.
 

My 2n has studed tires on the front; the guy that I sold it to in 1980 and bought it back in 2002 put them on.
 
On another note, I will run rear tractor tires that are weather checked and even have cracks a 1/4 inch wide. My theory is if they hold air, run em. On my trucks and cars, never. I've passed up free tires with 80% tread but were weather checked. I won't take a chance on checked tires on anything that runs over 20 mph.
 
I ran bologna skin tires on mine cars when I was kid too.
Never gave a thought to hydroplaning, braking, mud or snow.(until I got stuck)
Sometimes I wonder how we all made it, but we did!
Now I'm quite the opposite when it comes to car and truck tires.
I buy them in sets of 4 every 50K miles and sell my still good used ones
very cheap to any young kid who otherwise would have bologna skins.
Sold the last set of 255/70R17 for $10 each.
 
Bruce........the real story here is that you totaled the car.....how could you?????.... Did the same thing to an all original 67 Fire Bird.....I have never forgiven myself!!
 
Times have flipped flopped,,, 15's are a little hard to come by these days... Their are plenty of used 16 and 17" tars... I have two trailer rims waiting for some decent 15" tars and I sell ties I just don't get many calls for15" tars...
 
Ahhh, the memories. Worked at a gas station in my youth, and kept a ready eye on anything that we swapped out that had tread on it. Many pals and I benefitted from this enterprise !
 
I had a 56 olds rocket 88 in high school,I would bury the speedometer on tires with very little tread.someone must have been looking out for me. The stupid stuff we did as teenagers.
 
(quoted from post at 08:46:22 12/04/13) I drove a 47 Chevy in high school (1964-67) and never bought tires for it. The neighborhood gas station let us go through the trash tire pile & take whatever we wanted. At some point, I put 6-lug 15 inch rims on the car because free 15 inch tires were easier to find than the OEM 16 inch tires. So the 16 inch rims w/ the tires still on them got tossed in the back of the barn....sometime before December, 1967 because that's when I totaled the car. And one of those tires & rim has followed me around all of these years. It now rests beside the chopping block by the pole barn. Notice the total absence of tread as well as the fabric showing. That was when we got around to changing tires back then: when you could see the fabric.
IMG_20131204_094234_952_zps91db50dd.jpg

Ha Ha, we use to call those "Maypops"! May Pop any moment! :shock:
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top