SR7D1
Active member
OK. I have a small dilemma. The 71 Corvette I just bought has a set of original Ansen Sprint Rims. 15 X8.5. The tires are dry rotted on the sidewalls. They are 215/65-15.
I have a set of original rims and centers (no rings) available to me 15 X 8. They are in rough shape and need a lot of work including bead blasting and paint to be respectable. He wants $160 for the set. (is that too much $ for the condition?)
I would like a set of AM torque thrust originals in a 17 X 8 but the budget is not there right now. The interior is extremely rough and will get attention next. I just pulled the carb to work on it and found a cracked intake manifold. So my funds are being diverted elsewhere right now.
So. The reason I don’t want to put the Sprints back on is the backspacing seems to be "wrong". The 215’s look alright in the front but in the back they hang out past the rear fender by about 1 to 1.5 inches. I want to avoid that. But if 215’s are too wide, that tells me the BS (at about 3 inches from what I can tell) is too small to accept a 235/245 tire like the stock rim which has a 4 inch BS. I want as much tire as I can get without rubbing or sticking out the sides.
Am I missing something on aspect ratio (40/60/70) that will tuck that tire in closer in the back? Like a225/70 series? Or is it all about backspacing?
I can sell the Ansen Sprints on Ebay or here and put the $ toward a set of Torque Thrust originals, clean up the stock rims and buy a cheap set of tires to get me through the summer. Or I can buy a set of tires for the Ansens and forget about buying the stock rims.
I wish I could run the tires that are on there now but I am leery of the dry rot cracks in the sidewalls.
I’m sorry to ramble but, what are your thoughts?
I have a set of original rims and centers (no rings) available to me 15 X 8. They are in rough shape and need a lot of work including bead blasting and paint to be respectable. He wants $160 for the set. (is that too much $ for the condition?)
I would like a set of AM torque thrust originals in a 17 X 8 but the budget is not there right now. The interior is extremely rough and will get attention next. I just pulled the carb to work on it and found a cracked intake manifold. So my funds are being diverted elsewhere right now.
So. The reason I don’t want to put the Sprints back on is the backspacing seems to be "wrong". The 215’s look alright in the front but in the back they hang out past the rear fender by about 1 to 1.5 inches. I want to avoid that. But if 215’s are too wide, that tells me the BS (at about 3 inches from what I can tell) is too small to accept a 235/245 tire like the stock rim which has a 4 inch BS. I want as much tire as I can get without rubbing or sticking out the sides.
Am I missing something on aspect ratio (40/60/70) that will tuck that tire in closer in the back? Like a225/70 series? Or is it all about backspacing?
I can sell the Ansen Sprints on Ebay or here and put the $ toward a set of Torque Thrust originals, clean up the stock rims and buy a cheap set of tires to get me through the summer. Or I can buy a set of tires for the Ansens and forget about buying the stock rims.
I wish I could run the tires that are on there now but I am leery of the dry rot cracks in the sidewalls.
I’m sorry to ramble but, what are your thoughts?
