Red or Goldline Tires

[billbonn80]

I am about to order some red or goldline tires. So far, the only dealers i can find are Coker or Diamondback. Is there anyone else who makes these tires and are there any opinions on the quality of coker or Diamondback. I live in N. calif and would sure like to find a local dealer that supplies these. Thank you

Bill

 

[ctjackster]

other posts exist here and on other forums on Diamondback and Coker, the fact that DB (if you want) uses modern radial tires and applies a red or Gold line, vs. Cokers true to original bias ply tires, might explain the negative experience some have reportedly had with Coker tires. I myself have Firestone Indy 500 Firehawk tires to which Diamondback applied a goldline, they look and work great

 

[JohnZ]

I've had both ends of the spectrum with Cokers - had a set of their 205/75-15 radial wide-whites on my '57 that were just fine, just got rid of a set of their 205/75-15 radial redlines I had on my '67 that were difficult to balance and had very high radial force variation - never could get them to smooth out at freeway speed. Replaced them with new Diamondback Firestone "Supreme Si" 205/75-15's with applied redlines. Don't have them on the car yet, but I had them mounted/balanced last week at a local shop with a Hunter GSP9700 machine, and they balanced well and had acceptable radial force variation numbers.

Don't even THINK about bias-ply tires, from any source.

 

[Diamondback Classics]

Red or gold.....it's up to you. We all have our opinions. Personally I like the gold with contrast to the blue. Just food for thought, a picture of a customers car with blue lines. I have seen three or four '66 vettes with build sheets that called for blueline tires. Makes you go mmmmmmm

Ron

 

[ctjackster]

Red or gold.....it's up to you. We all have our opinions. Personally I like the gold with contrast to the blue. Just food for thought, a picture of a customers car with blue lines. I have seen three or four '66 vettes with build sheets that called for blueline tires. Makes you go mmmmmmm

Ron

Ron - I am an obvious supporter of your product

But I have never seen reference to "BlueLine" or Blue-wall tires as an available option, secret or otherwise, on a C2. Just how do these build sheets you have seen refer to this option? Do they have an RPO associated with the Blueline order? Curious . . . .

I am aware of the Bluestreak tire that was jointly developed by Goodyear and Chrylser, I believe, around 1965, for the Formula S 'Cuda. Not likely that was made available to Chevy though.

 

[Diamondback Classics]

ctjackster,
I have spoken with a production-line worker that worked at the plant in 1965 producing 66 corvettes who distinctly remembers seeing several cars with blueline tires. As for the build sheets, it has been some time, but I, too, was just as curious as you, I do not remember the exact location/ verbiage of the blueline info on the sheet. I have only seen one in person, the others were voulunteered by customers on the telephone that said they "had to have blue lines because their build sheet said so." I have no reason to believe this to be bogus information and will make a note that the next conversation that I have with a customer that requests bluelines for their vette, to ask if they could make a copy of their build sheet for us all to view. I think it is exciting to find and learn obscure facts about these cars. Last fall we did receive note from the NCRS that they do not deduct points for blueline tires on 66 vettes anymore. This came on the heels of an irate member at a show that lost points.
Ron

 

[67HEAVEN]

In the past, didn't all new whitewall tires come with some sort of blue wash to protect them in transit? :gap

 

[vintagecorvette]

I think that there is still the protective coating on ww tires.

On the topic of blue line. This company offers Blue line, Gold line and Green line.
http://www.stocktonwheel.com/SWSTires1.htm
Pretty cool.

 

[ctjackster]

I gotta tell you, I would vote for Diamonback if you are considering going with a red, gold or [blue] line tires. Pick your favorite performance tire for your corvette, and ask DB to put the stripe on them for you.

on the subject of the blueline, here is a snap of a 67 L88 wearing the "Bluestreak Goodyears" I had in mind:

and here is a Chryler design drawing:

and another rendering from the time:

Blue Streak tires were also a popular racing tire in the early 60's, such were different from the Blues Streak street tire produced in the mid 60s by Goodyear. And I have now seen some references to such being produced "in a Corvette size". They look pretty cool.

 

[Diamondback Classics]

I think that there is still the protective coating on ww tires.

On the topic of blue line. This company offers Blue line, Gold line and Green line.
http://www.stocktonwheel.com/SWSTires1.htm
Pretty cool.

Actually, Stockton Wheel is a deal of ours on the West coast. We used to offer greenlines, however, due to marginal demand, we dropped it 5 years ago. They haven't updated their information.
Ron

 

[Diamondback Classics]

I love those images, where did you get them?

 

[ctjackster]

from a guys' 66 Formula S 'Cuda resto site, his originally came with the Blue Streak tire option but only has one left, a bald spare (he was second owner of the car, as I recall).

 

[JohnZ]

The guy who drew that rendering, Dave Cummins, moved on from Chrysler to GM Styling in the mid-60's; he and I were among the charter members of the North Central Region of the Ferrari Club of America. He had four or five Ferraris in those days, among which was a silver Daytona coupe with the license plate "BEAST" - and it was!