Tyres.... sorry Tires question

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BillyBob0780

BillyBob0780

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Hi folks,
As my rewire is progressing aplomb now, it's time to look at replacing the cracked tyres/tires on my 72 Dart. It's currently fitted with 195/75/14's.
Not a common size over here and what you can get are very pricey. I would like a wider tyre/tire on the Dart without changing the wheels as I like the standard wheel trims on it. What do you all recommend to fit without rubbing/ fitment issues ?

Thanks

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Look into a 205-70x14 or something close, your tire distributor should be able to get you close to what your are looking for.
 
Show some more photos of your car! I have a 72 Dart but it looks quite a bit different than your UK variant
 
Here is a few more with the tattered vinyl roof on and after it was removed

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Crazy, Darts here didnt get that front end styling until the 73 model. Sweet car! Love the color too
 
It's down as a 72 and some of the dash parts have a July 72 build date stamped on them but, I would say its is actually a 73 by the front grille.

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How wide are the rims on the car. If they are 4.5 to 5.5 inch you might not be able to wider than 205 or 215 max! You might also need a new speedometer pinion if you‘re worried about your mileage/speedometer being off.

Yeah I’d say your Dart is a 1973 given that front end. Does the VIN have a ‘3’ or a ´2´ as the 6h digit on the dashboard?
 
Check with tire shops and ask for the Hercules line of tires.
They are a division of Cooper tires. I just bought 4 195/70/14's.
One had a "Export Only" sticker on it. Maybe they are sold over there.
 
Not sure regarding the wheel size per se unless some can tell me what I need to measure... slightly complicated by the fact the car isn't with me at the moment. I've looked at the spare and found ... refer to the photo... Build date wise looked at the documents I got with it when I bought it. It was built August 1972 for the 73 model year.
No one does those make of tyres/tires in the UK.

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You are going to be limited by your wheel width.

If they are 4.5 wide you might be at the limit at 205

If they are 5.5 then 215 or there abouts

Every tire manufacturer shows the min and max rim width per tire size.

My 67 rims are 5.5 wide and my 215s look ballooned on the rims.
 
Yeah, when I was talking to tyre/tire place next to the auto electrician shop. He said he could understand that I wanted to put more rubber down. But, he also said it might look at bit ballooned. But, also agreed it looks good with the centre caps on rather spending more money on alloy wheels and tyres/tires
 
BillyBob0780 said:
Not sure regarding the wheel size per se unless some can tell me what I need to measure... slightly complicated by the fact the car isn't with me at the moment. I've looked at the spare and found ... refer to the photo... Build date wise looked at the documents I got with it when I bought it. It was built August 1972 for the 73 model year.
No one does those make of tyres/tires in the UK.

View attachment 1716111565

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Vin and title makes it a '73 model
 
To determine rim width you will need to pull a tire off (unless it is stamped by the valve stem)

My 67s are stamped on the inside of the rim, later 68 up seem to be stamped by the valve stem.

Either way measuring from inside bead to inside bead will tell you.

Other tattle tails is the back spacing.

I have one of each here and can get you the numbers.

Also some tire shops have a caliper that they can measure the outside of the bead to the outside of the bead, they might be calibrated to remove the steel wheel thickness but if they are less than 5.5 outside to outside assume they are 4.5

Other tattle tails would be if they came on a slant 6 car, or a car without front disc brakes that might indicate 4.5.
 
As the spare is a Ford wheel I'll have to wait until I go down to the car to see if it's got right steel wheels on it.
 
Regarding the car if you look on YouTube and type in old cars Dark Shadows movie you'll see my Dart parked up
 
BillyBob0780 said:
As the spare is a Ford wheel I'll have to wait until I go down to the car to see if it's got right steel wheels on it.
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That Ford will probably fit. Wheels may be 14x4.5 with a 4.5 bolt circle
 
So your car was not origionally an export car. Correct
 
A56 said:
That Ford will probably fit. Wheels may be 14x4.5 with a 4.5 bolt circle
Click to expand...
That's another wrinkle

Didn't the 4.5 bolt pattern only show up later and on V8s? slants still had the 5x4 pattern IIRC
 
All I know is it was in Palm Springs in 2001 as per the title and the box of matches I found under the seat that was from a restaurant still going in Palm Springs...then who knows it was imported into the UK in 2012. The gent I bought it off in 2021 had from October 2018. I'm guessing it may have been imported to the UK for filming ??
 
According to your V.I.N., your car is the 5,267th car built for the 1973 model year in Hamtramck Michigan.
A very early August build for the model year.
Also, according to the V.I.N, it is a 318 V8 car so it should have big bolt pattern wheels on it, probably the standard 4 1/2'' wide.
BTW, all A-Bodies from 1973 and up with a V8 and all slant 6 cars with power brakes got the BBP 4 1/2'' center to center wheels with 1/2'' studs and disc brakes on the front standard.
And the rear ends were BBP to match the fronts even if it was a 7 1/4'' rear end.
However, I have seen cars that were changed to SBP 4'' brakes and rear end sometime after they were built, these cars are 50 years old now, so who knows what someone did to them in the past?
Yes, I would try to get 205 70 14s for it.
 
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BillyBob0780 said:
I'm guessing it may have been imported to the UK for filming
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My point was that cars built for export sometimes were built different than US domestic cars.

You car seems to have been a US domestic car that was brought into the UK, vs built to be origionally sold in the UK.

Is your speedo mph or kph
 
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