Tire technology has greatly evolved since the muscle car era, and for good reason. The bias ply tire with its squared off shoulder was a great option to get a wider fit under your ride. However, they were known to wear out quickly, run at high temperatures, and offer a rough ride. But then the radial tire was introduced as a replacement.
The radial’s rounded shoulder handled better, had a longer tread life while offering a cooler, smoother ride. The bias ply tire was produced until the 1980’s, but the radial was more common. There are great options in modern radials, but none give that look of the original Firestone Wide Oval.
Now, Coker Tire has these tires in an updated form available through our friends at Summit Racing. If you are doing a correct, factory restoration, these are the tires you need. Or, if you bought an old ride and just want a good looking white lettered or red line tire, these are also great options.
Coker Tire manufactured and sold bias ply tires from the 1970’s through the 1990’s. In 1994 they changed the whole tire market by offering a wide whitewall radial version. They have gone on from that to these new versions with the bias ply look and modern radial performance and safety.
Here is the original press release:
When Firestone introduced the Wide Oval tire in 1967, muscle car guys shouted hallelujah. The bias-ply tire had a lower profile and wider tread than conventional tires of the era for better traction and improved handling and braking. The OEMs offered the Wide Oval as standard or optional equipment on muscle cars and pony cars through 1974. Watch this Firestone Wide Oval commercial from 1971 to get an idea of how popular this tire was.
As good as the Firestone Wide Oval was, its bias-ply design was eclipsed by modern radial tires. Fortunately for you classic muscle owners, Coker Tire decided to make the Wide Oval in a radial version. Designed and manufactured in the USA using brand new molds, they give you retro looks plus the handling, safety, and longer tread life of a modern radial tire.
Coker Firestone Wide Oval Radial Tires are available in sizes from factory fitment to 60- and 50-series for modified cars:
70 Series Wide Ovals are perfect for stock restored muscle cars. Since many muscle cars came from the factory with 14-inch wheels, Coker offers FR70-14 and GR70-14 sizes as well as the 15-inch equivalents to fit disc brake swaps.
ER60-15, FR60-15, and GR60-15 Wide Ovals are great for early 1970s performance cars that came with 60-series tires from the factory like the AAR ‘Cuda, Camaro Z/28, and the Mustang Mach 1. These sizes also work well for a Day 2-style build.
HR60-15, LR60-15, and NR50-15 Wide Ovals are the big boys of the line. These are the sizes you saw hanging off the back of many a ‘70s street machine, so they’re what you want for a tribute-style car.
Coker Firestone Wide Oval Radial Tires are S speed-rated and available with your choice of raised white letters or a 3/8-inch redline sidewall.
For you folks that are sticklers for factory-correct on your muscle car, Summit Racing carries Coker Firestone Wide Oval Bias-Ply Tires.
