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-   -   Firestone tires from Firestone ?? (https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=165104)

marty in Ohio 03-30-2015 07:58 AM

Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

Last week I stopped in at our local Firestone store to ask if they could get me some 19 inch tires for my 1930 Town Sedan. The man at the counter told me to order them from Coker and bring them in to have them mounted. I told him I would mount them myself, I just wanted to buy the tires from Firestone. He said he could get them for me but he would order them from Coker.
What am I missing here?
Marty

Steve Plucker 03-30-2015 08:22 AM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

Nothing...That's who makes them and supplies them now. Just order from Coker and be done with it OR have your Firestone guy order them and they will jack the price up anyway.

Pluck

bikejunk 03-30-2015 08:25 AM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

My guess would be that Coker has licensed these tires from Firestone and is the sole distributor, might be a liability thing as Coker says these tires are for display only yad yada ...

MikeK 03-30-2015 08:51 AM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by marty in Ohio (Post 1059739)
. . .What am I missing here?
Marty

There is a general consumer misconception that the handful of tire brands you can name are made in plants they each own. The U.S. Dept of Transportation (DOT) issues codes to tire manufacturing plants. That code must appear molded in any tire sold in the US. There are currently 950 worldwide plant codes!

The brand name on the side of the tire only tells you who originally designed the tread pattern. As there is essentially no commercial retail outlet market for antique tire designs the original designs are generally subcontracted, licensed, or sold to secondary distributors (like Coker) who in turn contract with one of the 950+ plants to produce that tire.

stouchton 03-30-2015 09:10 AM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

And to add just a little more, Bridgestone bought Firestone around 20 years ago. They throttled back the product lineup and focused on licensing the Firestone name. Our Model A tires are licensed, and some of the muscle car tires. Bridgestones focus is on the automakers.

P.S. 03-30-2015 10:28 AM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

As long as they were made in the USA, then I don't care which plant made them.

I understand that the Model A Firestone tires are molded in the actual molds used in the era.

So, who makes the Goodyear tires? Apparently not Coker.

Marco Tahtaras 03-30-2015 11:42 AM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by P.S. (Post 1059813)
As long as they were made in the USA, then I don't care which plant made them.

I understand that the Model A Firestone tires are molded in the actual molds used in the era.

So, who makes the Goodyear tires? Apparently not Coker.

Actually, the Firestones made today are the same as those available around 1950 and have little in common with the originals.

John Kelsey (Kelsey Tire) makes the Goodyear tires and did a great job duplicating the originals.

Original Firestones:

http://abarnyard.com/temp/firestone-2.jpg

http://abarnyard.com/temp/chassis/A-1130-C.jpg

Jacksonlll 03-30-2015 12:42 PM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

On this subject, I have been using the super cheap tires from Vietnam. They were OK until I put them on my heavy townsedan. I had severe YAW and could hardly keep the car on the road. I tried everything, but changing to a new set of Firestones did the trick.

P.S. 03-30-2015 01:08 PM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marco Tahtaras (Post 1059856)
Actually, the Firestones made today are the same as those available around 1950 and have little in common with the originals.

John Kelsey (Kelsey Tire) makes the Goodyear tires and did a great job duplicating the originals.


Wow. Yes, those Firestone tires look much different than the ones available today. Thanks, Marco.

Understand the Goodyear tires are supposed to be very close match to Model A originals. Good to know they're made by Kelsey. Should be a quality product.

I am forced to be shopping for tires for the 99.9% original 29 fordor now as the 50 year old Sears tires are just about cracked to the point of unsafe at any speed. Only gripe about the Goodyear tires is having to paint those little flags on all of them. What colors do they use? I cannot tell exactly in the pictures of your roadster I took a couple years back.

Mitch//pa 03-30-2015 01:23 PM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

jim brand did mine
blue / yellow /mast silver
http://i684.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps12759440.jpg

P.S. 03-30-2015 01:56 PM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

Thanks, Mitch!

I also notice the Model A in Marco's photos has the hub caps with the little ridge around the outside edge. I thought the originals were smooth all the way to the edge. Did the car in the photos have repro hub caps? Or, do the original 30-31 hub caps have that ridge around them? Or, it is an optical illusion?

Keith True 03-30-2015 02:33 PM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

I think it is an optical illusion.I think you are seeing the raised part of the wheel as a ridge in the straight on picture.The picture Mitch posted shows that up well.I have Universal tires that look just like those pictures of the original Firestones.

Marco Tahtaras 03-30-2015 03:38 PM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by P.S. (Post 1059953)
Thanks, Mitch!

I also notice the Model A in Marco's photos has the hub caps with the little ridge around the outside edge. I thought the originals were smooth all the way to the edge. Did the car in the photos have repro hub caps? Or, do the original 30-31 hub caps have that ridge around them? Or, it is an optical illusion?

That is a pre-production photo. I don't have the date on that one but it's typical of photos taken in September 1929. Yes, these experimental hub caps had the flattened perimeter.

JonC 03-30-2015 05:01 PM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

I never see any weights on the rims, are the tires balanced like modern tires?

P.S. 03-30-2015 06:23 PM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marco Tahtaras (Post 1060002)
That is a pre-production photo. I don't have the date on that one but it's typical of photos taken in September 1929. Yes, these experimental hub caps had the flattened perimeter.

Excellent. Thank you.

Just making sure I'm doing this correctly.

brum1 03-30-2015 06:30 PM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

So are the Firestone tires sold by Snyders & Mike made by Coker??

modelAtony 03-30-2015 07:50 PM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by brum1 (Post 1060103)
So are the Firestone tires sold by Snyders & Mike made by Coker??

Yes.

ericr 03-30-2015 07:55 PM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

didn't one version of the Goodyear tire have two thin white pinstripes around the circumference of the sidewall, which gave them a neat look, or is that what I am seeing in Post No. 10?

31a 03-30-2015 08:03 PM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

I believe that is correct , Coker bought the molds for the Firestones.

Not George 03-31-2015 05:30 AM

Re: Firestone tires from Firestone ??
 

I have heard that Summit Racing has the best pricing on Firestones (Coker) AND has free shipping!


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