1965 & 1966 Tire Sizes Observed at SAAC 50

[JWH]

A common question is, "What tire size are you running on your Shelby?" While walking through the line of cars at the Sunday car show at SAAC 50, I wrote down the tire size on each 1965 and 1966 car. Note I have not included cars with repro Blue Dots or race cars with specialized tires. The list includes cars with common street tires, mostly B.F. Goodrich Radial T/As.

14" wheels
205 70 14      4 cars
215 70 14      3 cars
225 70 14      None
225 60 14      3 cars
235 60 14      1 car

15" wheels
205 75 15      1 car
225 60 15      6 cars

Two cars had different tire sizes front and rear. One car had 195 70 14 on the front and 235 60 14 on the rear. A second car had 235 60 15 on the front and 255 60 15 on the rear.

[GrabberOrange69]

Thanks!

[GT350Lad]

Yeah thanks

[TA Coupe]

Did you ask or figure out how they fit a 255-60 On the rear?

      Roy

[FL SAAC]

A common question is, "What tire size are you running on your Shelby?" While walking through the line of cars at the Sunday car show at SAAC 50, I wrote down the tire size on each 1965 and 1966 car. Note I have not included cars with repro Blue Dots or race cars with specialized tires. The list includes cars with common street tires, mostly B.F. Goodrich Radial T/As.

14" wheels
205 70 14      4 cars
215 70 14      3 cars
225 70 14      None
225 60 14      3 cars
235 60 14      1 car

15" wheels
205 70 15      1 car
225 60 15      6 cars

Two cars had different tire sizes front and rear. One car had 195 70 14 on the front and 235 60 14 on the rear. A second car had 235 60 15 on the front and 255 60 15 on the rear.

Your observations are very much appreciated

I have also made the same observations and comparisons on these cars. Things to take into account also is if the car has been lowered, a worn suspension and the shock absorbers

Again thank you

[6T6/7]

For what its worth...you missed one for 15" wheels:
205 75 15
(unless thats what the listing "205 70 15" was intended for)

[JWH]

6T6/7, I checked my notes and you are correct. My listing above has been corrected to read one car riding on 205 75 15s. I made a note these were Goodyear tires mounted on Cragars. Thanks for pointing this out. Are these tires on your car? If so, would you post the model of Goodyear tire and if Goodyear still makes these tires? They are the only "street" Goodyear tires I saw on a '66.

[6T6/7]

Yes, those are Goodyear Assurance All-Season. Looks like they've discontinued the 205 75 15 size, but still have 205 70 15 available. My idea at the time was to use a contemporary Goodyear that would sort of approximate a Blue Dot size.

[bfiell]

That was my 1965 GT350 (SFM5S374) with the BFG Radial TA 235 60R15's on the front and 255 60R15's on the rear. I bought the car this way 23 years ago and for the 23 prior years when Len Cotone owned the car it had the same size tires. Cotone bought the car from Skip King in 1978 and a picture that King sent to me recently shows oversize tires on American Racing Torque Thrust wheels (it also had the four point roll bar in it then - which is still there - as well as an R-Model type front apron which is now gone). So we can surmise that this car has sported oversize tires, larger in the rear, for a very long time. The rear wheel arch metal has been rolled. The front wheel arch metal has been lightly (say 50%) "snipped" so as to prevent rubber/metal contact. The rear end has a one inch lowering kit. The car drives very well and I have never had a problem related to tire size including when turning very sharply.

Although the car attended most SAAC national conventions up to and including SAAC 27, it has been absent until this year - SAAC 50 was my first national convention. I consulted Better Homes and Gardens magazine for track advice and decided to just do the parade laps all 3 days. The overall event was really great, I really enjoyed it. Even met a couple of "old timers" who knew Len Cotone and recalled some very entertaining stories re: his escapades at early SAAC events when he was in his 30's (wild man years). I don't know if he ever open-tracked the car ... he was probably too busy applying chrome finishes throughout the engine compartment. The car won NUMEROUS popular vote awards throughout the SAAC 5 to SAAC 25 timeframe including overall best shelby twice.

[Steve McDonald Formally known as Mcdonas]

I remember Len from back in the day. He told me he only would sell the car if he could buy a Cobra. It was a super clean car
I think he was a member of the Springfield(Va) Shelby Club