Tires back in the 60’s

[Steve McDonald Formally known as Mcdonas]

I think everyone can agree that the original Goodyear Blue Streaks didn't last very long, I've heard they were all pretty much worn out by about 6,000 miles . I was talking a week or so to the guy I bought my Herz car from in 1971, he said when he got it the car had just over 6,000 miles and had Goodyear Red Line Tires on it. The spare was a D70-14 Goodyear Red Line and stayed in the car until 2012 when I changed it to a BF Goodrich T/A radial. I saw a picture of a 6S565 at Speedway Motors with Red Line tire on it. We're these the "recommended" replacement tires or was it just a fluke that two cars had them back in the day?
Any of the experts out that can add to this would be appreciated
Thanks

[Bob Gaines]

I think everyone can agree that the original Goodyear Blue Streaks didn't last very long, I've heard they were all pretty much worn out by about 6,000 miles . I was talking a week or so to the guy I bought my Herz car from in 1971, he said when he got it the car had just over 6,000 miles and had Goodyear Red Line Tires on it. The spare was a D70-14 Goodyear Red Line and stayed in the car until 2012 when I changed it to a BF Goodrich T/A radial. I saw a picture of a 6S565 at Speedway Motors with Red Line tire on it. We're these the "recommended" replacement tires or was it just a fluke that two cars had them back in the day?
Any of the experts out that can add to this would be appreciated
Thanks

I lived with that style tire back in the day on Shelby's in the 60's and early 70's and used up/bought a number of sets. 10,000 was pretty much maximum life on those bias ply tires with a little spirited driving mixed in. 6,000 would be about what to expect with a lot of spirited driving. There was no "recommended " replacement tire  that I remember . What I do remember is that it was very difficult to get a exact replacement tire because for one thing it seemed like Goodyear was coming out with the next best thing every year and obsoleting the previous year tire. Not to mentioned that the Shelby tires were hard to get even back when the cars were new because nobody typically carried the odd ball special Shelby tires in stock. Most did not want to wait and chose a alternative. Some of the high profile Ford/Shelby dealerships might carry a OEM tire if you were lucky and those places were few and far between. Typically it was the equivalent or wider tire that you could get a good deal on. Goodyear tires were much higher in price compared to most other alternatives like Dunlop, Mickey Thompson to name a couple. Just the way I remember it. 

[98SVT - was 06GT]

never mind brand of tire. Turns out everyone jumped on the red sidewall idea.

[Bob Gaines]

never mind brand of tire. Turns out everyone jumped on the red sidewall idea.

+1. The red lines looked cool compared to white wall.

[Steve McDonald Formally known as Mcdonas]

I do like the red line look, we put a set on a 1969 Corvette we restored, it was originally equipped with white walls, red lines looked much better

[gt350hr]

   Like Bob said you really had to drive "politely" to get 10,000 miles out of bias ply tires. The first transition was the "wide oval" from Firestone that caught Goodyear with their pants down. A little known fact is we owe the "wide tread tire design" to Mickey Thompson (rip) who was the first (IIRC) to bring the design to Indianapolis under the Sears Allstate brand. They were revolutionary but they suffered tread separation issues and were deemed "unsafe" ( probably from pressure from Firestone and Goodyear) but the next year Firestone and Goodyear both had them. The technology came to us in '67 when Mustangs were available with them. Fiberglass ( and rayon) "belted" tires offered 20,000 mile tire life and would eventually be eclipsed by radials by '71-72. Michelin had radial tires "forever" but it took the US a long time to master them.
    Randy

[Steve McDonald Formally known as Mcdonas]

I remember the rayon belts, the "thump, thump, thump", until they warmed up. Since Shelby and Goodyear had a connection I was just wondering if the Polyglas Red Lines were the "Recommended" replacement tires for the Hertz cars. I know that I had new Firestone Wide Ovals put of the car when i got it as it needed tires, I believe it had Atlas tires on it when I got it with 40,000 miles on it

[gt350hr]

    By '68 it was virtually impossible to find 6.95-14 Blue Streaks as the last car to use them was the Plymouth Barracuda, Valiant and Dodge Dart with the 273 Four barrel. These had a blue line on them. Goodyear dealers were pushing the E or F70-14 for '65-66s.

[427hunter]

I think everyone can agree that the original Goodyear Blue Streaks didn't last very long, I've heard they were all pretty much worn out by about 6,000 miles . I was talking a week or so to the guy I bought my Herz car from in 1971, he said when he got it the car had just over 6,000 miles and had Goodyear Red Line Tires on it. The spare was a D70-14 Goodyear Red Line and stayed in the car until 2012 when I changed it to a BF Goodrich T/A radial. I saw a picture of a 6S565 at Speedway Motors with Red Line tire on it. We're these the "recommended" replacement tires or was it just a fluke that two cars had them back in the day?
Any of the ex perts out that can add to this would be appreciated
Thanks

I put D70-14's on my car but black wall out, they fit the wheel well perfectly.

[Steve McDonald Formally known as Mcdonas]

That's was the size I used, the E-70s were rumored to rub the front fenders in a hard turn. D-70s never seemed to have that problem.
Did any other early purchasers find the Red Line Polyglas on their cars?or as a spare?

[deathsled]

Even Hotwheels had redline. Seemed to be the the most popular, perhaps coveted tire of the time.

[shelbydoug]

I remember the red lines as Corvette tires. I never saw them on anything else.

The hot tire was the raised letter Goodyears but in everyday use they were cosmetically delicate.

There were just too many smucks that would destroy them parking against the curbs. Complaints abounded as a result.

This was also a time when the battle raged between the Hong Kong runners, the Japanese crap and the Converse All Stars. The prices went from $3.98, to $4.98, to $8.98 for the high rollers with the All stars. The leather Pumas didn't come out 'til 1970 when Joe Namath sponsored them.

Of course I got the Pumas. The problem with those was the little weasels with the Hong Kong runners made it a point to come and stomp all over them to ruin the finish. Bastards!

...and contrary to public opinion, I did not back over the parked Police motorcycle. That is a complete untruth! I saw it from the beginning. He shouldn't have parked it there? 

[NC TRACKRAT]

Keep in mind that the dual redline tires were standard equipment on the '65 and '66 Mustang HiPo's so it was understandable to fit something that was available and recognized as HiPo equipment.

[shlby66]

I think everyone can agree that the original Goodyear Blue Streaks didn't last very long, I've heard they were all pretty much worn out by about 6,000 miles .
Any of the experts out that can add to this would be appreciated
Thanks

   I'm not an expert, but, I can tell you, from my experience, with the '67 Speedway 350's. I was the original owner
   of a '67 GT350 and experienced, first hand, the short comings, of those tires.

   When I first noticed, an unusual wear pattern starting ( the outside edges and center rib, of the tread, were higher
   than the ribs, between the center and out side edges. Looked, sort of wavy. ) So I checked and adjusted tire
   pressures, and rotated tires frequently. But, it didn't help much at all. They were worn out, in about 8,000 miles.

   The next issue, was a shocker. When I found out my local Goodyear dealer, was only going to charge me $58.00 +
   tax, each, I about passed out. You have to understand, $250.00 for a complete set of tires in 1967, was a HUGE
   amount. But, according to the owners manual, that, was it's special tire.

   Fast forward, about 10 months or so later and I'm faced with the same problem. There were 3 friends, who also had
   '67 GT350's.  So, I talked to them, about what they were going to do, about tires. Well, one of the guys had already
   done the research and he had found, a Firestone, black wall tire, with almost identical dimensions and ONLY $34.00
   each. That was a no brainer. So, the Shelby, was shod with Firestone black walls, which were not only easier on the
   wallet, but gave me 2+ times the mileage. I was a happy camper and I've always had black wall tires, on my
   Shelby's, as I decided, white letters were not worth the cost.

   That's my experience, with the Speedway 350 tires. Others may have different mileage.

   Doug C.

[s2ms]

When a previous owner of my 66 gave me the original spare 10-spoke 3 years ago it still had a D70-14 Goodyear Speedway on it, mounted black wall out. Tire had a 1967 date code, no idea what happened to the original Blue streak and why it needed to be replaced so early. Mounted a repop Blue streak on the spare wheel and gave the Redline Speedway to a guy in CA who wanted it it for a 68 Plymouth he was restoring, turned out his dad used to own 6S2020.