VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 tires for a 1932 chev 5 window coupe

Good Day Everyone
I need new tires for my 1932 chev coupe. Who was the original manufacture?
Firestone, Goodrich or both? Im looking at buying white walls with white on both sides. Is that correct also?

Black side walls are correct for a 1932...Joe

The correct white wall tire for 1932 would be a double white wall as you stated. However, white wall tires were an aftermarket item.

Skip
Are you saying double white wall tires are period correct but not show room (New car) correct?...Joe

Yes, double white wall tires are period correct but not stock.

The white walls back then (until about 1939) were double white walls. White wall tires were aftermarket either installed by the dealer or by the customer. However, there are photos of brand new cars on the show room floor with double white walls that were installed by the dealer.

Skip is correct, also the make of tire was all over the map when you look at factory pictures. The owers manual does call out BF Goodrich but I don't think the factorys followed that....it was what ever they could get and at the lowest cost.

Do we have documentation that white walls were not standard or that they were aftermarket only?

Jim,
It is very unlikely that any documentation will be found (or ever existed) to assure that whitewall tires were not supplied from the assembly plants. Sorta like documentation to support that you don't beat your wife. Now that being said do you have any documentation to support factory installed whitewalls. That is much more likely to be found.

Excellent point Chipper.

Chipper,
No, I do not have documentation white or black tires but I did not make the claim that black were standard from the factory.

I've had members tell me they have lost points because they have WW tires. This should not be done without documentation.

Since it is commonly known by VCCA judges that 1931 or 1932 Chevrolet were assembled with black wall tires it is therefore wise for anyone showing a car with whitewalls to have documentation verifying their authenticity. If you want to argue that whitewalls were factory installed then produce sufficient documentation to support that. A few pictures of vehicles in a "show" room or "promotional" photos are not sufficient as those photos were generated to promote interest not document history. Photos of actual vehicles going down the production line are much more historical. Just keep in mind that even those can be doctored or of a special vehicle.

Just for the record I do not and have never had white walls on our 31. I just believe we should have more documentation in our judging process.

If that is your goal then volunteer for the Judging Committee and convince them to change the Judging process.

Chipper is absolutely right. Anyone that has lost points because of white wall tires (points should be deducted for white wall tires) that has an issue with the deduction would need to have the documention to prove that white wall tires were a correct issue from the factory. There is no doubt that they will not be able to produce documentation that white walls were standard equipment from the factory since white wall tires were strictly aftermarket items. The burden of prove is on the car owner, not the judges.