72 Red Imperial Dog Dishes Off Good or Bad?

112-1972-Imperial-LeBaron-CC.jpg
 
Please flip your existing tires to their blackwalls or pop for new tires with thin strip white walls.

I like the rims and centre caps you have now (classy with just a hint of attitude - a steel fist in a velvet glove sorta thing), but I don't dig the big white letters on the tires so much. Your car is beautiful - keep it classy with flipping the tires to their blackwalls.
 
Good. Only other thing I would personally do is flip the HOOSIER logos to the inside. My opinion only.
No! My opinion, not my car.

.we might flip to blackwalls with time allowed.
No! I hope time runs out.

Please flip your existing tires to their blackwalls or pop for new tires with thin strip white walls.

I like the rims and centre caps you have now (classy with just a hint of attitude - a steel fist in a velvet glove sorta thing), but I don't dig the big white letters on the tires so much. Your car is beautiful - keep it classy with flipping the tires to their blackwalls.
I liken it to the redneck in high school got some money and bought him a nice car, or something like that, make it stand out.

I might do that this Thursday when in shop.
Again, no!

It's not mine so I have no control, but if it were me, it keep the outside just the way it is. It's already a bright red, why not have a little more flash?
 
if I can get this look...I might be happy for awhile.
Well, until next year.
Might do the wire or stock look depending on availability and quality of original rims./caps.
spidercap2.jpg
 
First of all, flipping to black walls is a waste of time and $$$$. While it's not a NASCAR-stocker, it's also not a policecar/taxi, the only way 6" of black sidewall look good. Modern cars can get away with blackwalls because they're running 40 and 50 series tires.

You have alternatives. I have no idea how old those tires are (haven't seen Hoosiers sold in a while) but if they aren't that old, they can be turned into whitewalls. I've done it a few times to get a whitewall 60 series tire, but it's more of an advanced-level and time consuming project. The end result can be awesome, but it's labor intensive and hard to do.

Your best bet is to just sell that rim/tire combo to someone who wants it. More of those smoothie-Chinese chrome rims are a universal bolt pattern, so they'll probably fit any 50s-90s RWD car/truck. I'd say they're worth $250 as is on CL.

Then I'd find:

1) a set of 15x7 or 8" steel rims. Imperials (of that year) use a GM pattern. Go for the extra width since you'll put a stock cap on anyway and only your hairdresser will know for sure. Get your basic set of WW radials. I have a set of Made-in-Ohio Mastercraft 235/75/15's mounted in 7" police rims w/full wheelcovers. I've been running them since last winter, about 8000 miles and have zero complaints. In fact, they handle surprisingly well. They cost me $320 OTD at my local mom & pop tire store. I found that quote hard to believe and have been thinking about buying extra sets ever since. (Pic attached)

2) Find some 17" rims you can live with (I went for a somewhat period correct rim, vs. Ugly modern food-processor blade rims) and enjoy a huge selection of blackwalls with that will at least not look as bad as a 75 series blackwall. Or...

2b) go the extra mile and buy 17" whitewalls which I hear-tell are still available for funeral coaches and limos under a "professional car" line from Goodyear at $200+ each. You would a hero to many if you went that route.

I'm attaching a perfect stock vs. 17" shot for you. It required me to travel back in time about 15 years, but I knew you'd need this photo. While I was there I also wrote a letter to Donald Trump and asked him to take Oprah's advice and run for President someday.

IMG_20170906_061409.jpg


th_100_0965.jpg
 
First of all, flipping to black walls is a waste of time and $$$$. While it's not a NASCAR-stocker, it's also not a policecar/taxi, the only way 6" of black sidewall look good. Modern cars can get away with blackwalls because they're running 40 and 50 series tires.

You have alternatives. I have no idea how old those tires are (haven't seen Hoosiers sold in a while) but if they aren't that old, they can be turned into whitewalls. I've done it a few times to get a whitewall 60 series tire, but it's more of an advanced-level and time consuming project. The end result can be awesome, but it's labor intensive and hard to do.

Your best bet is to just sell that rim/tire combo to someone who wants it. More of those smoothie-Chinese chrome rims are a universal bolt pattern, so they'll probably fit any 50s-90s RWD car/truck. I'd say they're worth $250 as is on CL.

Then I'd find:

1) a set of 15x7 or 8" steel rims. Imperials (of that year) use a GM pattern. Go for the extra width since you'll put a stock cap on anyway and only your hairdresser will know for sure. Get your basic set of WW radials. I have a set of Made-in-Ohio Mastercraft 235/75/15's mounted in 7" police rims w/full wheelcovers. I've been running them since last winter, about 8000 miles and have zero complaints. In fact, they handle surprisingly well. They cost me $320 OTD at my local mom & pop tire store. I found that quote hard to believe and have been thinking about buying extra sets ever since. (Pic attached)

2) Find some 17" rims you can live with (I went for a somewhat period correct rim, vs. Ugly modern food-processor blade rims) and enjoy a huge selection of blackwalls with that will at least not look as bad as a 75 series blackwall. Or...

2b) go the extra mile and buy 17" whitewalls which I hear-tell are still available for funeral coaches and limos under a "professional car" line from Goodyear at $200+ each. You would a hero to many if you went that route.

I'm attaching a perfect stock vs. 17" shot for you. It required me to travel back in time about 15 years, but I knew you'd need this photo. While I was there I also wrote a letter to Donald Trump and asked him to take Oprah's advice and run for President someday.

View attachment 141737

View attachment 141738
Thank you for the detailed response...I like both options...I'm a person that makes a decision fast on just about anything in life...But, I can't seem to come to a resolution on Big Red's tire and rim dilemma bipolarism...I could go stock or wire or blackwall or whitewall or leave it or ? I might just have to have a set of each and just rotate them with my mood swings.
 
I say pop the caps back on and ride it till you do some thinking and saving. Dicking with different covers for the same wheels and RWL vs. BW is just piddling money away. Lil bits of coin like that come in handy when little things can be completed rather than bandaided. You're doing an awesome job, just be patient.
 
Back
Top