I spotted a chav-driven car recently that had got whitewall tyres. Is this 1950s fashion coming back (for chavs)?
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L\'escargot.
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Anyone else see the phrase 'whitewall tyres' and hear Billy Joel singing It's still rock'n'roll to me on the internal sound system?
OK, just me, then.
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Original whitewall tyres had a wide white band extending about 3/4 of the width of a high-profile tyre. The proper ones were made like that, with white rubber bonded into the structure. Imitation ones just used white paint, which never looked as good.
Was this example a true whitewall, or just a token white band?
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Not whitewall, but do you remember the Grand Prix S tyres endorsed by Sir Robert Mark in the 1970s? I had these fitted to my MG Midget and paid a pound or so extra to have the version which picked out the "Grand Prix S" lettering in white.
Ahh, those were the days .................. when I could fit into an MG Midget!
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IanS
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Not whitewall, but do you remember the Grand Prix S tyres endorsed by Sir Robert Mark in the 1970s? I had these fitted to my MG Midget and paid a pound or so extra to have the version which picked out the "Grand Prix S" lettering in white. Ahh, those were the days .................. when I could fit into an MG Midget! _______ IanS you used to be able to get a special white felt tipped pen in the 80s, i used one to highlight my Pirelli Phantoms on my motorbike
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Was this example a true whitewall, or just a token white band?
Not white paint, but only about 60 mm wide.
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L\'escargot.
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Not white paint, but only about 60 mm wide.
Correction ~ 30 mm.
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L\'escargot.
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Does anyone else remember the khaki Dakota aircraft carrying General Dreedle (played by a dyspeptic Orson Welles) and his staff including absurdly pneumatic blonde 'orderly' in the excellent film of Joseph Heller's novel Catch 22?
It has white sidewalls, painted I think, and the impression given is extraordinarily naff, as intended.
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Whitewalls: always been utterly naff regardless of the width of the white.
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Have you seen the white rubber trims that locate by the rim but the outer edge flops about? absolutely naff, as are the spinning wheel trims I have seen .
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the ones with the 30mm - Very popular on this side of the world, especially with our Kamikaze minibus taxi drivers, and with the souped-up corolla boys.
Looks absolutely silly IMHO.
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>> Not white paint, but only about 60 mm wide. Correction ~ 30 mm.
I seem to remember Kia Prides once being factory-fitted with these. It wasn't one of those was it?
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Ah, yes, the Goodyear Grand Prix S. Had them fitted to my Mark 3 Ford Capri from new, but they were just plain black. Excellent tyres, in my opinion.
I believe they stopped making them because they lasted too long!
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"I believe they stopped making them because they lasted too long!"
Mine did n't. The MG was T-boned at a junction and spun around through best part of 180 degrees. 2 of the tyres burst as a result!
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I seem to remember Kia Prides once being factory-fitted with these. It wasn't one of those was it?
Nope ~ Astra.
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L\'escargot.
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You're not alone there WDB, although for me it alternates with 'Gangster white walls, TV antenna in the back" from "Be thankful (for what you've got)" by Massive Attack / William de Vaughn
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Soupytwist !
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Whitewalls were fashionable in the fifties. When an attempt was made to bring them back later, the white sidewall was a much narrower band round the tyre, and not necessarily white I seem to remember - they came in other colours too. But I don't think they really caught on. All of this in Americaland of course, flash gits being far thinner on the ground in Europe and less likely to have the wherewithal... :o)
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& I'll happily admit to buying a tin - probably still got some left in it - & painting the Good Years on my Capri 2000 GT XLR!!
As reminissed before, Evergreen metalic, steel sunshine roof, 1/2 cloth seats, remote control 8 traack stereo & my first ever 'good' car. £825 & my old D reg Spitfire in part ex.
Whatever happenend to XDL 726L - & the handsome 19yrold guy, that drove it!!??
VB
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Whatever happenend to XDL 726L - & the handsome 19yrold guy, that drove it!!??
The answer to the former is that according to the RAC vehicle check the car is still registered with the DVLA.
The answer to the second is that you became older and got your glasses fixed :) .
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Good to know it's still around - it really WAS a very nice car, just on 3 years old & 60k up, when I bought it. No paint repairs & I kept it looking really good, too! Be interesting to see it again, after all these years - that car could tell some stories - memories!!!
I know what you mean about the glasses!! But I could see OK, back then!!
VB
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