tires?

[D.Smith]

Any pictures of a '74 Fleetwood (or any 74-75-76) with blackwalls?

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Alright - I'm going to say it: That looks absolutely hideous and anyone who puts BW on any '70s Cadillac should be arrested and sent to counseling.   

To each his own...

[EAM 17806]

How inappropriate and ridiculous this beautiful Cadillac looks without factory whitewalls; my opinion, of course!   EAM

[Scot Minesinger]

my two cents:

Do not go with black walls, that really makes a nice looking car look like a junker.

I have not had good luck with those Hankooks and would not buy them, they are a bargain tire and I found them not good highway tires, fine for low speed around the in town boulevard driving.

Have heard good things about Vogue in terms of quality ride.  Neither the Hankook or Vogue would be correct and both would suffer an authenticity deduction at a GN if interested.

Diamondback are a high quality highway tire and if your not on a budget and plan to drive the car, that is a good way to go.  That beautiful dual white wall stripe tire in the picture is available as a production tire from Diamondback (listed as for 1967 - 70 Cadillac - just order that one 235/75 R15).  Here is a picture of them on my 1970 Cadillac which just returned from a 200 mile highway trip.  The Diamondback can of course be ordered in a single white wall.  I installed a set on a 1985 Buick Riv FWD and no shimmy.  The FWD GM 1967-1985 are very sensitive to bad tires and I consider this a testament to the quality, even though yours is a RWD and more tolerant to lesser quality tires.

BTW make sure the rims are good and correct off-set weights are used to clear the hub caps.  I have seen many a bad rims on these cars that falsely make tires appear no good.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Suffice to say, the look of black Fleetwood Brougham would be severely compromised with a set of BW on in the eyes of the vast majority of the car crowd - Cadillac or otherwise.

Getting back to the topic at hand, a set of P235 75 R15 with 1.6" WW would do the most justice to a '74 Fleetwood although it has been pointed out, a narrow WW would be more correct in a radial.

*It's hard to imagine that as late as 1974, radials were still optional on Cadillac. 

[ithaca1230]

Thanks for all the input. I'mm going to bring it down to my buddy's tire shop and make him mout a couple black wall on one side and see how it looks. I have wondered about the Light truck tires on the caddi. I will let you guys know what I end up with.

[Scot Minesinger]

black duct tape or wide black electrical tape should help you out with black wall mock up. 

[EAM 17806]

Thanks for all the input. I'mm going to bring it down to my buddy's tire shop and make him mout a couple black wall on one side and see how it looks. I have wondered about the Light truck tires on the caddi. I will let you guys know what I end up with.

BILL:  If you end up with blackwall tires on your 74 please do not let us know; they may blackball you from certain car shows.  EAM

[Carl Fielding]

 ,  ,  ,    - CC

[James Landi]

Lord Fielding will let lose a verbal fanfaronade should anyone on this thread dare to mention that 70's Cadillacs ride far better if their tires are inflated to FACTORY specs... I believe  24 psi fronts and 22 psi rear... fortunately, no one would be so foolish as to engage Lord Fielding in such a dialectical exchange... Have at it Carl  --- James

[D.Smith]

Nothing looks nicer on a Cadillac than nice, clean whitewall tires.     It was crazy that they remained an option until January 74 as everyone ordered them with the exception of a few blackwalls delivered on commercial chassis that were made into Ambulances.   And even most Ambulances were delivered with whitewalls.

[ithaca1230]

Ok OK White walls it is!

[Carl Fielding]

ATTENTION ALL : Please go to   forums.aaca.org   Scroll down to BUICK CLUBS. Click on Buick - General. Another discussion involving Coker "Show Tires". One of our CLC members is active on the current thread. He has written extensively on AACA forums of unacceptable multiple problems with tires and tubes from said supplier. I apreciate what they do for the hobby in making tires in sizes no longer available elsewhere. I would be willing to pay more if they made a QUALITY product which could actually be used. Again , it is the monopoly thing. If you need a whitewall to drive on , pick REAL tire , and go Diamondback. Safety first.   - Carl

[gary griffin]

My cousin and her husband were driving their 2017 Mercedes with 4000 miles and rear tire shredded and car went off the road and did $20,000 in damage. First examination was it seemed that the autonomous driving feature had engaged but as they investigated further the tire had shredded.  Tire company denied responsibility and said they must have been hot rodding but it is an all wheel drive and the rest of the tires have normal wear. Not sure of model, they all look like SUV's to me.  I prefer old cars that look like cars.

[EAM 17806]

My cousin and her husband were driving their 2017 Mercedes with 4000 miles and rear tire shredded and car went off the road and did $20,000 in damage. First examination was it seemed that the autonomous driving feature had engaged but as they investigated further the tire had shredded.  Tire company denied responsibility and said they must have been hot rodding but it is an all wheel drive and the rest of the tires have normal wear. Not sure of model, they all look like SUV's to me.  I prefer old cars that look like cars.

GARY!  What effect did this have from the blackwalls that were on the car?  Maybe your cousin should have put whitewall tires on the car before he was doing what he was doing!  I guess the car just wanted whitewalls on it so it could have looked prettier and not get shredded.    EAM

[jdemerson]

Nothing looks nicer on a Cadillac than nice, clean whitewall tires.     It was crazy that they remained an option until January 74 as everyone ordered them with the exception of a few blackwalls delivered on commercial chassis that were made into Ambulances.   And even most Ambulances were delivered with whitewalls.

Yes, that is correct. On January 1, 1974, climate control and radial tires become standard on all models. Of course a lot of 1974 models were made before 1/1/74, and some of them surely did not have the radials. If I owned a nice 1974 Cadillac, I would want radial tires with whitewalls.

John Emerson
1952 Cadillac 6219X Sedan

[D.Smith]

Yes, that is correct. On January 1, 1974, climate control and radial tires become standard on all models. Of course a lot of 1974 models were made before 1/1/74, and some of them surely did not have the radials.  John Emerson
1952 Cadillac 6219X Sedan

Climate control,  Radial whitewall tires,  Soft Ray tinted Glass, AM/FM stereo, lamp monitors, power door locks with seatback release and 6-way power seat were all made standard equipment in January 1974 along with a price bump up of course.   Exceptions were the Brougham & Eldorado got a standard AM/FM signal seeking stereo.  Calais didn't get the standard power 6-way seat.

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

I seriously doubt any 1974 Cadillac left the factory with blackwalls unless intentionally ordered.

[EAM 17806]

I seriously doubt any 1974 Cadillac left the factory with blackwalls unless intentionally ordered.

I assume that would apply to 1975-1978 Cadillacs too!   EAM

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

  I assume that would apply to 1975-1978 Cadillacs too!   EAM

It should absolutely apply to any Cadillac built after January 1, 1974 when WW became standard.

Prior to that WW were still optional, technically.