68GS Original Equipment Tire Specs?

I've looked around the web and in a couple of books and have come up short handed on some information.

I need to find out tire specs that were available from the factory on the 68GS. One book I have shows tires in the option codes, but doesn't specify which ones were available in which years. For example the P81 Wide Oval G70-14 red lines would be nice (if I could find some) but not sure if that applies to the 68 model year or not.

Secondly, anyone know where to get these types in the Chicagoland area (in a hurry)?

Something that will comply with concours judging rules. Tires need to be the right type (bias ply), right size marked non-metric, if whitewalls the correct width, correct valve stems, and weights.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

Mike, I think F70-14 was the biggest tire on on our 68's. Let me read my 68 manual...

Standard tire size was 7.75 x 14 for A-body.
Optional for GS350 was 8.25 x 14, or 205R x 14 in a radial ply.

GS400 only lists the F70 tire option, no G70 tires.

Only 14 x 6 rims are listed, no optional rim sizes.

And here's one I didn't know... the Special/Skylark/Custom cars show 14 x 5 rims as standard equip, 14x6 optional.

 

Thanks David. I was wondering if you'd be the 68 expert to chime in.

Does your manual talk about blackwalls, whitewalls, and redlines? Maybe I'm being an old lady, but think I need to be real specific about this. The point deductions are taken on each wheel. So each wrong thing is five points counting the spare. I need to get the wheels and tires perfect to have a chance at gold.

Thanks!

 

Expert? Who me? Nah, I've just learned a few things here and there the 3 years I've owned my 68. My chassis manual doesn't get into much for specifics regarding tires. Under the Optional Tires chart, it refers to Wide Ovals in the 8.25x14 tires. No mention of blackwall/whitewall/Redlines. I do believe redlines would be correct though.

I have a color dealer brochure/album that pictures regular whitewall tires on all the model photos, but in the back it also pictures 24 different optional features, and one pic shows a redline tire, though the text doesn't mention redlines, it is a pic showing the optional chrome wheels, but uses a redline tire, and the Skylark center cap. One place it says "radial ply tires availble, whitewall only."

I also have a big fat dealer book, I can dig that out and see what it has to say.

 

Ok, dug out my 68 Salesman's album. Under the GS350/400 models, it show these tire options:

GS350: whitewall tires/oversize whitewall tires/oversize blackwall/radial ply whitewall 205R-14

GS400: wide oval whitewall/wide oval redline/radial ply 205R-14 whitewall.

Redlines are not mentioned under the GS350. One note, this dealer album is marked "Preliminary", as prices were not yet established at time of publication. It states at the page bottoms: "This page will be replaced as soon as prices are released." The GS350 is pictured with whitewalls, the GS400 is pictured with redlines.

Another place it says: "Optional wide oval tires are available on GS350/GS400."

Here's more info in another chart: Under both the GS350 and GS400 it lists the oversize F70-14 wide oval tires option, and in brackets it says (white or REDLINE )

 

David, you're a champ. Thanks a lot!

 

You're welcome! :Comp:

 

Now I need to find someplace that has F70-14 wide oval redlines on the shelf near Chicago. Probably not high runners.

I see Coker has them, but don't know much about buying from them.

 

Your sources might be very few for these tires. Coker is supposed to be a good name, I think.

 

My F70-15 redlines came from:
Kelsey Tire
Suppose to have the orginal Goodyear molds also!

 

So, option code F9, Wide oval white wall tires F70-14. you suspect were polyglass ? and only the 205r-14 were radial white wall's ?


DL

 

the F70 tire in 68, was probably polyester. the standard tires would have been polyester also. as for the radial tire, it would probably be from bfg who produced radials under licence from pirelli. i doubt if is it was a metric width.

 

If someone has a 68 assembly manual the tire sizes are listed there. You may need to do a little detective work to figure out what the sheet says, but they do list the tire sizes by body model #s.
Duane

 

I'll check the manual. But my main question was are Radials accepted or not "if" they were available. Or with F9 you defiantly got polyester. I saw a letter regarding AACA ruling on the '67 . Just wondered about '68 .


DL

 

DL,
You will have to look up what tires came with the "F9" option in the assembly manual, but as far as what size radials are accepted for judging you already had that info.

It can be found in "Appendix 2" of the 400 point Concours Judgng Handbook I posted on the BPG site. The body of that is listed below along with the model numbers they were used on.
Duane



Appendix 2 (Radial Tires, for 1965-1972 Models only)
Radial tires were available for the following models only, and were available in only 2 sizes;
205R-14 (Whitewall only)
225R-15 (Whitewall only)
*Note, some metric size tires were also available, but they were all of the non-radial type.

1967 thru 1969 (205R-14)

Series 3300, 3400, 3500, 3600, 4400, 4600, and 4800 (Note, the only exception is that no radial tires were available for 1969 model numbers 44456 and 44466)

1967 thru 1969 (225R-15)

Series 5200, 5400, 6400, 6600, 8200, 8400, and 9400.

PS. Before anyone asks there were NO radial tires available for any of the 70-72 Skylark based cars.

 

I guess the other thing I need to ask is which Club are you guys planning on putting your "Concours" cars into?

Just because the BPG knows whats going on with tires for our Buicks does not mean that the BCA or AACA knows what's correct. Those clubs deal with a much broader range of vehicles and there is no way you can expect them to know everything about our cars.

That is why the BPG and GSCA judging is harder, as we deal mostly with a few specific models.
Duane

 

Ok, F9 W.W. Wide Oval F-70-14
F7 W.W. 205R14 Radial Ply

PS tried to call you but the "Boss" said you were out dancin a jig on Saturday night ..:laugh:

Thanks,
DL

 

So what is the standard backspacing on a 14" Buick rally ( I'm guessing it also depends on the rim width)? And width - 5", 6", or 7"?