unwanted tires (FR721s)

[Christopher Hoffman <imperial67@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mark,

I'd say you have enough to go on based on the unacceptable cosmetic
condition of the tires alone. I have the 721s on both my '67 and my '78
(they are the correct original specification tire for the "wider whitewall
tire" that came with my Salon, and I have an original tire to prove it), and
they appear nothing like you describe (they are also not the least bit
noisy, and one set is still looking good after 8 years... and unlike a set
of Dunlops I have on my much lighter Charger, they do not seem to flat-spot
while sitting). Quite disappointing to hear.

As for the aesthetics of the 1-5/8" whitewall, I had the opportunity to see
a '66 at the CA Statewide meet with one original three-ribbon whitewall on
it (frightening to think Doc Bullock drove down with two aged and mismatched
front tires, one rather thin on tread, and two none-too-new radials on the
rear), and I was thrilled to notice something that makes me feel even better
about the 721s: The total width of the three whitewall stripes for the
Imperial tire (which was not the same pattern as the Cadillac and Lincoln
three-ribbon tires of the day) is almost exactly that of the 721's single,
wider whitewall. And the position of the stripes on the tires almost matches
the 721's whitewall location exactly.

I can send a picture for posting on the site (to whom?), and I'll send one
to you privately to show the similarity. Hopefully you can get your
Firestone dealer to replace all four tires with a proper set of these...
Since your car is a collector car, you should be able to explain to your
dealer that you bought the tires as much for their visual appeal as for
their performance.

Heck, I once rejected a set of vanity plates with the Massachusetts Registry
of Motor Vehicles (the silly, faux-British name the DMV has in MA) because
they arrived scratched. The first RMV clerk said "Ha! You're lucky you got
the right plates!" But her supervisor, to whom I immediately asked to speak,
agreed during a friendly discussion (and I was sure to keep it friendly)
that one does not pay extra for vanity plates to get new ones that have
already begun to rust. Within a few weeks, my pristine new plates arrived.

Keep us posted...

Chris in LA