<VV> Stock wheels or not???

[Bill Elliott]

My Corsa, yes. In general, no.

Case 1. Scott Stamper's 12k mile 1969 coupe with standard suspension. Was running around on 185/80SR13 tires... moved to steel 14x6.5 rims and 
215/60HR14 tires. Changed the way the car drove overnight. Much more stable and secure at highways speeds and much better steering feedback and 
road feel. THEN a set of Carreras set on soft really firmed up the handling (at the expense of the soft ride). the tires themselves changed ride slightly, but the 
shocks had a much larger effect.

Case 2.  Wife's car ('67 vert) had stock (sagging) springs and old tired shocks. Was running around on 185/75SR13. Drove like a marshmallow. Making 
NO OTHER CHANGES I went to 14x6 stock GM rims and hubcaps but now running 205/65VR14. The entire car's personality changed. It went from a car 
that would squeel tires at the slightest provocation (even driving it like a grandmother)  to a car very sure-footed. THEN a set of Konis tightened up the 
handling (just liek with Scott's car) but in this case didn't change the ride at all. The ride and handling on this car would improve immensely by dumping the 
steel rims and heavy mag hubcaps for a set of alloys, but the wife prefers it "as is"... and I prefer to keep her happy. ;-)

Going from S rated tires to sticky tires has the same effect on drivability that going from bias ply tires to radials has...even at low speeds.

My driving style? Safe and legal (except for speed), but aggressive.  But even crusing on the interstate at 65mph is VERY different with grippy rubber and 
tight sidewalls. Cruising at 35mph there isn't much difference.

You are correct that many Corvair owners would not really see much difference. But the majority (the sporting crowd and the ones that drive their cars a lot 
at modern speeds) surely will.

I used the xamples of shocks in my previous post... a better example would have been the engine. The 1960 140cid 80 horsepower engine hooked to a 
Powerglide is completely adequate for use on highways at sane and legal speeds...why would anyone need anything more? The same folks that "wouldn't 
see the value" in a set of sticky tires are the same crowd that likely "wouldn't see the value" in a 110...much less a 140 or turbo.  And there ARE Corvair 
owners like that...just not in the majority.

The tires are the most important part of any car... all of the other systems on the vehicle are working to let the tires best do their job. When the tires are 
substandard, the other systems can only do so much. The Corvair has the most advanced suspension of any American car of its era, but unless you have 
the tires to make it happen on the pavement, you might as well be driving a Mustang. ;-)

Bill

>Bill, I suspect that SOME of what you get out of uprated tires relates to
>other uprated components on your car, not to mention a way of driving that
>an old coot like me would seldom emulate these days. You mention those
>Konis, no doubt with some aggressive setting on them. Any mods to springs?
>Steering gear? Etc.?

>Joe Potts
>Miami, Florida USA
>1966 Corsa coupe 140hp 4-speed with A/C and Clark's Red Ryder shock
>absorbers