wide tires on back of a Opel GT!

[opel kid]

What would happen if I put wide tires on my 69 Opel gt.
would it gain or lose traction? That might take out the sporty look out of it!

Should I or should I not???

spell check is not loading!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[duvel]

My personal opinion :

Keep it original

[CDN OpelNut]

I have 225's on the rear of my GT. I always thought that the rear view of the car looked better with the wider stance.

Those big tires do come with extra weight that require more power to rotate so that is a consideration.

[Sparky73]

That would gain more traction.

[RallyBob]

205's all around look good and function well on a GT. Going a lot wider on the rear just makes the car understeer worse than it already does in standard form, even if it looks cool.

Bob

[ungermm]

I like the wider look myself. If you want to make it like original, then go that way. You will notice that even new cars today are going towards the wider/lower look as compared to cars of yesteryear. But, go with the look you like. Now, finding the wide low tires with raise white letters may be a little more difficult and expensive. I just called several tire dealers last week for 205/60/13's with raised white letters and couldn't find any off the shelf. You can get some special order ones. But, a search of 225/60/13 came up with 0 search results. So, you may need to buy new rims too. Ya, you'll get a little more traction. But, you will not be able to get as much scratch. Jerry

[kwilford]

Originally Posted by opel kid What would happen if I put wide tires on my 69 Opel gt. would it gain or lose traction? That might take out the sporty look out of it! COLOR="Red"]Should I or should I not???[/COLOR] spell check is not loading!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First, questions about tires should be in the Tires and Wheels Forum.
Second, asking "opinions" (rather than facts) barely deserves to be here at all, and if so, only in the General Discussions Forum.
Third, ONLY threads directly related to the specific model (ie GT, Manta, Kadett etc) that are NOT better asked in either a Tech Forum or in General Discussions should be in the GT (or Manta, Kadett etc) Forums. So I moved this, hoping that it becomes a Tech question. Please watch what Forum you start threads in.

Lastly, don't use big font in your posts. We're old, but with appropriate reading glasses, we can read the regular font size. The big font, especially in bright colours, is just annoying, and causes Moderators to get cranky and start lecturing

OK, big tires. Why do you want them?
Looks? If so, make up your own mind.
How much bigger? Certainly going from the OEM 165-75/R13 to a more modern 185-70/R13 or even 205-60/R13 (keeping the diameter the same by going to the lower profile ratios respectively) will add a bit of handling and traction, if applied to both ends. Putting really big tires/rims at one end will only hurt the handling balance.
Or do you mean bigger wheels, such as 14, 15, 16 or even 17 inch? It's done, but more for looks, and tire availability (harder to get 13 inch tires these days). Many members have upgraded to 14 or 15 inch rims with success. The big rims actually weigh more, which adds to unsprung weight (poorer handling, worse ride), and slows the car down due to greater rotating weight and more rolling friction. Just ask any ricer. Oh wait, if they knew that, they would have faster Hondas and smaller wheels...
Traction? Sure, a wider tire will have somewhat more traction, and maybe even improve handling and braking a bit, if balanced with appropriate suspension and braking upgrades. But even a somewhat enhanced 1.9 can barely spin the stock tire. And if you have LOTS of power, watch what happens when you "hook up" a 150 HP engine to really sticky tires. The stock differential decides it can't handle the applied torque, and it become "fully open". As in broken.

Spell check? Hmm, make a post in the Bugs Forum and see if Gary can fix it. Mine is working, but sometimes doesn't for the first post in a thread.

HTH

[rrossjr]

Originally Posted by kwilford ...OK, big tires. Why do you want them? Looks? If so, make up your own mind.

As Keith says, wider tires in the rear can be a matter of personal preference. All issues of performance and handling aside, I like the way a wider (and larger) tire looks on my not so stock '70 GT. Here is a shot of the 225-50/R15s that I am currently using. (205's on the front)
Ron in Indy

[opelgtdvr]

ungermm...I currently have 205/60/13 on my GT and really like the look..not to wide..they are Cooper brand and Cobra is the type..maybe one of the few mfgr's that still produce wide tires in the 13 inch size..good luck

[Ricky Slade]

I kinda like the wider ones myself. Do your own thing. Go to Tirerack.com and pick a size and check the specs on each. You will discover a wealth of info here. The cross sectional widths to the overal heights are all there and for a variety of tires. Just be sure and look at wheel size suggestions and do not forget about backspacing. Shoot the gap, what the heck. Get out your meausuring tape, pencil and paper. You might find something interesting. Then go to your local dealer and ask him to try out your choice before you buy. Check these Goodyear F-1's 315X35X17's on an 11 inch wide rim. Hey what the hay.

[jeff denton]

I think the GT looks cool with wide tires all the way around, especially when the body is as low as possible. If I had a street GT I would want it to look a lot like my racer as far as stance and tires. Except the tires would have to have some tread.
To get a jump on your next question, lowering the car is covered in a few good threads. How to fit big tires on a lowered car is going to be the problem, I had to do a lot of fender enlargement on all corners, but search the threads, I know it's been done very tastefully before. If it's too much work or costs too much money then the best option is to leave it alone, GT's look neat that way too, since this thread is specifically about personal opinion.
We are pretty clueless as to what your budget is for all these modifications, and your abilities will dictate what you will be able to do, also. The purists will advise you to get it restored to original so that it doesn't end up being an overwhelming mess and end up in the junkyard, you see this being discussed in a lot of threads!

[opel kid]

Originally Posted by kwilford First, questions about tires should be in the Tires and Wheels Forum. Second, asking "opinions" (rather than facts) barely deserves to be here at all, and if so, only in the General Discussions Forum. Third, ONLY threads directly related to the specific model (ie GT, Manta, Kadett etc) that are NOT better asked in either a Tech Forum or in General Discussions should be in the GT (or Manta, Kadett etc) Forums. So I moved this, hoping that it becomes a Tech question. Please watch what Forum you start threads in. Lastly, don't use big font in your posts. We're old, but with appropriate reading glasses, we can read the regular font size. The big font, especially in bright colours, is just annoying, and causes Moderators to get cranky and start lecturing OK, big tires. Why do you want them? Looks? If so, make up your own mind. How much bigger? Certainly going from the OEM 165-75/R13 to a more modern 185-70/R13 or even 205-60/R13 (keeping the diameter the same by going to the lower profile ratios respectively) will add a bit of handling and traction, if applied to both ends. Putting really big tires/rims at one end will only hurt the handling balance. Or do you mean bigger wheels, such as 14, 15, 16 or even 17 inch? It's done, but more for looks, and tire availability (harder to get 13 inch tires these days). Many members have upgraded to 14 or 15 inch rims with success. The big rims actually weigh more, which adds to unsprung weight (poorer handling, worse ride), and slows the car down due to greater rotating weight and more rolling friction. Just ask any ricer. Oh wait, if they knew that, they would have faster Hondas and smaller wheels... Traction? Sure, a wider tire will have somewhat more traction, and maybe even improve handling and braking a bit, if balanced with appropriate suspension and braking upgrades. But even a somewhat enhanced 1.9 can barely spin the stock tire. And if you have LOTS of power, watch what happens when you "hook up" a 150 HP engine to really sticky tires. The stock differential decides it can't handle the applied torque, and it become "fully open". As in broken. Spell check? Hmm, make a post in the Bugs Forum and see if Gary can fix it. Mine is working, but sometimes doesn't for the first post in a thread. HTH

Sorry I could not find the "tire" section and I needed to know if that would work. Plus I wanted to know how well it handled....: Sorry, also for the big letters and I had to quote all of your thread I don't know how to quote parts of a thread.

[heimue]

Originally Posted by opel kid I had to quote all of your thread I don't know how to quote parts of a thread.

When you click on "Quote", you see the quote in your editor window. Just like in any text, just delete what you don't want.

Dieter

[heimue]

Originally Posted by opel kid What would happen if I put wide tires on my 69 Opel gt. would it gain or lose traction? That might take out the sporty look out of it! Should I or should I not???

Start out with the wheels and tires that are already mounted. Go to an Opel meet (Carlisle, Route 66...). You will probably see as many different wheel/tire combinations as you see GTs. Make up your own mind then.

Dieter

[coolchrisp]

Here on mine I have a 245 rear and 225 up front, it's a 14 inch wheel. It is the original wheel offset and a 6 1/2 inch wide wheel. I personaly did it for looks...if you want handling do not do this...haha

[ungermm]

Originally Posted by opelgtdvr ungermm...I currently have 205/60/13 on my GT and really like the look..not to wide..they are Cooper brand and Cobra is the type..maybe one of the few mfgr's that still produce wide tires in the 13 inch size..good luck

That is one of the tires that I was looking into although the price was $75 each at my local RyNick dealer. They are also available online at easy-tires.com for $51.40 and add $10 each for shipping. Also, same site, has Mastercraft Avenger GT for $43.70. And, Road Max Delta GT for $49.10. And, your local PepBoys can get you Futura Super Sport GLS in 205/60/13's for around $45. Each of the above tires have raised white lettering which is the style that I want. I don't think you will have any clearance problem with these tires even if you lower your car by 1 1/2- 2 inches. But that would be the maximum drop for the front. And with that drop you will need to trim the rubber stops on the control arms and use a stiffer shock. So, by changing one thing, you may need to change two others. But in the end you'll have a really nice look. Any wider tires and you will not be able to use stock rims. Jerry

[matl59]

I've got 205/60-13 Cooper Cobra's on my GT. You can see pictures in my folder on the site. They were a little more expensive then I'd like them to have been but I'm happy with them. I've got about 20,000 miles on them and they're holding up well.

When I purchased the car it had 215's on the back and 205's on the front but when I searched for tires I couldn't find anything in a 215 for a reasonable price (or street tire for that matter).

[ungermm]

Originally Posted by matl59 I've got 205/60-13 Cooper Cobra's on my GT. You can see pictures in my folder on the site.

I couldn't find your folder. But, the tires I posted can be viewed at Tires for PASSENGER CARs very cheap, bargains, have a look and save
They are all rated at about 118MPH. I think that's just about what a stock GT can do going downhill