1953 Cadillac 60-Special "The Muskogean Phoenix"

[Roger Zimmermann]

Nice! What did you use as insulator for the front exhaust pipes? On my '56, I used a material sold as a roll and not easy to install when all is assembled...

[kudims]

Nice! What did you use as insulator for the front exhaust pipes? On my '56, I used a material sold as a roll and not easy to install when all is assembled...

Here we go
https://www.racetronix.biz/p/dragon-sleeve-1800f-2-black/299-dgn2.00bk

[Roger Zimmermann]

Thanks for the info!

[kudims]

Yesterday turned to 39000
Purchased when it was 35500
Just in few days added 2200 over the trip Montana - Texas
Additional 1300 driven in almost 2 years

Shot at Sandy McGee's Restaurant, Richmond, Morton Street, TX

[kudims]

Whitewall Tires

The question "What should I do?" I'm asking myself, not the readers—just a disclaimer.
I did some research on the subject of whitewall tires.

I'm talking specifically about true vintage tires in look and feel, not the modern radial ones with thin white stripes, but the authentic ones used 50-70 years ago.

Since the mid-1990s, when I restored my "Chelita" (a 1966 Soviet Volga GAZ-21), I've been trying to find and bring whitewall tires from the USA. With the advent of the internet, things improved dramatically, and in 2002, I bought a set of 5 tires from universaltire.com to replace the original И-194 tires on my Volga. By the way, back then, one tire cost $91 compared to today's $280 for the same tire!



The original 670-15 for the GAZ-21



Universal tire 670-15 with a 3.25-inch whitewall. Diagonal tires make the car look incredibly authentic—exactly as it appeared on Soviet Autoexport posters of that era.



Now no one can say anymore that it hasn't been touched (does everyone see the fly?)



The main visible difference between diagonal (bias-ply) and radial tires is the tread and proportions. Bias-ply tires have a narrower tread, meaning a smaller contact patch, and a height equal to the width—giving them a square profile. Radial tires typically have a profile height smaller than their width (75-80% maximum), wider tread, and a rounded sidewall, making them appear "plumper," whereas bias-ply tires look slimmer and more structured.

These seemingly minor differences have significant implications. On the road, bias-ply tires are more sensitive to imperfections because of their rigid carcass, transmitting shocks directly to the wheel and steering wheel instead of absorbing them. Daily driving on such tires requires increased driver concentration (read: adrenaline rush). On the other hand, radial tires lack the authentic 1950s look, and the difference is easily noticeable.

Next is a brief analytical overview with pictures from an inconspicuous Sugar Land garage and, as a culmination, some not-so-comforting conclusions at the end of the review :-) Hope you enjoy it.



As a spare, I have an old tire with a fairly narrow white stripe.



The stripe measures about 1.5 inches across.



The tire is genuinely old-school.



The back side.





It's a Good Year tire.



Tubeless, though on a wire-spoke rim, it can only be mounted with a tube.



Load and pressure data.



17th week of 1968, by the way.



The tire size is 9.15-15, while the original size was 8.2-15.



The first digit in 9.15 mainly affects the tread width but not significantly the profile height. There's almost an inch difference in width between 8.2 and 9.15, but nowhere near an inch difference in height. I'd say it's negligible.



For comparison, I removed one of the tires currently on the car—these are radial Coker tire 235-75R15 with a 3.125-inch whitewall.



As seen, if there's any height difference, it's so small it can be attributed to measurement error.



The visible whitewall is less than 3 inches. I called Coker, and they confirmed my guess: part of the whitewall is hidden under the rim. This, by the way, is an important consideration when selecting tires.



According to documents—3.125 inches, and the price at the time of installation in 2018. The odometer showed 35,250 miles, meaning Bill drove around 250 miles between 2018 and 2023 when we purchased the Cadillac. Hmm, curious where he went?



Now let's compare how radial and diagonal tires look on the car...



Radial tire. Looks great, and if you're not an expert, you'd consider it normal.



But once the diagonal tire is mounted, the car takes on a completely different appearance. Yes, the stripe isn't perfect—it should be wider and start from the rim—but the look is slimmer and more vintage, exactly what we're aiming for.



Again: radial tire.



Diagonal tire. From the distance between the bumper and block, you can visually tell how much higher the car sits on diagonals compared to radials. The reason—less "squishiness," despite profiles of similar height.

Let's summarize the uncomfortable conclusions.

1. Yes, I have practically new, excellent tires perfectly matching the required dimensions.

2. No, these tires don't match the high standard and authenticity required for this Fleetwood.

What to do next?

There are several options; one of them is to do nothing and continue convincing the inner worm that "everything is just fine."

Another option—buy new tires, but the question is—which ones?



A budget option—bias-ply Coker Classic L78-15 with a 3-inch whitewall at $276 per tire.



Second option—a timeless classic—Universal 820-15 with a 3.5-inch whitewall at $322.



Here's how Universal looks on a Cadillac rim.



And option number 3—radial tires designed to look like bias ply—American Classic 820R15 with a 3.25-inch whitewall.



The tread is as close as possible to old-school (compare with Goodyear).



It looks quite respectable on a Cadillac rim.

P.S. I plan to sell my very good radial Cokers for half a price of the new set. Please let me know, if you are interested messaging to kudims-at-gmail-dot-com

[Roger Zimmermann]

As you explained, the profile height on a bias tire is more or less en relation with the width. Repro tires have a nasty characteristic: the profile height is inconsistent relative to the width, usually exagerated. I remember a friend with a 6.70 x 15 repro tire: he could not put the spare wheel into the compartment, the tire had a too large diameter.
At first, I had repro 8.20 x 15 tires for my '56 Biarritz; I did not pay attention to the outside diameter. When I was confronted to an original tire from the fifties (same dimension, of course), my tires had a much larger outside diameter compared to the original tire. Conclusion: be careful with tire from then and what is offered now.
I will give another choice for your new tires: a set of 820R15 Auburn from Diamond Back Classic. They have the look of a bias tire, but are indeed radials. I don't know the price yet; I paid $ 289 each in 2022. I will never ever buy a Coker tire, not even for a wheelbarrow!

[kudims]

I remember a friend with a 6.70 x 15 repro tire: he could not put the spare wheel into the compartment, the tire had a too large diameter.
At first, I had repro 8.20 x 15 tires for my '56 Biarritz; I did not pay attention to the outside diameter. When I was confronted to an original tire from the fifties (same dimension, of course), my tires had a much larger outside diameter compared to the original tire. Conclusion: be careful with tire from then and what is offered now.
I will give another choice for your new tires: a set of 820R15 Auburn from Diamond Back Classic. They have the look of a bias tire, but are indeed radials. I don't know the price yet; I paid $ 289 each in 2022. I will never ever buy a Coker tire, not even for a wheelbarrow!

Roger, the issue with the outer diameter might be valid, because I know that 820-15 Universals do not fit the rear fender arch on Soviet Chaika GAZ-13. The original size for that car is 800-15, but still. So, they use L78-15 from Coker.

670-15 from Universal were 100% identical to my original Soviet tires, and it had perfect fit in the spare wheel compartment (it's the same vertical orientation as in Cadillacs).

I check all the outer tires diameter (from the website), and for the 820-15 it varies from 28.9" (Coker radials as mine) to 29.5" Coker & Universal bias-ply and to 29.91" for American Classic 820R15

Diamond Auburn: I have checked the following, watched several youtube videos from the fabrication process of Coker and Diamond, and here is what I don't like:

1. Diamonds are fabricated in China as Blackwalls
2. White strip is vulcanized on a garage-type equipment here in US
3. White strip is not the part of the tire structure, as it is on Universals and Cokers
4. I don't like China tires, because the rubber quality is poor. They start to crack just because of age, even if you don't drive them. The same as Vogue tires - total scrap.

I would probably consider Diamonds seriously, if they would cost 50% compared to Cokers, but even though it's a "Russian roulette".

American Classic is a true radial tire, and the price is even less than for Diamonds, and they are in stock. Diamonds you need to wait for 60 days - I called them recently.

[PHIL WHYTE CLC 14192]

I've always driven my 54 on Bias Ply 8.20x15 Firestone tyres. I don't like how the radial tyres look. My car drives nicely with a fully rebuilt steering system including nos shaft and recirculating ball nut. When the car starts to follow ruts in the road it's time to lube everything, then all is good again.

[Lexi]

Same here Phil. Never have liked the look of radials on these old cars either. I like the look of my Firestone 8.20 x 15s as well. Just wish Coker did a better job manufacturing them. Clay/Lexi

[kudims]

Same here Phil. Never have liked the look of radials on these old cars either. I like the look of my Firestone 8.20 x 15s as well. Just wish Coker did a better job manufacturing them. Clay/Lexi

But would you change bias ply tires to radials looking identical to bias ply keeping in mind that they perform better on a road?

If there was no option like American Classic above, I would definitely go with bias ply 820-15, a?

[Lexi]

Good question, but there is currently no exact duplicate in radials that I am aware of. When parked at a car show I see my car's higher profile tires, the "pie crust" edge around the tire plus the extra width (and branding) on the white wall, (see attached image). If all of that was replicated I would certainly consider it. If I drove the car a lot more that would also be a factor to consider. I would also have to do some research on this. I don't mind driving a "time machine" and if I wanted a newer feel to the ride I would probably buy a newer car. I have been told that the radials will provide a more "hard" ride, so again, I would have to investigate this and also determine what re-adjustment and potential impact radials may have on my front end to accomodate them. So to answer your question, I am not sure. Clay/Lexi

[PHIL WHYTE CLC 14192]

But would you change bias ply tires to radials looking identical to bias ply keeping in mind that they perform better on a road?

If there was no option like American Classic above, I would definitely go with bias ply 820-15, a?

Like Clay (Lexi) I'm happy with my bias ply tyres and I'm not convinced by any of the radial wide whitewalls. So unless things change I'm sticking with bias ply. I've seen so many classic cars and trucks with the WW radial tyres and my eye is immediately drawn to them as they look wrong. Just my opinion. Phil

[kudims]

New tires that look authentic bias-ply, but are radials

The general consensus eventually settled on this: if there had been an engineer writing a prescription for a 1953 Cadillac, it would've said American Classic 820R15 — without hesitation.

One click on eBay, and I bought those tires at the same price listed on Coker's website — but with free shipping. Which is ironic, because I'd been given a direct contact at Coker who promised me discounts and all that. In the end, yes, I did get a $52 discount per tire, but the invoice had a surprise line item: shipping — $284, which more than wiped out the discount. Add taxes, and I ended up paying even more. Strange folks, but whatever.

Right after that, I listed my old tires on eBay.



The tires were off to be dismounted — Cadillac Sixty Special (4G)



Almost like new, now at 50% off — Cadillac Sixty Special (4G)

Three tires sold on the first day, and the fourth is about to be picked up locally.

Just two days later, a small hill of new tires had grown outside my front door:



Then began the work on the wheels. Reminder: the car came from the factory with steel wire-spoked chrome wheels. Due to their construction, they're not airtight and weren't made for tubeless setups — but I had this itch to try running without inner tubes. Worth a shot, right?



This is what the wheels looked like. All the oxidation had to be carefully removed to apply sealing tape



Unfortunately, since moisture had made its way through the spoke holes, there were pockets of corrosion that could only be fully dealt with via sandblasting — which, for obvious reasons, wasn't part of the plan.



Here you can see everything clearly. The brown tape is genuine leather, originally installed at the factory to protect the inner tube from spoke nipples



Wheels cleaned up and ready for degreasing



Kelsey-Hayes — the wheel manufacturer. All dated May 1953



Degreased and prepped for sealing



Using cloths soaked with chrome polish and wrapped around the spokes, I was able to bring back their shine:



Cleaning the rims: same method, cloth between each spoke and back-and-forth scrubbing



Center hubs: same treatment



In the end, the wheels looked great. Note that these are unrestored rims from 1953.



The sealing tape I ordered off Amazon turned out to be junk. Poor adhesion (even though it was supposed to bond permanently), zero flexibility (a major flaw — flexibility is key to avoid wrinkles). So I tried thick aluminum HVAC tape, and it laid down beautifully — I'd say rock solid.



Used these nice valve stems, good for both 1/2" and 5/8" holes

So far, so good. But doubt kept creeping in — what if the tire starts leaking through the spokes? Maybe not immediately, but eventually... Do I really want that?

So I decided to mount the tires, inflate the wheels, and let them sit for a few days to monitor them. If they held pressure, I'd get them balanced and install them on the car.

We mounted one tire in the garage, and my son and I tried to get it seated on the rim. No luck — no matter what we did. Unlike modern low-profile tires, this one wouldn't even touch the bead seats. We used straps and pressure, tried to coax one side on first — nothing. The compressor had enough power, but the air just blew straight past. I wasn't about to start lighting gas inside the tire.

So I took a moment to sulk and came to peace with it: inner tubes it is. We installed tubes, inflated the tires, and took measurements.



The 235/75R15 radial on the right looks tiny next to the 820R15 on the left



True width is right around 235 mm



Tread width: 17 cm



New radial (styled to look like bias-ply): tread width is 13 cm



Height of the old radial: 718 mm



Height of the new radial: 748 mm



DOT stamp: Week 11, 2025 — March production



Took them to be balanced. Total: $56 for all four. Each wheel needed 170–180 grams (6 oz). Each weight strip is 1/4 oz. One ounce = 30 grams. The computer balanced dynamically and statically, at multiple speeds. I'll test them later on the highway.



Compared to a GLS tire



Compared to an Escalade wheel (285/45R22)



Time to install them.



This is how the car looked with the old radial tires



This is how it looks now. Tape measurements show increased ground clearance from 22 to 25 cm at the rocker. You can see the difference in bumper-to-block height



Time to wash blue strip



The car now has a much tougher stance



Took it for a short test run.



Haven't hit the highway yet, but I drove around Greatwood. Roads here are all concrete, with sharp expansion joints. With the old radials, you could really feel them. On these — you don't hear or feel a thing.



Narrower vintage-style tires really suit a '50s car



The speedometer is now much more accurate compared to GPS



At full steering lock, no more rubbing inside the fender



Used to rub hard at full turn



Now there's a safe gap



I used to avoid pulling into the driveway at an angle like this. Now? No problem

Conclusion

As of now, I'm very happy. Here's what changed:

1. The car sits higher, and with its proportions, it no longer looks like a lowrider.

2. The tire fills the wheel well nicely. (When there's too much space between the tire and the fender, it looks like the tire doesn't belong.)

3. Ride quality on rough pavement is significantly better. It reminds me of the Universal Tires I had on my Soviet Volga.

4. No more rubbing at full lock — huge plus.

5. Power steering valve no longer makes that whining noise (lika at full lock) while turning a wheel at static — thanks to a smaller contact patch between tire and concrete.

[James Landi]

Great report detailing your process ... purchasing the RIGHT tire makes a difference, as you report, in many significant ways.  Decades ago, I have vivid memories of purchasing tires and regretting my choice on my way home from the tire store. 

[kudims]

Great report detailing your process ... purchasing the RIGHT tire makes a difference, as you report, in many significant ways.  Decades ago, I have vivid memories of purchasing tires and regretting my choice on my way home from the tire store. 

Yes, it is true

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Makes a huge difference to many models of Cadillac, especially changing the rears on those cars using the Fender Skirts.

Bruce.

[kudims]

Makes a huge difference to many models of Cadillac, especially changing the rears on those cars using the Fender Skirts.

Bruce.

Thankfully, that was not my case, but yes, I hear you

[Lexi]

Hey kudims, I just picked up an original 1953 Cadillac Master Parts List. It looks complete. If you need anything referenced let me know. This would have the most parts listings for your car. Clay/Lexi