This tire has a 491 date code. Would this style tare be 49 week of 81 or 49 week of 91? I suspect it is 1981 but I don't know what Bridgestone designs looked like in those years. They were made in Japan if that helps

 

The answer to your question is, "Too old to drive on."

 

These tires are junk, I am just doing detective work on the car they are on.

 

You're in luck that exact model was in a major ad campaign featuring Lee Trevino. The legendary golfer was inducted into the hall of fame the same year as the promotion. The sidewall letter style and tire design look like a match...

 

Fantastic! Thank you! Just adds to my detective work on the history of this Rallye I picked up.

 

I know guys that have totaled cars driving on old tires

 

I know guys that have totaled cars driving on new tires.

 

This was not about driving on old tires.... Just doing detective work.

 

Those wheels have never had trim tings. I always thought that was such a clean look in a Rallye 350.

 

He said his dad was very vocal that nobody was to ever put trim rings on the wheels and scratch them. I am so glad he didn't. This is original paint down to the wheels.

 

Pre 2000s tires are Week Week Last Digit of year. Later are Week Week Last 2 Digits of year. So, a 3 digit code is pre 2000, and a 4 digit code is post 2000. The latter is easy.

Yours are, like noted, very late 1991 tires or 1981 tires. I doubt someone blew a set of tires off in a year, so I doubt they are the second set of tires for the car. More than likely this car was driven the 92k you mention on two sets of tires and received these in 1981 like the ad says above.

I recommend you pull them off the wheels and make up some garage art with random donor SSIIs that you paint yellow.