I'm thinking about buying the portawall whitewall inserts instead buying a actual whitewall tires for my 1963 starfire and wondering if anyone has used these and well they look and work.

 

I used those back in the 60"s to convert blackwalls to whitewalls. They worked pretty good but I would not consider them in lieu of whitewalls. If you have any lettering or script on the side of your tires they will not lay flat on the side of the tire. They are not going to look as good as whitewalls and I think they only come in wide whites which would not be correct for your Starfire. There can also be balancing problems. My recommendation, don't do it.

 

Not a good idea. They look like what they are- fake whitewalls.

 

I was wondering if they would look alright

 

I'm been fighting back in fourth about the correct size whitewall but like the wide 2inch to

 

Going to get the hancock tires new but not sure about the inserts yet

 

I had them in the sixties also, they are 10 footers at best when new and the gap from tire to white wall became wider as time went on. Not one of my best attempts at a up grade but I was young and broke.... Tedd

 

We called them portawalls back in the day. As time goes by they get stiff and yellow a little bit. I put a set of radials from Coker on my 54 and could not be happier. They are the correct 2 3/4 inch width and look perfect. Of course it drives like a different car. I promise you it will be a big mistake using these but it is your car so do as you please. I am surprised somebody still makes them. I haven't seen a set since the 60's.

 

In my humble opinion, based on having used port-a-walls back in the 60's, an Oldsmobile is simply too classy a vehicle to be sporting such.

 

Tires were delivered using the JIT logistics system. Probably still are. They come off the truck and go on the car. “Just In Time”. Whitewall width varied by manufacturer. Not a lot, but “correct “ could depend on the day the car was made. 2 1/2 and 2 3/4 were both used in my ‘56 model year.

 

Thanks for your input I think I'm going to just forget the inserts and stink to the narrow whitewalls It will be more correct for my year car anyway. I can get the hancock tires at reasonable price.

 

For some reason unknown to me, we called those things "mickeys". Did anyone else call them by that name? It seemed they looked good right at first but, the longer the were on the car, the more the outer circumference pulled away from the side of the tire. I didn't know they still made them.

Randy C.

 

Check out Diamondback tires. They vulcanize whitewalls onto the backs of modern radials and they look just right on the 60's cars.

Mine were $300/tire for Toyos and BF Goodrich Radial TA's.

https://www.dbtires.com

Credit where credit is due: Joe P. hipped me to them.

I'm otherwise unaffiliated but a very happy customer. Their tires have been great.

 

And I did the same thing for the white stripe tires for the '68 4-4-2 convertible and the red line tires for the '68 & '69 4-4-2 convertibles. All the tires are modern radials with the yesteryear look and they have served me nicely!

Randy C.

PS: The two pics of the '68 are the same car. I just like the look of the red line tires with SSI wheels better than what the car came with originally - the white stripe tires with wire wheel covers.

 

There is a portawall website I was looking at you tube shows how they go on that kind of how I found them.

 

I'm getting a little excited because I had the wheels powder coated haven't picked them up yet just wanting to get the tires put on at this point cant wait to see what they look like.