To Whitewall or Not to Whitewall? That is my question...

Tomorrow I'm getting three new tires put on my car. I was forced to
replace the other tire a couple of months ago after a blowout. A
couple of weeks after they put that tire on, I happened to notice,
when approaching the car from a distance, that the new tire they'd put
on was actually a whitewall, which they'd put on backwards so it would
match the other three blackwall tires. Since the three new tires that
will be going on tomorrow will be the same as that whitewall, I was
thinking of having it turned around and having all four whitewalls
facing out. But I talked to the station owner about it and he said
that most people either don't have whitewalls these days or else have
them facing in. I was watching the traffic going by as he talked, and
didn't see a single vehicle with whitewall tires, which would seem to
support what he was saying. He said this would be especially true of
a Volvo 240 wagon like mine, as the 240s never originally came with
whitewalls.

So... what do you all think? Keep the whitewalls hidden? Or have the
whitewalls facing out and have the one already on the car turned
around? Thoughts?

thanks!
Patricia

 

Go with the whitewalls! It's a cool retro look that shows your
originality and suits your 240 wagon, even though they are not
original.

Why follow the crowd?

ID

 

Well, it certainly is a matter of individual taste but I have owned a
BUNCH of Volvos and never had whitewalls on them.

Chuck Fiedler
Nothing but Volvo since 1974

 

Wow...I hadn't seen whitewall tires at the tire dealer in 10 years.
If you like the look then go for it. Whitewalls to take a bit more
maintenance to keep them from looking grungy though.

 

Hi,

I had whitewalls originally on my '58 445 wagon. (Yes, that's '58 445
wagon....) They were the WIDE whitewalls. I liked them. When I mounted
snowtires I got whitewall RINGS (!) for them, to maintain the cool retro
look.......

Happy days!
Andy I. ('58 445 wagon; '65 122S wagon; '67 121 2-door direct
import; '74 145 wagon and '74 142 2-door (Both a matching "Burnt Orange"
colour...); '86 245 wagon; '93 245 Classic Wagon.)


: On 2 May 2007 15:40:35 -0700, Patricia Butler <>
: wrote:
:
: >Tomorrow I'm getting three new tires put on my car. I was forced to
: >replace the other tire a couple of months ago after a blowout. A
: >couple of weeks after they put that tire on, I happened to notice,
: >when approaching the car from a distance, that the new tire they'd put
: >on was actually a whitewall, which they'd put on backwards so it would
: >match the other three blackwall tires. Since the three new tires that
: >will be going on tomorrow will be the same as that whitewall, I was
: >thinking of having it turned around and having all four whitewalls
: >facing out. But I talked to the station owner about it and he said
: >that most people either don't have whitewalls these days or else have
: >them facing in. I was watching the traffic going by as he talked, and
: >didn't see a single vehicle with whitewall tires, which would seem to
: >support what he was saying. He said this would be especially true of
: >a Volvo 240 wagon like mine, as the 240s never originally came with
: >whitewalls.
: >
: >So... what do you all think? Keep the whitewalls hidden? Or have the
: >whitewalls facing out and have the one already on the car turned
: >around? Thoughts?
: >
: >thanks!
: >Patricia
:
: Well, it certainly is a matter of individual taste but I have owned a
: BUNCH of Volvos and never had whitewalls on them.
:
: Chuck Fiedler
: Nothing but Volvo since 1974

 

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

Tyres (tires if you insist!) are one of the most important *functional*
components of a car since they are your interface with the road surface and
are vital for correct handling and adhesion.

It is therefore important to choose tyres for their functional qualities -
cosmetics just don't come into it!
--
Cheers,
Roger
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PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

 

Patricia, Depends on how you feel about your "image". If a
traditionalist of some kind, leave them black. But if you are a more
out-in-front sort of girl, and like a spiffy ride, go for the white
walls. Heck, you might even want to get a hood scoop, airfoil and
ground effects and add some magnetic flames to the side... I have been
joking with a friend's 11 year old daughter who has been lobbying that
I should "pimp my ride". I'll Photoshop it first and see.

 

In message Patricia Butler sprach forth the following:

Wide whitewalls connote '57 Chevy's and Eisenhower optimism. Skinny
whitewalls bring to mind leisure suits and Jimmy Carter 'malaise'.

Which statement do you wish to make?

 

The part of the tire that is white cannot contain carbon
black. Carbon block helps to protect rubber form oxidation.
The sidewalls of whitewall tires are therefor subject to
degradation. That is the price of vanity.

 

If you are willing to keep them clean then go for the whitewall look!

John

 

Yes, of course. I would never choose a tire (or tyre, if you insist)
based on how pretty it was! LOL! The best tires for the car just
happened to be whitewalls.

Thank you all for your input. I ended up going with the whitewalls
facing in rather than visible for two reasons: (1) I still haven't
seen another car in this town with whitewall tires, which would seem
to indicate they're not the thing to have, and (2) since they'd
already mounted the first new tire I got a couple of months ago with
the whitewall facing in, it would've cost me an additional $30 to have
them change it around. I already feel like I'm hemorraghing money
this month, so, once again, cheapness wins the day!

Thanks, everyone.

 

NO NO NOT ON A VOLVO unless your American of course .