Goodyear Wingfoot tire history question.

[Gaugster]

Question about pre 2000 Goodyear tires. Any old-timers on here know when Wingfoot HP were around? Wondering what year these were made. Date code is 028. My understanding of that is Week 2 of either 1998, 1988 or 1978.

When I was a driving teenager (early 90's) BF Goodrich Radial T/A was all the rage and that's the majority of what I see on classic muscle cars these days. Leaning towards 1978 but find it hard to believe.

[e philpott]

they were around in the late 70's , by 1980 it was GT Radial

[Heo]

When i worked at the tireshop -84 the tires was datecoded and had been for some years
so 78 is possible but not sure. But datecode is four figures if im right and those tires are
Radial rare for 78 on US tires after the Exploding Firestone 500 Radial scandal

[RustyCrankshaft]

Date code is 3 digits prior to 2000 and then they went to 4 digit, at least in the US. The decade is a guess on the 3 digit date codes.

[Gaugster]

So it looks like radial tires became popular in 1974. These tires being Week 2 of 1978 makes sense. I'll probably replace these wheels and keep the Wingfoots for special shows. It's been a talking point car shows all year.

[wowens]

Those styled steel wheels are the finishing touch and my favorite on 60's
Mustang and Cougar. Nothing else does it for me.

[Gaugster]

Those styled steel wheels are the finishing touch and my favorite on 60's
Mustang and Cougar. Nothing else does it for me.

I know what you mean. I can't picture the car with any other type of wheel but the 14" rim limits my tire options. They have retro style wheels that are a larger diameter so I may end up going that route in the future. For now I just try to keep it under 60mph. 

[wowens]

Those styled steel wheels are the finishing touch and my favorite on 60's
Mustang and Cougar. Nothing else does it for me.

I know what you mean. I can't picture the car with any other type of wheel but the 14" rim limits my tire options. They have retro style wheels that are a larger diameter so I may end up going that route in the future. For now I just try to keep it under 60mph. 

Wheel Vintique will make them in 15"  6" wide to 10" wide with whatever back space you want. My rears are15×10 with 6.5" backspace. Rim is chrome, no trim ring needed,

[Gaugster]

Nice stance. What rear end and suspension setup do you have for those 15x10's ?

[preaction]

There was a Cougar that was being shown at Fords at Carlisle a few years back 5 maybe,  and after the event the owners were driving home and on the way an old tire came apart and the car  wound up flipping  in Virginia the occupants were relatively OK the car not so much.

[Gaugster]

There was a Cougar that was being shown at Fords at Carlisle a few years back 5 maybe,  and after the event the owners were driving home and on the way an old tire came apart and the car  wound up flipping  in Virginia the occupants were relatively OK the car not so much.

My first thought was just to burn them up next year and get a set of period correct tires for an occasional show and shine. I know they are on borrowed time. They hold air great though.

[wowens]

Nice stance. What rear end and suspension setup do you have for those 15x10's ?

Lots of mods. Removed rear frame rails, made pattern to fit floor in 3/8 plywood, put piano hinges in middle, cut pattern in half to fold it, shipped to Alston, they bent me 2 rails in 2x3 square tubing, moved rails in 2 1/2". Split inner wheel well, widened 2 1/2". Chose wheels, axle hsg cut to length needed, 3.90 Detroit locker, coil overs, ladder bars with urethane joints, panhard bar.

[Gregwill16]

Your efforts where worth it to fit the 15x10's, it looks great!

[TomP]

I remember seeing lots of Wingfoots on cars at shows in the early to mid 80's. Not sure they were available before about 1982