Hi all - I just picked up a 1973 Monte with the stock steel rims and need new tires. (blew one on the way to the auto parts store, they were just a bit old...lol)
I'm eventually going to put different rims on, but for now I'm looking at just tires but with staggered front/rear sizes to drop the front a little and provide a nicer look.
Knowing the stock tires are P215/75R15s, a little internet research suggested a 195/55R15 front and 205/55R15 rear for a mild look, or a 205/50R15 front and 225/50R15 rear for a beefier look.
I'll be driving the car every week so want to maintain handling. Does anyone have a similar staggered tire setup or any recommendations on other tire size combinations?
I was also looking at 195/60R15 fronts with 225/60R15s rear. Any pics of cars with similar setups would be great.
Thanks!

 

I dont know squat about the older cars, but IMO I wouldnt go narrower on tires as you'll be sacrificing some performance. I get it's not a racecar, but 215s are already on the narrow side for a car that big - 195s are really tiny. I dont think much comes with a 1xx tire anymore other than super small subcompacts. Id be worried about increasing panic stop distance in an emergency.

Personally, (if you're opposed to changing this via suspension) Id try to get as much of the height variation as you can from changing the middle tire number. If you had to change width to eek a little more out, Id go with the slightly wider rear. I wouldnt reccomend going under stock width if at all possible.

 

The original standard size was GR70-15, optional was HR70-15. Today's equivalent are 225/70R15 and 235/70R15 respectively. You could go with the 225/70R15 in front and 235/70R15 in the rear.

I'd been using 255/60R15 for years. They grip the pavement and really fill the wheel wells nicely – see for yourself:



I chose to install stronger springs in the rear rather than lower the front because I have long-tube headers which are prone to scraping if the car sits too low.

 

bumpin96monte - Solid thoughts, thank you for your perspective. The primary reason for the change to a skinnier tire was to make turning it slightly easier, while secondarily changing the look from the rear - making the rear tire look beefier. With power steering I suppose the width doesn't really matter. Something to put more thought into. Thanks again and have a good weekend.

 

zucchi - thanks for your thoughts and setup info. I like the idea of a lower profile, those 60s look good. I'm sure I'll do something with the suspension in the future, but right now I need tires to be able to drive again. I just may do 225/60 font with 235/70s rear. More to think about.