205-70-R15 tires on a P15 ? anybody ? pics ?

[3046moparcoupe]

When we got our 1946 Plymouth P15 Club Coupe project, it came with it's mopar steel 15 x 4.5 " wheels and a set of P215-75-R15 tires. Typically the tires looked like new but were over 10 years old, so I had the wheels sandblasted, then powder coated, and I replaced the P215-75-R15 tires. 

 

I just purchased a set of US wheel 15 x 5 " chrome smoothies and was considering getting a set of P205-70-R15 tires mounted up for the car on the new chrome rims.

 

Reason being: I will want to lower the stance on this car some and just this tire change will get me almost a 3/4" drop. However, I'm not at all interested in the car looking like a low rider (please no offense to you low rider guys or gals intended , anyway - thought I might just ask here on the forum,...before proceeding forward,..

 

ANYONE OUT THERE RUNNING 205-70-R15 TIRES ON THEIR P15 ? and if so, if ya can attach a picture that would be great...

 

thanks

 

Steve 

[DCurrent]

You could've went with 14 " wheels like the 48 plymouths did. I think thats right unless 46 and 47 are 16 and went to 15".

[Eneto-55]

The 46 & 47s had 16" wheels, the 48s went to 15".  I don't know when Chrysler started using 14" wheels on the full-sized cars, but my 62 Chrysler Newport had come with 14s.  (It was the family car since 66, and about the first thing my dad did was to put the wheels & wheel covers off of the 53 DeSoto on it.)

 

Edited November 5, 2019 by Eneto-55

[kencombs]

3 hours ago, Eneto-55 said:

The 46 & 47s had 16" wheels, the 48s went to 15".  I don't know when Chrysler started using 14" wheels on the full-sized cars, but my 62 Chrysler Newport had come with 14s.  (It was the family car since 66, and about the first thing my dad did was to put the wheels & wheel covers off of the 53 DeSoto on it.)

 

'57 was the first year for 14s for all the car makers.  Not all lines got them though.   Some bigger models stayed with 15s.

 

Finding a local store in my area that stocks 14" tires would be the exception, not the rule.

Edited November 5, 2019 by kencombs

[greg g]

They are going to be nearly 2 inches shorter than stock.  Speedo will read 10 mph or so faster than road speed.  Revs at 60 mph will be in the 3500 neighborhood.  You need something with a 28 inch mounted diameter, unless you are just be puttering around town.

[Adam H P15 D30]

The front tires on my Dodge are 205/65/15 on 15x7 chrome smoothies, rears are 235/60/15 on 15x8 chrome smoothies.  They will be close to what you're looking at.  With these short tires I use a 3.0 rear gear and it's just right.  Speedo is about 20% off.

Edited November 6, 2019 by Adam H P15 D30

[Andydodge]

On the 1941 Plymouth Coupe I had I cut one coil from the front and used 2" lowering blocks on the rear then had Wheel Vintique Chrome Smoothie 15x6 and 15x7 standard offset rims with 195/65x15 and 235/65x15 Coker Classic Whitewall radials front & back.........the tyres and rims cleared front and back fenders, inner fenders, suspension and steering........not a lowrider nor did it lay frame(yuck!!).....just lowered sufficiently to look good and the wheels & tyres filled the wheel arches perfectly.............and yep, like a dope, I sold it............lol...........Andy Douglas.  

[3046moparcoupe]

Thank you all for the reply's back.

 

From my research, I would agree with what was also shared about the original wheel size being 16" for the P-15,...then the 15 " wheel came along later.  Greg, a google search tells me that the 215-75-15 's (tires I have) are 27.7" diameter, (close to the 28" measurement you mentioned), and the 205-70-15's I'm considering are 26.3 " diameter...(it does make ya think when ya see the difference in rotations per mile but I do believe I will be driving it 90+% just around town 30-40 mph..

 

Thank you Adam for the pic and text,.. when I searched 205-65-r15 dimensions, it came up with a 25.5" tire diameter,...compared to my 215-75-15's, that a total overall diameter difference of almost 2 1/4" smaller. Your pics just a little angled, (by the way thank you again for the pic), but from what I can see, the wheel well doesn't look overexposed to me at all, nothing low rider looking about it to my eye...I might even consider going with the 205-65-r15's like you have,.. which would lower my stance ( 2 1/4 " divided by 2 = 1 1/8").

 

Beautiful business coupe Andy, thank you for the pics,..why did you sell it ?

 

Steve

[Plymouthy Adams]

225/70r16's is about as large as I will go on my P15.....though 235's fit...they look sorta tic-tight 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2019 by Plymouthy Adams

[Adam H P15 D30]

1 hour ago, 3046moparcoupe said:

Thank you Adam for the pic and text,.. when I searched 205-65-r15 dimensions, it came up with a 25.5" tire diameter,...compared to my 215-75-15's, that a total overall diameter difference of almost 2 1/4" smaller. Your pics just a little angled, (by the way thank you again for the pic), but from what I can see, the wheel well doesn't look overexposed to me at all, nothing low rider looking about it to my eye...I might even consider going with the 205-65-r15's like you have,.. which would lower my stance ( 2 1/4 " divided by 2 = 1 1/8").

SNIP

 

Steve, here is a side shot, the rear tires are 26" tall.  Wheel wells might be slightly different shaped from a P15. I cut 1/2 coil off the front, removed the bottom leaf spring and added a 2" block in the rear.

Edited November 6, 2019 by Adam H P15 D30

[Andydodge]

Steve........I sold it as the shop, book and hobby shop was running very close to the wind and unfortunately we had to trim a few things, in the end it didn't really change to situation that much and I closed the shop after 20 yrs in March 2016.....the car was quite a rare one too, in Oz we only ever got 4dr sedans and a range of Utes for Oz army use....the 1941 Plymouth Coupe was actually an ASC, Auxillary Seat Coupe with the pair of folding rear seats as well as being a Detroit factory Export right hand drive car assembled in South Africa...apparently was imported into Oz in the early 1990's, given a "restoration" and I bought it in 2007, sold it in 2013.......I had intentions of installing a built 230 and had imported an Edgy finned head, twin Offy intake and S10 T5 gearbox.........still got the 1940 Dodge 4dr sedan I've had since 1971 but i do miss the Coupe............lol.........Andy Douglas   

[greg g]

When I first put my car back on the road, I bought wheel vintique 15 x 5.5 smoothies with a 3.5 inch back space. I mounted 205 75 15 all around. I think these were 27.7 or. Ran it that way for about 8 years.  It was ok but speedo was off 10 mph.  We decided to take a trip to Charlotte for a POC national, I decided to put 225 75 15's on the rear.  These brought the speedo error down to 3mph at 55.  Still running this combination today. Got 40k miles out of the 205's, the 225's have about 25k on them and are still more than half thread.

[3046moparcoupe]

beautiful Greg..

 

[greg g]

Thanks. Been in the family since 1970.

[Andydodge]

Agree, very nice...........and I've always liked the 40-48 coupe body shell design, ie, the short roofed version as the length of the rear side window and B pillar angle helps to give the sense of motion even when parked..........nice..............andyd