The downside of stock

[lloyd3]

I'm running the all-chrome factory 14-inch Magnum 500s on the car, so the biggest tires that will fit aren't exactly large by todays definition. That's all well and good....except when it isn't. First day of Catholic "summer school" was yesterday, so to lessen the blow just a bit, I took my 11-year old in the car. It went from cool and wet here (for over a month) to instant Summer last weekend, so now it's warm and lovely (and very green for this country!). I start out in jeans in the morning, but after just a little yard work I'm ready for the shorts. The county schools are finally out this week (Thursday, I believe), but traffic is still congested with the usual mix of minivans and monster SUVs, and our route takes us past two big public schools (a high school and a middle school). On the way home from picking him up, we get caught in the glut. No big deal, but I'm still in work cloths from the morning (spent repairing an irrigation system) and it's starting to get a little warm. Get past both schools and then a left onto the county highway. About a quarter mile up the road, it goes from two lanes to one, right after a light. I'm in the right lane to avoid the left lane folks that sometime use a back entrance to the high school, but this time there is a big black Cadillac Escalade mother-ship (that I've been stuck behind for the last 20-minutes) determined to stay in front. These bloated monsters can actually move out fairly well when motivated, and this rotund little housefrau seemed pretty motivated. The light changes and I come off the clutch (a little harder than normal). Thank god no cops were nearby, because Sure-Grip rubber got laid for over 25-feet.  Cool air at 65 mph feels much better than exhaust-laden air at 45 mph, and we were (finally) cool.

[Ghoste]

I imagine there were suitable looks of shock from the other commuters. 

[Challenger340]

Cool story 

Off topic,
but I wanted to retain my original 14" Magnum 500 wheels as well ?
so,
I use a P225 70R 14 BFG T/A, which is about as close as it gets to factory tire diameter at 27.4" height on a 14" tire to help with wheelspin.
NO ... it won't cure it, but it helps, and IMO, the big wheel wells on these Cars look so much better "filled up" a bit diameter-wise with the taller tire.

Keeps my speedo accurate as well.

You can still purchase old stock but brand new P225 70R 14 T/A's on Fleabay for very cheap.

[lloyd3]

I was mildly embarrassed for all of about 15-seconds.  She then proceeded to follow us home, almost three quarters of the way. Anonymity is tough in these in these old Dodges.  I didn't even bother to tell my boy that I shouldn't have done it.

[skip68]

I bet your boy thought it was cool.      can you get a real soft compound tire in the same size?   If you don't put tons of miles on the car a soft compound tire might be what the doctor orders. 

[lloyd3]

That's the problem, he always thinks its cool (wasting good money on a Catholic education for that boy).  Appreciate the tip on the TA's for this car. These old Coopers are getting pretty ossified (they're about 10-years old now). Just dropped him off for day 2 (in my own version of a "mother-ship", keeping the '68 under wraps for a bit). That parallel rubber strip is more like 40-feet, with the little juke off to the right at the launch. Bad, bad, bad.

[cbrestorations]

 thats what these cars did in their hay day, lay rubber, get tickets, look cool cruising, snappin bra's and droppin panties
i bet all the kids in that mother ship you passed in smoke wished they were as cool lookin as ur boy was that day.

[Ghoste]

 

[DixieRestoParts]

For what it's worth, my Charger has 295/50/15's in the rear and with a 4spd, still smokes 'em when I hammer it. You could run a 235/60/14, I think it gives a little more rubber on the road and on those 14" road wheels will (in my opinion) gives it a more muscular look. Attached is a pic of the rear of my car and my friends GTX with that size tire. You can get a feel for the look.

BTW, cool move with the car. I'm sure your kid was a rock star at school the next day. 

[Challenger340]

For what it's worth, my Charger has 295/50/15's in the rear and with a 4spd, still smokes 'em when I hammer it. You could run a 235/60/14, I think it gives a little more rubber on the road and on those 14" road wheels will (in my opinion) gives it a more muscular look. Attached is a pic of the rear of my car and my friends GTX with that size tire. You can get a feel for the look.

BTW, cool move with the car. I'm sure your kid was a rock star at school the next day. 

Good looking Cars 

Are not the 235 60 14's down around 25" diameter though ?

IMO,
I always thought the big wheel "wells" on these Cars look kinda dumb from the side view.... with "go cart" rubber ?
just me...

[DixieRestoParts]

Thanks for the compliment. I found this chart on the internet:

235/60R14 = 25.1X9.25R14


Diameter = 25.1"

Width = 9.25"

Wheel = 14"

Sidewall = 5.55"

Circumference = 78.8"

Revs/Mile = 803.8


So, yes it is, and might require a speedo gear change. Just throwing it out there for consideration. You could always buy 15" Road Wheels and then you'd have a huge selection of tires. 

[cavemanno1]

That's the problem, he always thinks its cool (wasting good money on a Catholic education for that boy).

Your son is right,it is cool  Whatever makes him/you happy and puts a smile on your face is a good thing!Hell my 2 year old does donuts and wheelies with his little plastic bike.Every morning i take him on his/mine pocket bike to nursery and he is the happiest kid when i come to pick him up on it!
People who judge you are usually sad people and why would you wanna please a stranger instead of your son?!

[DixieRestoParts]

That's the problem, he always thinks its cool (wasting good money on a Catholic education for that boy).

Your son is right,it is cool  Whatever makes him/you happy and puts a smile on your face is a good thing!Hell my 2 year old does donuts and wheelies with his little plastic bike.Every morning i take him on his/mine pocket bike to nursery and he is the happiest kid when i come to pick him up on it!
People who judge you are usually sad people and why would you wanna please a stranger instead of your son?!

Love it!

[lloyd3]

Gentlemen:

I appreciate the sentiment, and I'm definitely into him smiling and having fun, but.....the world is very different from when these cars were new. Much was forgiven and overlooked then that won't be now. Having him think that a smoky burnout is the appropriate solution to a minor traffic issue is the recipe for disaster in this part of the world. As his father, I'm doing him no favors by subjecting him to my bad temper and poor impulse (or clutch & throttle) control.  Like most of us here, I somehow lived through that rather wild era and I remember it very fondly, but I have no illusions about how badly it turned out for lots of folks who weren't so lucky, and how poorly such behavior would be received now.  I'm torn between wanting to enjoy this car the way I used to (when I was a much younger man), and needing to prepare him for his own first car. It doesn't feel like I'm doing a very good job at the moment.

[Barfyspitz]

For what it's worth your son is going to have plenty of time to see you set a good example for him but I think he's going to always cherish seeing the gearhead side of you

[Barfyspitz]

P.s.  None of us restored or bought these chargers to putt around town and act as paragons of society lol.

[moparchris]

My Gosh! Don't be so hard on yourself.  As a high school guidance counselor you have no idea how many young men are lost because they either have NO father or have a useless one.  If your son experiences you and the things you enjoy you are doing no harm.  Teach things that are important..like how to think and do things with his hands.  He will be fine.  If he see's you do a burnout once in a while I don't think it will hurt him.  Enjoy him now and let him see you enjoy things with him.
If yo worry about him doing silly things behind the wheel, buy him an old 12 valve Dodge Cummins diesel with a manual trans.  He'll never be able to do a burnout, but he'll be able to tow you home if you break your Charger

[lloyd3]

Barfyspitz: I don't want to get too deeply into navel-gazing here, but that "paragon of society" thing is exactly what I struggle with.  Frankly, I loved thumbing my nose at society when I was a young adult (typical adolescent!) and my various muscle cars (all Mopar, by the way!) were one of the ways I did it. But..... as a parent (especially an older parent), the responsible-adult role is part of the job description, and I really don't want to send mixed messages to this child.  These cars are almost acts of defiance when they're parked, so when I climb in and start it, I have a very hard time driving the thing in a completely sedate fashion. It just seems wrong.  Striking a balance between "spirited" and then "aggressive" driving has always been a tough thing for me.  I don't get tickets (it's been many years now), and I'd like to think that I know the difference between "fun" and "foolish". But this wheel-spin thing was not intended, and it reminds me of how easily that happens in these cars. I pray my boy is smart enough to figure all this out, but I know that's not entirely realistic. I need to figure out how to help him with that.

Moparchris: Thank you! Your words make good sense to me.  

[cavemanno1]

I think as long as your son understands that burnouts are cool things to do WHEN it's safe and not indangering anyone,he will be alright!By the way,tell me how many teenagers listen to their parents?I didn't and did stupid things that I'd want my kid to do!the best thing to do is if you teach him how to drive well and do burnouts and such instead of him going out on his own an act like a "man" so to speak!

As i wrote i take my son on our pocket bike to nursery about a 1,5 mile trip each way.Got some angry and disapproved looks from people and complains but my first thing my son does when he wakes up is to tell me to take the bike to nursery!And that is the most important thing to do,make him happy and enjoy life whatever he does,he comes first!Society is so fu.ked up so bad that i have no intention to teach him how to blend into it!He will find his way if you teach him to respect others and himself,work hard and never do anything to anyone he wouldn't want to be done to him!