MK II spare tire size?
 

I am trying to refit a spare to a 1963 MK II sedan. The car has tires so large that they graze the skirts. I am downsizing the tires to fit properly. I am wondering if anyone still has an OE spare that could tell me what size it is? Maybe post a picture? As I am unsure of what the wheel should look like... I guess i'm also interested in how tight the original fits in the compartment, as I would like to get a spare as close the the size that will be on the car once they are changed out...


Thank in advance!
-Paul

The original size is 185R15. Here is an example. Sorry I don't have a photo of the tire is the spare well, but these do fit. The spare should be the same size as all the other tires.
https://www.universaltire.com/185hr1...blackwall.html

Cool! Thanks! This is just what I was looking for.

Longstone Tyres give some discussion on choices from the original 6.40H15 cross ply to 185H15 radials:
https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/cla.../mki-mkii.html

Sometimes they are a bit conservative in their views, but well informed about what's closest to OE.

Personally, I don't think that we get a very good deal on any 15 inch tyres with a correct speed rating. I'm considering finding some suitable 16 inch wheels for both my old cars. Even Ferrari 250GT owners complain about the 15 inch prices!

Agreed. I have converted numerous cars to different wheels, to open options on available tires. This car seems to be very limited. The tire size I want only fits delivery vans, and is like load range E! Admittedly, with the weight of the sedan, it would probably help the handling! But I think that would obviously be an insane decision.

Paul - Way back, a garage put some spurious Pirelli van tyres on my Mk2. The weight rating was OK. However, they degraded badly within months, developing splits between the treads and growing a bulge on one rear tyre. I swapped them for some Avon Turbospeed 6.40HR15. They ran perfectly until I took the car off the road. Even today, 35 years later, they look good to visual inspection. Of course, I wouldn't use such old rubber on the road, but they are fine for shifting the car in my workshop.

My favoured tyres on these cars are Michelin 185VR15 XVS or 185HR15 XVS-P 93H or Dunlop VR SP Sport Aquajet 185R15. They look period correct & are very good tyres. They are 80 Profile (as original). About to fit a set of Michelins to my car. My tyres are new but 20 years old. The Universal tyres above come well recommended by some here & are a Dunlop copy.



https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...5483988d65.jpg



https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...cd56e869f7.jpg




https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...21580d6f1a.jpg


Hankook makes a 185 X 15 but to me modern looking tyres with huge branding on the sidewalls look out of place on our old Jags.



https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...372736746f.jpg

Jag tyres across the period including an old Dunlop Cross Ply.



https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...76ce15e64b.jpg

The Universal tires are what I have on my car. A Jaguar club run went to the Sun Peaks ski resort, and it's a winding switchback mountain road to get up to the lodge; I was being followed by a modern XK. He finally passed me about 3./4 of the way up, but when I arrived at the top he complemented me on how fast I was able to hustle the S Type up the hill on the skinny tires. I certainly had no complaints in their road holding ability.

There's Diamond Back too.
They can be ordered in any width of white wall in different colours too, or what they call "black-wall" smoothy.
I have a pair of these that are similar for my 51 Mark VI Bentley in 16 inch size, a pie crust radial.
They're a modern radial tire that looks like a period cross ply tire.

Auburn Premium - 15 Inch White Wall Tires - Custom Classic Car Tires : (dbtires.com)

I also have the Universals with the Dunlop tread pattern on my 1966 Mk2 (narrow white band); they look period correct, Jag-correct, are quiet and handle well. Absolutely no complaints in the last 10,000 miles.

Gregory ~ You are the person that vouched for them when I asked the question some time back, then I could find no way of getting them to SA with our import restrictions on tyres.

Universal Sport

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...de17977e8a.jpg

These are the Universals - they are not exactly cheap, even in North America - but they look good, have a correct tread pattern and they are smooth and quiet. Since I don't drive my Mk 2 in the rain, I can't vouch for wet traction!
This white band is the correct width for a 1965-68 car - and for the record, every Jaguar sent to Canada and the US had white band tires factory fitted all the way to 1981. The 1982 model year for the Series III XJ was the first year that the (dreadful) Pirelli P5 blackwall was fitted:

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...588757661c.jpg

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...b82742b658.jpg

Yes. Whitewall tyres were standard & popular for North American cars whereas blackwall were more popular in UK, Europe, South Africa, Australia. No South African produced Mk2 or S Type came with whitewall tyres.

My Dad liked whitewall tyres. My Sunday morning job was scrubbing his whitewalls while he tried to polish all the paint off of his cars.

Glyn, I am just curious: was your Dad able to get all the paint off? Polishing the paint off sounds like too much work. I have found a better way.
We have an '88 Ford Taurus wagon which has sat outside exposed to the elements every day of its 33 year life with us. It is washed very regularly, at least once every 3 years or sooner if I can't see out the windshield. I am pretty sure that the oil has been changed at least twice since we bought it new in June of '88. It is now in effect, a botanical experiment; there are green things growing from every seam, every gap, in the headlamps... Nature has done an excellent job of stripping all the clear coat from the finish and is working hard on the colour coat. Despite the abuse (and I have not told the half of it) the car refuses to die. Neighbours have taken up a collection to have it towed away, but it still sits stubbornly, accusingly, reproachingly dripping vital fluids. We even leave it unlocked in the hope that it will disappear. No such luck.

It probably has the Vulcan 3 litre V 6 in it, that engine is very reliable and simple.
It's in my Mazda B3000 truck.
It's not unusual to get over 1/2 million miles on those engines or more, especially highway miles.

These were the old 300 Line Duco days prior to base coat, clear coat. Yes he used to polish through to the undercoat showing on leading edges on old Austins & Wolseley 6/110's etc that he owned. Liquid polishes of the day like Turtlewax etc. had a certain amount of cutting compound in them. His cars were always garaged & he was a fussy old codger that made you keep your feet on protective floor mats & not carpets in the cars etc.

In all fairness to him he taught my sister & I to buy the best of anything that we could afford, look after it & make it last as long as possible while being completely presentable.

Hey guy's, I'm going to purchase new wire wheels for my '63 MK II. Are the original wheels 15" x 5" or 15" x 6" ?
Thanks,
Dave

15" X 5" ~ Now Tubeless. Not originally. These are chromed. Available in stainless or painted silver. Non standards are available see website.

MWS (Motor Wheel Service).

http://shop.mwsint.com/productslist....d=93&pagenum=1


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...b718c15b5f.jpg

Thanks Glyn! I've received so much good information from you and it is very much appreciated.
Best,
Dave Catron