MWS wheels uk offer 6 1/2 J X 15 wires on 205 R 70 tyres for my Daimler V 8. Does anyone have experience of fitting them? I’m trying to avoid any fouling on the wheel arches. Thanks, Jerry.

 

I can't help with the wire wheels, but the 205/70 R15's always looked too wide on the rear, they sit too close to the skirt.

If your pockets are deep enough...
Jaguar MK 2 Tyres - Classic Tyres (longstonetyres.co.uk)
180 HR 15 Tyres - Classic Michelin XAS (longstonetyres.co.uk)

These are a pretty good deal.

180 R 15 Tyres - Set of 5 Classic Michelin XAS (longstonetyres.co.uk)

The 180's may seem not as tall as they should be, but the aspect ratio is higher then the 185's _ they look very period correct.

 

You really do have to be careful with wider tyres on Mark 2s and also the S-type that has the same basic front-end. Even the 185s get quite close. I remember on my 1967 Mark 2 the lip on the wheel arch had been pressed back round to make sure no contact was possible. I suspect this was a factory modification when radial-ply tyres came into use. I would think 205 width will definitely contact the wheel arches on suspension movement. Just consider the flared wheel arches on the V12 E-type compared to the previous models. Wider tyres on the V12s meant the wheel arches had to be modified.

 

I am running 195/65/15 on my MK2 and they do clear but only just!
Cheers

 

I run 205/70/15s on my S Type with no issues re touching of the wheel arches. The rears are difficult to get on and off due to the shape of the arch and the nose of the spline for the wire wheels sticking out so far, but the tyres tuck under with no problems and plenty of room to get your fingers between the side wall and the back of the arch.
Because the rear tyre has to go over the splines parallel to the ground the top of the tyre will not slide straight on ( on the S Type) so you have to jiggle it under the arch first then sort of bend it back to get on the splines. A Mk2 or Daimler V8 would not have this problem because of the round shape of the arch.
The fronts sit below the arc of the arch so even on full suspension travel there is no fouling. If this was the case on the fronts than even a 185 would foul the arch on full lock as it would be the 70 dimension that would affect it but this is not the case. If you are concerned about the 205 tyre getting anywhere near the arch you could always buy a wire wheel with a different offset so the tyre is set further in compared to the wheel centre. The opposite to a deep dish alloy. There is plenty of room in the arches behind the tyres just don't go too far on the offset with the front wheels as you might find some fouling on the suspension as you go to full lock.

 

Thanks for that, you may have saved me from making a costly mistake! My partner bought the Cabriolet Daimler from the Mathewsons auction site. It has turned out to be a much better car than I could have hoped for but the rear arches are now solid with no spats. Wires may not go under if they need to go on horizontally. Thanks again.

 

Can you puts some photos up for us to see please. Sounds very interesting.

 

Is it the dark blue car, reg AWR ...? If so, the rear arches look as though they have been widened and flared. It's likely they will be OK with spoked wheels, at least the standard width and quite possibly the wider ones you mentioned. It's worth taking the car to MWS and asking what they think.

I'm far from an enthusiast for open top motoring, but, assuming the conversion was well done, the car looks very good and was a great buy. Congratulations!

 

Will do. Some pics already on bangers and cash Facebook page. Featured in new series coming to uk this autumn.

 

Rob ~ having seen so many pics of your car here and on the Register your spring rates are correct. If an S Type front springs sag from age a 185 X 15 (79/80 aspect ratio standard) will foul the arch in certain circumstances while turning. The reason I had all my spring rates reset by the same company that made all the springs for SA production cars. They still had all the specs.

 

This is the only side view photo I could find of the car on the Bangers and Cash face book page and although this is not a clear close up shot compared with an S type you could put a truck tyre under that wheel arch. The top of the tyre goes in at an angle to get over the hub and then it sits back down to a vertical position to slide onto the splines. Not a problem I would say but some better close up photos would help. My personal view is that wire wheels would really make the car. Turn it from an old mans car into a sporty Mcsports car.

 

e.g. this car is getting too close for comfort. A little more sag with time & it will touch. We have a number of bangers in the club that have touched and distorted the arch & ripped the tyre. The rear has also sagged on this car.

 

Hi Peter, yes it’s that car. I’ve been extremely lucky. The interior is scruffy but the rest of the car is A1. I’ve had several of these cars in the past both Jaguar and Daimler but this one handles better than standard. There’s quite a lot of extra steel stitched in underneath with photos to boot. It’s a manual too. The downside is that I’m now unable to drive it as I use hand controls. I hate the thought of a BW 35 but the ZF conversion auto costs more than I paid for the car itself. I intended fitting a ‘duck clutch’ but I can’t source one from anywhere.

 

Any chance of a photo? It would be nice to actually see how the car sits. I’m guessing it’s a bit lower.

 

Thanks, it actually sounds phenomenal. Not sure it’s legal but who cares? Back in the sixties the manual V 8 was considered to be equivalent to a 3.4 A to B because of superior handling. Wouldn’t want to open a debate but this one is more fun than my old 3.4 auto and sounds way better.

 

That Edward Turner, little V8 was magic. And on modern lubricants is bullet proof. Don't listen to people that say it has 80K miles bearing life. That's BS & proven.

 

I have new springs and shocks on all four corners so it should outlast me before sagging. I do have some old springs for sale though if anyone is looking for that easy rider look.

 

Jerry, I've seen the ZF 4-speed conversion done by Graham Whitehouse. It is factory quality with a new welded in bell rather than simple adapter plates, but that all makes it expensive. The only consolation is that the electronic 6-speed swaps cost a lot more. I'd never heard of duck clutch and had to Google it. I guess demand has contracted with the improvements in automatic transmissions. I'm surprised the device is car specific and not more generic: if it works with one hydraulic clutch, why not others? It might be worth contacting Ken Jenkins as I believe that he has modified Mk2s in the past, certainly adding servos and the like.

 

Thanks, I’ll contact him.

 

Exactly! My spring rates were all reset to new spec & powder coated & new shocks all round. The only way!.