I just picked up a set of Dayton wire wheels (don't flame me!!) and as I need new tires I'm getting ready to install the new wheels along with new tires. Seems the 215x70x15 tires are already getting harder to find, but Bridgestone still makes one type (Turanza) with the narrow white wall stripe. Opinions please on going with this classic route or just some blackwall Michies on my near mint BRG Series III? As these tires will go maybe 30,000 miles, it's something I'll be living with for quiet some time....and something the lil' lady will hang over me for a long time also

Opinions AND PHOTOS if you have them are most welcome.

 

Some Ser IIIs look good with white wall tires....er...um....white *stripe* tires (as you mention). Anything wider than about 3/8" or maybe 1/2" looks out of place.

However, I think the combination of white stripes tires AND wire wheels would be a bit too much flash for the conservative looks of a Ser III.

Just my lousy 2-cents, obviously

Cheers
DD

 

My personal opinion on a series 3 is never to put white walls on it. However everyone is welcome to have their own opinion. If you do get them and end up not liking them you can always put the whitewalls toward the inside.

 

was thinking about that too, but i think it wont look good. because those are for american classic,,,, just an opinion

 

I'm leaning toward the black wall tires but just sold my Series 2 that had the white stripes on classic chrome rims. It looked rich and I've seen many other Series 1& 2 XJ6s with the same and loved the look. Just something different about the Series 3s and I'm not sure if the white stripes would work, especially with wire wheels. Doug might be right about too much bling. Anyone have a photo?

 

Agree, tis purely a matter of taste. Way back when, I thought my 37 Ford, then 47 Ford and finaly 49 Mercury looked best with the whites of the day. And, my company furnished 59 Galaxy came with black walls. At the first chance, I finagled a set of whites. Well, my 79 Cordoba looked right in whites.

It's successor, the 88 Tbird, definitely not.

My 83 Jaguar wears whites. Inside out on XJS lattice wheels. Just right!

Some cars wear them well, others, not so much.

Were I to choose wires, which is not likely. I'd go for the black tires. Flashing chrome spokes as against black is a great contrast not to be muddled by white.

Even my Jeep wears its WSW's inside out!!!! On alloys, it is just more purposeful. I did concede going to touring tires as opposed to off road or M& S aggressive treads. It's factory alloy spare with aggressive tread tire is in the hatch, never mounted on the car. No WSW, of course!!

Caveat, only my ideas.

Carl

 

If I'm honest, I think the Series III is a little modern for the white wall. Series I, sure anytime.

 

yeah I like white wall tires... but not too much on a series III but it also depends on the color of the vehicle and the wheels and such. what color is your jag?

 

Color's BRG...British Racing Green. What is is more traditional than that :-)

 

I went and had a look at the photos of XJs in Paul Skilleter's 1980 book on Jaguar saloons. There is one of a Series 2 with its new US-mandated 5 mph black bumpers, and it has steel wheels with white wall tyres ! The white wall is only about 1" wide, though. It looks quite good.

 

I've got white walls on my ser2 and black walls on my ser3. I've had white walls on it bit it just didn't look right so I had them turned around at a tire shop.

 

Beautiful, John.
My '86 is black and has an old set of Michelin Symmetry tires with the narrow white stripe; I am going with all black. The spare in the boot is old and it's all black. Whatever a person likes either way, should be fine.

 

Okay, here's one a bit 'middle road' but my get some flaming for it. How about RWL? That's raised white letters? Bit muscle car type but....

 

As a point of information:every USA and Canadian-market the Series I, II and III XJ (to 1982) came with narrow-band whitewall tires. They looked fabulous. I have used narrow whitewalls on every Series III car - they just look right. Photos to any one interested.

 

Well, that's something I never knew ! The photo I referred to does show narrow whitewalls.

 

Iv got hankook white walls on pepper pots with my series 3 and was really happy with the look 215/70/15 if u have problems with finding tyres i think cooper tyres do white walls as well

 

very nice, British racing green is my favorite of all the finishes and I would say a narrow white wall would look nice indeed. very appropriate.

 

I think it really depends on the color of the car, and what wheels you're running. I would have a hard time doing whitewalls on Kents, but ever since I put series II wheels (with 1" whitewalls) on my 86 I can't take my eyes off of it, and have received nothing but compliments. Please excuse the crummy cell phone pics.. They were taken right after they were put on.

 

The chrome Turbo wheels look excellent, and yes, very correct with those tires. If I could figure out how to attach photos to this reply I could show you several Series III images with both Kent and Pepperot wheels and the narrow white band tires.

 

Your Cobalt Blue with the Turbo wheels is beautiful. I think the Chrome Turbos always want a whitewall. Ive always had whitewall s on my series 2. Just recently put a set of Vogues on it which may be over the top for some but I love them. Like you, nothing but compliments.