I bought a reproduction window sticker from Martiauto for my GTE.
Any thoughts on how to read the line describing the original equipment tires? I am mostly curious about the part that says “4P/R W/T tires”.
Thoughts?
Any thoughts on how to read the line describing the original equipment tires? I am mostly curious about the part that says “4P/R W/T tires”.
Chris,
I started to look for window stickers on my phone that could be used to compare. It will be neat to see what everyone has for comparisons.
Would that be 4 Ply Rated Wide Tread tires?
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s responses.
How to translate:
“4P/R W/T tires”
??
4 Ply Good Year Raised White Letter Tires
The 428CJ engine package included the new Goodyear F70 14 4 Ply Rated Raised White Letter Wide Tread tires on all five, including the spare styled steel wheel.
I would think the part of the line I didn’t ask about (WSW) would mean “white side wall.”
The 427 GT-E had the FR70-14 4 Ply Radial tires on all five styled steel wheels. These were BF Goodrich or Goodyear radial white wall tires. Your Marti Report will call out the brand. Coker tire is selling a generic FR70 X 14 radial tire in either raised white letter, skinny red line, or skinny white wall.
My understanding is that there was not terminology for the window sticker to say raised white letter, so they went with WSW which means what you say normally, just not for a 428CJ equipped Cougar.
I take notice of the white wall tires in the picture above in that article.
Right, the 427 GT-E’s (with a couple of show car exceptions) all got FR70-14 white wall BF Goodrich radials as I stated earlier.
Royce, since my Marti says my tires were Goodyear, any thoughts on original appearance?
Which car? There are several in your signature. What size?
HarstenePointe, I haven’t logged onto this site for a while. For those who remember me this is my old 1968 Cougar XR-7 GT-E 428 Cobra Jet, Auto, Cardinal Red over Silver. I made contact with the current owner who shared some current photos and it was great to see my old Cougar again (mine from 1968 to 1970). I am so happy he has it and it is still around.
I shared with the current owner my memory from 50 years ago that I thought my Cougar had Firestone Wide Oval White Lettered Tires. However, I believe they were Goodyear White Lettered Tired. I do know that I put a set of Dunlop Radial White Lettered Tires on it before I traded it in 1970 to get a car with A/C. The CO (current owner) advised that he is putting air on the car which I wish I had though of 50 years ago. Back in 1969 when I got married I was the Store Manager for a Dunlop Tire store in Buckhead, GA (sub of Atlanta). In 1970 I got a job with Pan Am and that drive in traffic to downtown Atlanta in the Summer without air was really tough. Funny I got transferred to Syracuse, NY in 1974 and I have chatted online with AL BUNDY who now lives in Syracuse.
CO, I wish I had owned a camera back in 1968-1970 and had taken some photos of the Cougar when it was new and I was young.
Chris, I just noticed on your window sticker that the Lincoln/Mercury dealer that I bought this Cougar from in 1968 was in Bristol, Virginia not Tennessee. If you don’t know, this city is build right on the state line and part of it is in VA and part in TN. I had always thought the dealership was in the Tennessee side not Virginia. You can imagine what 50 years does to your memories so don’t be surprised that I can’t remember if it had Goodyear or Firestone Tires. I do remember they would light up really good when I put my right foot into it from a stop, LOL. However, I didn’t do to my Cougar what I did to my 1966 GTO Convertible with a 4 speed (which I could get to light up a little in all 4 gears).
I am referring to the GTE with the Marti report above. It says they were Goodyear tires, but that still doesn’t tell me what they might have looked like.
Chris, The more I think about it I am almost sure they were Goodyear Polyglas tires (especially seeing that on the Marti window sticker). I KNOW they were white lettered tired for sure (100%).
•Two polyester body plies with two under tread circumferential belts of fiberglass
•Goodyear and Polyglas elevated in solid white lettering
•Tire size elevated in white letter and numerals
Jerry/ 1st owner of your 1968 Cougar XR-7 GT-E 428 Cobra Jet/ now with a memory clouded by 50 years. 
I posted the answer earlier. The 428CJ package mandated the F70 14 raised white letter Goodyear tires on all five styles steel wheels.
When a tire is designed to have either white side wall or raised white letters, it’s basically the same green tire. The difference is in the side plate of the curing mold. Either tire has white rubber placed on top of the polyester carcasses and a thin layer of black rubber is placed on top of the white rubber.
When the tire is cured in the mold, the raised white letters, or raised outline white letters or white line is formed by those features machined in the mold. When the tire is released from the mold, the entire sidewall is black. Then a buffing process is used to remove the thin black rubber layer, exposing the white rubber underneath.
My point is all three styles are “white sidewall,” cause they all have white rubber in the sidewall before the tire is cured. The final look is determined by the mold.
I would love to see detailed photos of the original BF Goodrich tire on the 427 GT-E.
Anyone have any?
