Want the classic look of redline,...
Want the classic look of redline, whitewall, or raised-letter tires but don't want to spend money replacing your good tires with new ones? Thanks to Custom Tire Tire Tattoos, a subsidiary of Custom Tire FX, there's another option.
As automotive enthusiasts, we all want our cars to look and perform their best, and our choice of tires has a lot to do with each of these categories. It's hard to imagine a mid-'50s Chrysler without huge whitewall tires, or a late-'60s muscle car without redlines. And if your car was a model from the '70s, it likely came with raised white letters on the sidewalls. While there are still NOS tires out there, and companies are reproducing bias-ply tires for our classic cars, the fact is these tires don't take advantage of the huge improvements in tire technology over the past several decades, so if you plan to drive your car much, new tires would be the better choice.
Fortunately, there's a way to get the look of a classic redline, raised-letter tire, or wide whitewall on any tire, even the tires that are already on your car. We learned about a company called Custom Tire Tire Tattoos, a subsidiary of Custom Tire FX. They can actually add any of these classic looks to the tires of your choice, or even the tires that are already on your car. Since we had a set of new black-wall tires on our '67 Barracuda, and thought the car would look better with redlines, we were interested in the process but had a couple of concerns. First, we wondered how this actually works, and next, if the integrity of the tire is at all compromised.
A quick call to Jeffrey Spring of Custom Tire quickly informed us that the process is cosmetic only, and the sidewall of the existing tire is simply scuffed slightly so the pigment will adhere to the rubber more easily. The process doesn't compromise the safety or integrity of the tire and won't wear off as the pigment is actually not paint, but liquid rubber. Follow along as we show you how easy it is to dramatically change the appearance of your tires.
The key to this process is...
The key to this process is a specially made piece of equipment (stool) that spins the tire while the car is on a jack.
With the car on a jack and...
With the car on a jack and the tire off the ground, the tire is spun so the outer layer of rubber can be scuffed in a concentric ring. Kind of like a lathe for tires.
The tool used to scuff the...
The tool used to scuff the tire is a simple electric motor on an arm attached to the stool. The attachment is a soft wire brush that simply roughs up the tire's surface slightly so the liquid rubber will adhere better.
After scuffing, any rubber...
After scuffing, any rubber dust is brushed off the tire with a soft-bristle brush.
The pigment for the redline...
The pigment for the redline tires isn't paint. It's actually liquid rubber that adheres to the tire permanently. Jeff says the pigment can last the life of the tire with proper care.
With the tire spinning, the...
With the tire spinning, the liquid rubber is applied with a steady hand. Three to four coats generally makes a bright, distinct line. Different width stripes can be attained with different tips, but the standard redline width is 3/8 inch.
Each tire is done individually,...
Each tire is done individually, and the process takes about ten minutes per tire. The cost is very reasonable--way less than tire replacement.
As you can see, the redline...
As you can see, the redline tires give our car a nostalgic look, without sacrificing all the advantages of modern tires.
This is a great upgrade if...
This is a great upgrade if you want the classic look of redlines, whitewalls, or raised white letters on the tires of your choice.