I have a 1967 Series 1 E-Type OTS. Believe the original tires were Dunlop 640-15 blackwall. Car currently sporting 185-15's with a narrow white wall about the same thickness as the redline on the redline tires. I've been told everything from blackwall/whitewall/redline were OEM on the 67's delivered to the U.S. I want to put on the correct tires. VIN is 1E13560. Can anyone steer me in the right direction as to what were the original tires? (And perhaps an idea as to where to purchase?) Thanks in advance!

Submitted by jerry@moutons.org on Wed, 01/07/2004 - 22:50

Duncan,

My understanding is that the stock tires were Dunlop RS5 bias ply tyres in 6.40 - 15, some with a narrow whitewall (about 1 1/2" wide, bigger that red line tires) by 1967 for US shipment. Some US cars, for example the April 1964 Road & Track test car had blackwall tires. The October 1966 R&T 2+2 had the narrow whitewall RS5s (road tests available in "R&T on Jaguar, 1961-1968").

You can stil buy these tires from Coker or British Wire Wheel. They come blackwall as I understand it, but BWW can have whitewalls installed for you.

Don't be tempted by the red lines, they are mediocre tires and were never shipped on the E Type (though they would not be marked down at a JCNA concours if 185-15).

Michelin XVS is a superb tire.

I'd recommend against bias tires if you plan to drive it at all. Being used to radials on other cars, you'd kill yourself with those terrible bias tires. That used to be all you could get, and believe me Radials were a real advance.

Sounds like what you currently have is correct. You could buy Dunlop radials if you really need new tires, and whitewalls can also be installed onto them at BWW, I believe. Whitewall tires are inherently less strong than blackwalls, as the carbon black adds strength, so whitewalls actually go against the performance character of the car, I think. Certainly when I was in high school in 1964, we really looked down on cars with whitewalls When all I could get were whitewalls, I used to mount them with the white side in so you couldn't see them....YMMV ; -)

Jerry

Jerry Mouton '64 E Type FHC
"Laissez les bons temps rouler!"

Submitted by SE98-32482CJ on Sun, 12/28/2003 - 13:37

Call British Wire Wheel and buy the Dunlop 185-15s. You will like them and they were possibly what you had from new. The "Red" line tires or tyres were NEVER on the cars from new. Black was common except the US.

George Camp