tread width on cheater slicks

[Jon Haigwood]

Looking at some Competition Resins Cheater slicks for a 60's Super Stock class. Anyone know the width of these tires ?

I called them and he said he did not know of the top of his head but he thought they were 1" ??

 

http://www.compresins.com/site/751597/product/CRT-502

[Ace-Garageguy]

I'm honestly not certain, but my tired old mind wants to say the real '60s cheaters were in the 7" to 10" range.

That would be 7mm to 10mm in 1/25 scale, which seems about right.

A 1/25 scale slick that is 1" wide would be over 25" in reality...FAR too wide for super-stock.

The Lindberg '64 SS Dodge kits include slicks that are 10mm wide, or about 10 inches in reality.

I know that doesn't answer your question on the Comp Resins parts, but at least it lets you approximate how wide scale-correct tires should be.

 

 

Edited December 13, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[Snake45]

In NHRA competition of the day, the only market would have been for 7" wide, since that was max width allowed in Stock class. All other classes allowed you to run "real" slicks.

Now on the street would be something different. There they could be as wide as the tire maker thought they could sell. The cheater grooves were only to make them nominally "legal" for highway use.

[6bblbird]

A scale 7" cheater slick would measure .28" or 7.11mm. Anything wider than this would not be required to have the two grooves.

"Cheater slicks" were only made in 7" widths for drag racing as they were required in NHRA stock classes up until 1972.

The 2 grooves were required to satisfy the NHRA rule book. Many municipalities and states did not consider cheater slicks legal for street use!

All Stock class cars including Super Stock and Super Stock Automatic were required to use 7" wide tires until 1967 when Super Stock cars could use any width slick that would fit in the stock wheel well.

The Moebius Melrose Missile kit has some tires that a pretty close although they have no grooves.

WF

 

Edited December 14, 2016 by 6bblbird

[10thumbs]

The cheater slicks back in the day were 7" wide.  They had 2 grooves.  A car had to make some steam to spin them too, they did provide decent grip.  Just they were not good for street cars that were driven often.  Lots of guys used to mount them to make a statement, just a sudden rain and wet roads made for some squirelly driving and was an adventure, just short of being plain dumb.

The Lindberg Dodge I built has a rear slick that's 9mm wide, it looks good in my opinion.  That would be a scale of about 9", in real its like 0.35".  Any less the car just loses the proper look and becomes kind of wimpy, my opinion.   I did change the rear end geometry to raise the body though as I think the kit depicts the car as being way too low overall.

For a model car in 1:25, a cheater slick could be a real 1/3" or there abouts.  Any tire that's less just looks weak, my opinion.

 

 

[Snake45]

I could swear I've seen cheaters wider than 7" on street rods and street freaks in '60s car rags. They certainly weren't legal for stock class racing but made some sort of "street statement." Maybe guys were cutting a couple of grooves in wider slicks for highway legality.

Or maybe I'm simply misremembering.

I'll keep an eye open next time I go through the old rags, and if I can find a good pic, I'll post it.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I could swear I've seen cheaters wider than 7" on street rods and street freaks in '60s car rags.

You have, and it was for exactly the reason you cite...to try to sneak by the letter of the DOT regs minimum tread requirements while being the kool guy running slicks.

Cutting grooves in tire treads was common practice on dirt-racing tires and truck tires too. You could even (still can !) buy an electric "grooving iron", kinda like a big version of the notorious Autoworld hot-knife. It's a smelly process, believe me. 

Edited December 14, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[6bblbird]

There were guys that would cut grooves in slicks to make them "legal" for the street. Nowadays you have to have that D.O.T. designation to be compliant.

[High octane]

Speed City Resins offer many different slicks in various sizes, check 'em out.

[Ace-Garageguy]

There were guys that would cut grooves in slicks to make them "legal" for the street. Nowadays you have to have that D.O.T. designation to be compliant.

A LOT of slicks in the early days were built on used carcasses that already had info molded in to the sidewalls, so a Q&D couple of grooves cut in a slick retread could get you by a cop who didn't have a rag on that day...but not always, and not everywhere.

[Snake45]

Here's what you can get in cheater slicks today:

http://www.radirwheels.com/slicks.htm

[Jon Haigwood]

Speed City Resins offer many different slicks in various sizes, check 'em out.

I will probably have to order from Speed City just wish they had the hood scoop I need so I could get them from the same place to save on shipping.

Competition has the hood scoop but doesn't know the width of their cheaters. 

[High octane]

I will probably have to order from Speed City just wish they had the hood scoop I need so I could get them from the same place to save on shipping.

Competition has the hood scoop but doesn't know the width of their cheaters. 

What kind of hood scoop are you lookin' for?

[Jon Haigwood]

What kind of hood scoop are you lookin' for?

Factory 64 Hemi scoop 

[mredjr]

In Larry Davis's book Super Stock racing the family sedan there is a picture of Bill Maverick measuring a cheater slick to make sure it was only 7" wide.

Edited December 16, 2016 by mredjr

[Jon Haigwood]

Back in the day I ran some cheaters on my beatup 51 Ford. Didn't do well in the snow, Not much traction but they kept the back end in line.Looked funny with homemade snow chains. 

[High octane]

Factory 64 Hemi scoop 

Looked through my stash and can't seem to find any spares, sorry Jon.

[AC Norton]

The cheater slicks back in the day were 7" wide.  They had 2 grooves.  A car had to make some steam to spin them too, they did provide decent grip.  Just they were not good for street cars that were driven often.  Lots of guys used to mount them to make a statement, just a sudden rain and wet roads made for some squirelly driving and was an adventure, just short of being plain dumb.

The Lindberg Dodge I built has a rear slick that's 9mm wide, it looks good in my opinion.  That would be a scale of about 9", in real its like 0.35".  Any less the car just loses the proper look and becomes kind of wimpy, my opinion.   I did change the rear end geometry to raise the body though as I think the kit depicts the car as being way too low overall.

For a model car in 1:25, a cheater slick could be a real 1/3" or there abouts.  Any tire that's less just looks weak, my opinion.

 

 

......couldn't have said all better myself.....as for the guy's back in the day making a 'statement',,,,,,most found with 3.08 and 3.23 gear's or other  mediocre ratio's, and engine's making stock horsepower number's, the cheater's worsened their e/t's 3 or 4 tenth's at the track, until gear ratio was changed along with some typical engine upgrade's... just as bad on the street, when a guy with stock tire's hole shot's  you because your car bogged so badly from the bite,  then broke something  because the bite overpowered the engine output.....saw it a million time's......good thing our plastic wonder's don't do the same...lol.........lot's cheaper too...lol.........the Ace...

[Metaldrumm]

There was no limit for nostalgia super stock,a popular choice  for the era was 8"-14,or9" 15, .that should make it eaiser for you,than the whole history of nhra,people get way to tech on here, their models people.

[Ace-Garageguy]

There was no limit for nostalgia super stock,a popular choice  for the era was 8"-14,or9" 15, .that should make it eaiser for you,than the whole history of nhra,people get way to tech on here, their models people.

That would be YOUR opinion, and you're welcome to it.

Remember that other people are allowed their opinions too, and if somebody wants to be scale-correct, or accurate for the era they're modeling it's OK.

[Metaldrumm]

Never ends

Edited December 16, 2016 by Metaldrumm

[berr13]

The Comp Resin pie crust "cheater" slicks measure 8" in 1/25 scale.  I have a pair of them, and I just did the calculation. 

[6bblbird]

Looking at some Competition Resins Cheater slicks for a 60's Super Stock class. Anyone know the width of these tires ?

I called them and he said he did not know of the top of his head but he thought they were 1" ??

 

http://www.compresins.com/site/751597/product/CRT-502

Sounds to me like Jon was looking for some accurate, historical information. Some of the posters provided some great answers. One of the reasons why this is my favorite modeling  site is that the talented builders that post here are very free with information, critiques , and modeling techniques. I have learned so much in the way of improving my skills from you guys! Thanks.

P.S. Jon, I have a scoop for you. It has a straight back which would be appropriate for a '66 or '67 car. If you are building a '62 thru '65 you will need a scoop that has a curved back. I have one of those too.

WF

[6bblbird]

This is the beginning of a '65 A-990 car.

The rear tires shown are supplied with the Moebius Melrose Missile kit. They seem to scale out to 9 inches which would not be accurate for one of these cars, but they do look good! I'm debating whether or not I should leave them or go with a skinnier pair.

WF

Just noticed the flash on the headers and I also left the lettering on the floor! Doh!

Edited December 16, 2016 by 6bblbird

[Snake45]

Walt, those tires look great on that, "legal" or accurate or not.

As far as 7" slicks go, the only place I've found them is in original old kits. I'm hoarding a precious few sets of them for "special" builds in the future. And accurate or not, they actually look too small on a model but that's a completely subjective judgment on my part.