1/16 Scale Tires

[jwood]

Just wondering if anyone knows a good source for purchasing 1/16 scale aftermarket tires?

I'm working on a 1/16 scale project and I don't care for the tires provided in the kit.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

JW

[Casey]

Street tires? Can you provide more details as to what you're working on? 4x4, street rod, muscle car, etc.?

I don't know of anyone making 1/16 treaded tires, only slicks, but it's possible a kit or an R/C vehicle would have something that would work for you.

[jwood]

I'm working on the MPC 1/16 scale Street Charger. I would like to find treaded tires but I would settle for slicks. The tires that come with the kit just look a bit small (diameter). I want some tires that look a bit more aggressive. I remember seeing some slicks online somewhere that were 1/16 scale with a bigger diameter than the kit tires. I believe the kit tires are 1.5" in diameter and I was looking for something around 2".

Thanks,

[Jordan White]

Check into R/C tires for 1/18th scale R/C cars. It's best to go to a local hobby store that sells R/C cars so you can see the tires in person and get some measurements.

[Casey]

Are the tires Goodyear Blue Steak Speedway or Stock Car Special tires? I don't recall which tires Round2 is including with the reissued kit, but IIRC they are a 60-series tire and possibly came from the MPC 1/16 Cobra 427 kit.

Flashpoint Motorsports and Competition Resins both offer 1/16 scale slicks, and if you can find a set, the Aurora M&H Racemaster slicks are excellent. Here's one on the top right:

Most 1/18 scale die cast slicks will look too small (Hot Wheels '57 T-bird for example), and the larger diamter wheels you'll find in 1/18 scale are mostly very low profile.

The Revell 1/16 '34 Ford kits include two different pairs fo tires, including some P235/60R15 Eagle STs which might work for front tires.

[jwood]

Thanks for the information! I was looking into the Comp Resin slicks. I may have to go that route.

[Junkman]

It's time for a 1/16 comeback, what with the Pyro/Lindberg Bull Horn coming back and the Academy A-bones.

I hope RC2 reads this and dusts off the tools for the AMT 1/16 scale Chevies and T-birds.

There are some we haven't seen for decades and they all contain nice wheels and tyres.

[Casey]

It's time for a 1/16 comeback, what with the Pyro/Lindberg Bull Horn coming back and the Academy A-bones.

I hope RC2 reads this and dusts off the tools for the AMT 1/16 scale Chevies and T-birds.

There are some we haven't seen for decades and they all contain nice wheels and tyres.

Comeback? 1/16 never left, to paraphrase Prince.

The custom wheels in some of AMT's '55/'57 and T-bird 1/16 kits are very nice, but the rest of the kit's parts, not so much. The tires haven't been updated since 1978, when Goodyear Rally GTs were considered state of the art.

[Junkman]

...but the rest of the kit's parts, not so much.

Don't tellem. They might not reissue them if they hear about this.

[Casey]

Don't tellem. They might not reissue them if they hear about this.

Allow me to go get my megaphone and soapbox.

Out of curiosity Christian, are the 1/16 (and other scale) AMT kits produced during the Matchbox-era easier to find in the UK and maybe Europe, at least compared to non-Matchbox era AMT kits? It seems I've seen a few of the 1/16 Nomads and '55 Bel Airs in Matchbox packaging on eBay from UK sellers.

[Junkman]

Oh yes, the likelyhood to come across a Matchbox issue is almost 100% I'd say, but even they are few and far between.

All six Chevies and the two T-Birds were available under the Matchbox label. Not sure about the NASCARS (they were available, but I can't remember whether they were in Matchbox packaging).

What I didn't know until very recently is that Matchbox printed specific boxes for some European markets, which was very unusual even then.

The illustrations are the same, but for example, all the text on the box of my 57 Nomad is in German only. I have also seen Boxes in English only, and boxes with multilingual text, the latter I would consider the norm. I wonder whether specific boxes were printed for France and Spain, I have never seen any of those. In Italy, they were sold in ESCI boxes with their own box art.

Edited February 2, 2012 by Junkman