wheels/tires for '73T

Any opinions out there about the ideal wheel/tire size combination for a stock bodied - but lowered - '73? I'm currently running 205/60-15's on 15x6 Fuchs, front and rear. I'm not interested in going away from the Fuchs, just curious about sizing, especially on the rears.

Some early cars can fit 7-inch wheels in the back w/o fender mods. I don't think you'll be able to go wider than 215 tires though.

I run 16x6 Fuchs w/ 205-55 rubber on my 70. I also have the original/correct 15x6 Fuchs w/ 185-70's in storage.

One big plus of running the same size all around is that you can rotate the tires front to rear to even out the wear from all that fun canyon carving and track time!

I was never able to fit the 15 x 7 Fuchs on the back of my car without modifications, but I was able to use 215/60VR-15 and 235/60VR-15 Pirellis on my stock 15 x 6 Fuchs without problems, but Pirellis tend to be on the 'small' size in any given size.

Today, because of the paucity (very sparce selection) of good 15" high performance tires, you may want to stick to 225/60ZR-15s, as that is the OEM size for many Mustang GTs.

One remaining hope are the Yokohama AVS Intermediates, which are still available in 15" sizes and VR-ratings, including 235/60VR-15! Pirelli, unfortunately, has abandoned the 15" high-performance tire market!

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

Wow! 235's on 6" rims?! I was thinking 205's were about the max, given 185's were stock. Even 225's make for a BIG tire. Do you have any photos of your car with the 215/235 combo?
Thanks for the info.

I think the ideal easily available wheel/tire combination for a lowered narrow bodied 73 is 7x15 factory Fuchs with 205-55/15 tires all the way around. 205-50s are nice for the track but a little low for the street. 205-60s are closer to stock diameter but have a higher sidewall which is not as responsive under spirited driving. 205s will also fit on 6x15s, but I have to disagree with Warren about the larger widths. I took the 215-60s that came on my 6x15 Fuchs off because they felt unstable under cornering - I think these would be a tight fit on the rear with 7x15s. I know some autocrossers have used 225-50s on 6x15s because of wheel width rule limitations, but I don't think any of them would call this combo ideal. 225-60s on 6x15s are not a pretty sight, in my opinion.

Randy W

Thanks for the info guys. It looks like I could do a lot worse than just stick with what I have. My main goal is (was) to bring the rears out a bit, closer to the fender. The "gap" is not in height, but rather width, i.e. the tire is in a ways from the body. Perhaps spacers are the answer? Anyone have any experience/recommendations with these?