One of the rear tires on my roadster has no brand name on it, with MADE IN AUSTRALIA under the space where the brand would be.
Both rears have the same tread.
The other rear has the Coker brand on it, so it's a pretty safe bet the unbranded one is from Coker too. The 30 x 3 fronts are both Bedford. I'm guessing that all of them are about the same age, made in the mid-seventies. Anybody know for sure?
And yes, I know that square felloe is wrong for this car.
Steve,They are Olympic tyres made in Brisbane during the 50's,60's up to around 1980. Incredibly good tyres I still use a set on my daily driver T but it only does about town running so I keep the latent heat build up down. The set I put on our 12 touring about 1965 lasted till 97 and are still in the shed somewhere, Doug
G'day Steve,
I will endorse Doug's comments. I had a set on my first T in the mid 1960's through to the 1980's. They had the Olympic brand on the tyres. I think Coker bought the moulds . If they used the same compound your tyres should be good for some time. Other Aussie Forum members will have the same endorsement for the tyres I would think.
Regards, John Page Australia
They are indeed Olympic tyres. I have seen them with Coker brand and no brand. Yes, the moulds were used after Olympic stopped making them. In the early 70's we had advice that Olympic were no longer going to manufacture them, and anybody with the cash salted away what they could afford.
They are legendary for their long tread and carcase life. I put a set on my roadster buckboard in 1986 and it has travelled some 30 000 km. The fronts are down to about 20%, rears 40%. I picked up a 90% one and a new old stock one just last month, so I am set for life on one axle. Occasionally there is a little surface checking on the outside. It is not perishing and does not affect the safety/life of the tyre.
If only the producers of the junk they masquerade as tyres today could take a leaf out of their book!
Allan from down under.
It would not be in their best interest to do so Allan, one set of tyres to last the life time of a T owner and no repeat sale, probably why Olympic give up on them. I'm still running them on my 16 and I don't think I'll live long enough to see them out!!
Those sound like the "down under" version of the Ward's Riverside tires we had here in the 50's - 70's. Some folks here are still running them. Lucas now sells tires which look just like them, but they don't wear like them.
I just replaced two of the old Aussie Olympics on the front of my 1916. They had been there since the early 70's. They were able to run around on 40 PSI. Cant do that with the new junk. The side walls have no strength and they flop all over the place and puncture unless inflated to at least 60!
I am still running the old block pattern Dunlop's!!! But I do have one brand new Olympic still in storage.