![]() So only a '66/'67 Ford 7 - Litre fitted with the 427-engine option shared the same OEM size tire as the T-bird during that time period. However, based on information I've been able to find, the only model in that entire line (including station wagons) that came with 815x15" tires was the "R" code (427), 7 - Litre. The only Ford car in 1965/'66/'67 that came with 15 wheels & tires, aside from the Thunderbird was the full - size Ford line. In '68 you could have also opted for an 845x15" tire. In 1965 thru '69, Thunderbirds were factory equipped with 15x5.5" wheels and 815x15" tires. Even at that time those tires were no longer available and hadn't been for some time. I was hoping a set of those tires might be languishing in a dark corner in some Goodyear warehouse, but I found out that was just wishful thinking on my part. This gentleman told me he remembered those tires and he said they had always referred to those as "Thunderbird Tires" because those were the only cars they came on. My '66 Town Hardtop I owned at the time had come new with those optional tires and I was hoping I might still be able to procure a new/old set of them. I was specifically inquiring about these white sidewall w/red band tires. Sometime back in the 1980's, I went into our local Goodyear Tire Store and spoke with an older gentleman who had been employed by Goodyear for many years. Let me explain a little further what I know about these tires. The measurements of both the whitewall and redline on the Goodyear Power Cushion are as follows I found a complete set of four of these tires on eBay many years ago and my friend Bryan purchased them. I'm including a photo of a NOS Goodyear Power Cushion owned by Bryan Zirk. ![]() I have seen plenty of original examples of these tires made by Goodyear and Firestone. The owner claimed the tires were special ordered on the car when new and original documentation verified it, so apparently Ford would bend the rules a bit if you were willing to spend the money! I must admit I thought they looked very nice on the big Ford. I did come across a '66 Ford 7-Litre years ago that had these tires on it. They were first available as an extra-cost option on Thunderbird's in 1965 and Ford continued to offer the tire as an option on Thunderbird's through the '69 model year. Ford contracted with two major tire manufacturers - Goodyear (Power Cushion), Firestone (Deluxe Champion) to produce this unique tire exclusively for availability on the Thunderbird. It was the only tire available that incorporated both a narrow whitewall and a redline into the sidewall. The "Thunderbird Tire", which I was told by an employee of Goodyear they were often referred to, were indeed unique to Ford Thunderbird's. came with single stripe redline tires, produced by a number of tire manufacturers. Many performance cars such as GTO's, Camaro's, Charger's etc. On 1965/66 Mustang's for example, a dual stripe redline tire made by US Royal was standard on K - code cars (289 high performance) and optionally available on all other Mustang's. There were plenty of single redline, dual redline and other variations of tire sidewall stripes available in those days from various tire manufacturers. ![]()
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