After watching the 24 Hours of Daytona I came away with a couple of thoughts; first, I am certain i'd like to buy a white gold Rolex Daytona and second, I think white letter tires look very cool. Does anyone sell them anymore? I don't mean something cheap like "Jerry's" tires, maybe Hoosier or Yokohama, etc.

 

They'd look great on a '68 GTO... I'd have to pass on a MINI.

If that's what would do it for you though, go for it.

 

There was a thread on this a LONG time ago, grease pen paint, even chalk were used to see what it would look like, with some actually fairly promising results. Its one of those things that if done right the average person would be completely clueless to the fact it had been modded, and it can be just that little bit extra that completes a look, but is also something that would not fit onto every ride. Perhaps try it out with chalk first see if you like it, then if you decide against it all you nee to do is hose it off (assuming oyu don't have the stockbrake padsa that'll make it turn back to black in about 3 miles)

 

The raised white letters are actually spray painted on for the race cars. Goodyear makes raised white letters. You would have to check their web site for further datails. For wheel size/ dimensions you have.

If this is the look you want, I am sure you can get something. I don't know about Hoosier, or Firestone.

Good luck!

 

Get a few rolls of masking tape and a can of spray paint for less than $5 (pretty sure Hoosier just sprays theit name onto the tire)

 

for what reason do they spray it on (aerodynamics?)

 

Simpler cheaper mold, then drop a stencil one quick spray and it takes a few seconds to dry, probably just most cost effective to manufacter.

 

Probably rubber compound. For white letters (or whitewalls, or redlines, etc.) there needs to be a layer of white (or red....) in the sidewall. Then the layer of black rubber covering it gets cut/ground away, exposing the white. Racing slicks are very carefully researched tires, and they're only after performance. They (the tire manufacturers) have no interest in makin' 'em look spiffy - just black and grippy and fast.

There used to be whitewall and raised white letter drag slicks back inna day, but they moved beyond that long ago.

 

"RAISED WHITE LETTERS" What a blast from the past!

 

I figure they have to come back into style sooner or later, I am just ahead of the curve. I did chalk the letters on my wife's van last spring and laughed like a fool watching her drive away from the house.

I wonder if someone could manipulaute a photo of a red MINI with RWL tires....

 

I have red lettering on my CR MCS tires. I'll take a pic soon.


Ken

 

I put a set of BFGs with the raised letters out on my old 780 Volvo. As silly as it may sound, I actaully would get people asking me if I raced it, thinking the tyres were something special. It did kind of make it look like an old Euro rally car.

But for a MINI? Hmm, might work with a CR/W combo, but hard to say. Any time I see that look on a car, it still makes me think of Herbie with the old Goodyear Tyres, but then I think they were actually yellow.

 

You can do it yourself, either the whole side wall or just the letters themselves:

http://www.mbzponton.org/valueadded/other/tirepaint.htm

Zip