Painting the letters on tires

Will your Ellena be displayed only or will she be judged?
If judged you will have to provide photographic proof to the judges that on your car the tires had painted lettering.

Marcel Massini

 

Back in 1983 I did this on my standard road tyres, used every day. I recall the stick I used was similar to a wax crayon. It was quite easy to apply and lasted for a long time without the need for touching up. There are lots of updated products on the market now.

 

You might try asking Dougal at Longstone Classic Tyres about application products, techniques, etc.

 

i vote no. car is spectacular as is.
dont gild the lily.

 

I tend to agree. I think they detract from the car, and if they aren’t absolutely perfect they’re hideous. I imagine they used some sort of patterns or stencils “back in the day” but of course most sign writing was done freehand. You don’t see much of that now.

 

Detailer Bill Lazalere, unfortunetly past away last year, had the tire lettering painted on David Sydoricks 250GT Zagato. He had some guy that did it for him and they had used stencils to paint the lettering on the tires. I don't know if they brushed or spray painted the letters. I belief there are some paint type markers available for this.

 

also, dont give the judges any unnecessary talking points.

 

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Ed, thanks to the street racing/drifting culture tire paint pens are widely available on the net in all colors. I remember some 35 years ago I bought a Jag E-Type with whitewall tires. I hated them, but just couldn't afford new tires. So, I got myself some black "tire paint". I laugh now remembering it; everytime I drove the car I had to slop on more cause it just wouldn't stay on. But, I'm sure today's stuff is made much better.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2255800287529013.html?gatewayAdapt=4itemAdapt

john

 

Ed,
In the absence of hard data for any specific example, you could shift focus onto similar vehicles from the same time period and events.

Taking leaps of faith on a car headed for Pebble and the IAC/PFA gauntlet is damn risky.

 

Believed to be 0833 GT.

Marcel Massini

 

Having not been around when these cars were new, but I wouldn’t be surprised if tires with highlighted manufacturing lettering* shown (& photographed) in Salons or other marketing events or purposes back in the day weren’t something all similar cars came with and like Marcel mentioned, unless one has a photographic proof their car having been one of these Salon examples or otherwise documented having highlighted tires, it’s doubtful it came with them.

It’s like vast majority of owners of more common’30s, ‘40s and ‘50s cars put wide white wall tires on theirs, but if one studies period factory, dealership inventory or just street scene photographs, it’s easy to see WWW tires weren’t that common.

*Perhaps the highlighted lettering was produced (& tires “donated”) by the tire manufacturer to specifically showcase theirs being the OEM brand on cars by given manufacturer ?

 

I seem to recall Engleberts being highlighted in gold color, but I could be mistaken.

 

Not gold, I believe a light silver. This is I recall an original spare with 410SA, 0715SA. (Not my photo, I have similar one of my own misfiled somewhere)
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Nothing wrong in my view of emulating a sometimes period practice for your own car. European tire lettering and highlights in period were not garish like some modern stuff. Concours preparation need not be boring - it is a show.