In January of 1968 I made a deal to swap my '65 Cadillac Convertible de Ville on a '68 Chrysler 300 Convertible. I wanted all the performance I could get but I also wanted the best looking car I could get. Agonized for days whether to get a red car with a tan top or a white car with a dark olive green top. Finally chose the white with green combo. Wheel choices were a standard 14" wheel, a styled, chrome 14" wheel, or a 15" wheel with disk brakes. Wanted the chrome wheels badly so ordered them with heavy-duty drum brakes. Ordered the 440 engine, the most powerful engine available in a Chrysler.
Got the car and tire wear was pitiful; partly because I drove very fast through turns and partly because no one seemed able to set the torsion bar suspension up correctly. 5,000 miles to a set of tires was about normal, 6,000 was extra good. As you can imagine I was far from pleased. Finally bought Michelin radials from Sears. Of course they were mounted on the wheels I had. Tire mileage increased to about 14,000-15,000 miles. I continued to run the car very hard. Not only did the tire wear improve but handling became immensely better. I ran the car that way for 4-years with no wheel problems. Traded it to my brother and he drove it maybe two years more. Were my original wheels manufactured for radial tires? I doubt it because I don't think Chrysler even offered radials as an option then. Would I do it again? Absolutely! Was there any danger involved? I have no way of knowing.
