Nothing screams “classic” more than a set of great looking,

2.  Nothing screams “classic” more than a set of great
looking, clean whitewall tires on your antique car or
motorcycle. Whitewall tires are tires that sport a very
fashionable white rubber that runs along the outer
sidewall of a tire, while the rest of the tire is made out
of black rubber.

3.  The history behind the origin of whitewall tires is very
interesting. During the start of the twentieth century, auto
manufacturers made tires that were completely made out of
white rubber. However, studies began to show that black
rubber had better traction than white rubber. For safety
reasons, auto manufactures had to abandon tires that were
entirely made out of white rubber. However, to save some
costs, they decided to keep the sidewalls white as white rubber
was cheaper than black rubber. This cost saving
measure resulted in the very fashionable concept that is now
known as whitewall tires.
 Today, low profile whitewall tires are sold in exclusive stores
and are predominantly bought for restoration projects, where
antique automobiles are restored to their yesteryear prime.
The whitewall tires sold today will usually have black sidewalls
that are covered by white strips of rubber, that are bonded
onto the tire in a process that is known as vulcanization.

4.  Whitewall tires can vary from manufacturer to
manufacturer, although most of the variations are
purely cosmetic. These are vintage car tires and thus
they haven’t changed much. For example, one tire
manufacturer might make tires that have a white wall
that is just an inch thick while another manufacturer
might make a tire with a whitewall that is several
inches wide. Some manufacturers even try to include a
red stripe that adds a racing accent to a classic car or
motorbike.

5.  There are several online stores that will sell whitewall
tires, some even exclusively. If not for online stores, one can
also visit large tire retailers such as Kragen, Just Tires of
other large chains to look for tires with a white wall. Even if
these stores do not have it, they might be able to order one
for you.
 If you are having a particularly hard time finding whitewall
tires in the size you need them, you can also visit the
junkyard to find old cars that might still have a great set of
whitewall tires. Even if the tires have lost their tread, you
can simply get them retreaded. If you are really out of
luck, you can also paint your own whitewall tires!

6.  First off, you must hose down your tires to clean away the
dirt and debris. Then, mix up a solution of soapy water and
use a soft bristled brush to clean the white side walls with
care. Many people make the mistake of using bleach but
bleach can damage the tires.
 If the sidewalls are particularly yellow or dull, you can try
using commercial tire cleaners or bleach that is specifically
sold for whitewall tires. Whitewall tires will be very
difficult to maintain in the snow or in muddy conditions.
However, since most car owners with whitewall tires
usually restore a car for show rather than use, maintaining
a set of white sidewall tires will not be too difficult as the
cars are typically not used on an everyday basis.