ford
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August 21, 2017Okay, so it's not really science. Big and little tires are your preference and it's a method of customization that hot rodders have been using for decades. It originated from racing, as most forms of racers (dirt track, Indy and drag racing) would fit racecars with smaller front tires and wheels and larger rear tires and wheels. The smaller fronts reduced rolling resistance and weight, while the larger rear tires provided more traction and a modification to the final drive ratio. The look translated well to street-driven hot rods, and it is a timeless design that is still be utilized to this day. Hot rodders have experimented with various combinations, and continue to do so, while holding a measuring tape and their trusty Coker Tire catalog for reference. Whether you choose the traditional look of bias ply tires, or the upgraded handling of a
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December 09, 2016Traditional hot rods are timeless, and that's exactly what drew us to the Pertronix booth to check out this vibrant 1932 Ford roadster pickup. The pickup features an excellent hot rod stance, a cool color combination and a very distinct Boss 351 power plant. The Cleveland based Ford engine features 8-Stack fuel injection that looks like vintage Weber carburetors, and it's backed by a Ford top-loader 4-speed manual transmission and a Winters quick-change rear end. Don built this truck in his head back in the '70s, as a college student, who made a living playing drums. The colors, the engine, and even wheel combination were items that he'd dreamed up in the '70s, and it's amazing how well they blend into the modern day hot rod world, more than 45 years later. Don built this recreation of his youthful day dreams by using a Brookville steel body, Brookville frame rails and a bunch of goodies to tie it all together. Most importantly, he called
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November 03, 2016Bryan Fuller is a well known hot rodder and motorcycle builder. He's been on TV, he's built a lot of killer vehicles and he always has a presence at the SEMA Show. This year, he has a few vehicles on display, and one of them struck a chord with us. It's a 1934 Ford sedan delivery, and it's in the OTC Tools booth in the North Hall. Right around the mid 1930's OTC (originally known as Owatonna Tool Company) sold direct to customers, using sedan delivery vehicles with custom display boards to showcase their products. The company grew, and eventually grew out of this grass roots sales approach, but it never forgot the humble beginnings, even after being added into the Bosch brands fold in 2012. To commemorate the company's history, OTC commissioned Bryan Fuller to build a 1934 Ford sedan delivery to replicate some of those early delivery vehicles.
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November 03, 2016The SEMA Show is full of highly customized, highly polished and highly publicized cars and trucks. But when you find a unrestored Ford Model A on the property, it stands out! The guys and gals at Hagerty Insurance started a cool program last year called the "Swap to Street Challenge", which involves Hagerty employees finding and building a car on the grounds at the massive AACA Fall Meet in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Last year, it was a very cool '46 Ford pickup and this year, they tackled the challenge with a Ford Model A. They started with a 1930 Model A chassis, and found a 1931 Murray-bodied slant window Model A sedan body to go with it. From there, they sourced a Flathead four-cylinder engine, and all of the parts to piece this car together. Davin Reckow and Matt Lewis were key players in the build, and they decided to
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November 02, 2016The SEMA Show is the largest automotive spectacle in the world, and we're so happy to be a part of SEMA 2016. It's the 50th anniversary of the show, and it's also the 50th anniversary of the Firestone Wide Oval tire. We celebrated the awesome anniversary by introducing our brand new Firestone Wide Oval Radial tire. The day kicked off at the New Products Breakfast, where we placed 2nd in the New Products Display in the Tires and Related Category. We were up against the big dogs, and our new Firestone Wide Oval radial stood tall in a room full of winners. Shortly after the New Products Breakfast, we had a Press Conference regarding the new tire, showcasing it front and center in our indoor booth. Muscle car expert, Steve Magnante hosted the event, while our President, Wade Kawasaki and CEO, Corky Coker spoke about the new tire and how it is a game changer for the muscle car market. We also installed a
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September 30, 2016Hot rods are an exercise in personal preference--there isn't a rule book, or a penalty for "getting it wrong". However, there are iconic hot rods that provide plenty of guidance, and most of them have one thing in common--Firestone tires. The brand is legendary, and it's often remembered as the tire of choice for Indy racing, NASCAR racing, dirt track racing and drag racing. There is little doubt that Firestone tires offer the right amount of vintage style for a traditional hot rod. We offer a great example of the Firestone affect with a 1932 Ford three-window coupe that stopped by our Chattanooga, Tennessee facility this week. The owners had recently bought the car, and their very first modification involved swapping tires and wheels to something more traditional. Although it took a bit of measuring and studying to determine the right size, we whipped up a killer combination with Firestone tires and
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April 22, 2016Long before Mike Wolfe took the TV world by storm with History Channel's "American Pickers" program, he was a wheeler and dealer of anything old. We know another guy who dabbles in vintage goods, especially ones that have wheels (or more specifically...tires). Mike and Corky have been friends for quite some time, and they share a great interest in vintage motorcycles. Mike also has a thing for old cars, and recently acquired a 1936 Ford panel truck. The Flathead V8 powered truck had received some hot rod modifications, but the aftermarket parts just didn't seem to jive. After a phone call with Corky to express his concerns, the boys struck up a deal to bring the truck to Chattanooga and give it the Coker and Honest Charley treatment. The goal was to make it GO faster, STOP sooner and make it a little more fun to slide behind the wheel and go for a ride. [products]
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February 01, 2016AMBR--it's one of those special type of acronyms that hot rodders know and love. It stands for America's Most Beautiful Roadster. It's an award given out at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California, and it's only given to one car per year. The workmanship and talent displayed in the contenders is always impressive and this year was no different--and you can stay tuned for more updates on the AMBR contenders later this week. For now, we want to announce the AMBR 2016 winner, Darryl and Terri Hollenbeck's 1932 Ford roadster. This car was built by Dan Webb, Cory Taulbert and Darryl himself, with final assembly by Bill Ganahl, South City Rod and Custom, and Jack Stratton. Bodywork and paint is by Darryl Hollenbeck's Vintage Color Studio, while the upholstery is stitched by Sid Chavers. A truly traditional hot rod, the roadster has the perfect stance, which is accompanied by none other than Firestone Deluxe Champion bias ply tires. The fronts are
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April 15, 2015
They always say that 'close' only counts in horsehoes and hand grenades, but when you're talking about spending millions in new car development and tooling up for production, close really doesn't count. Some of these great concept cars influenced the industry for years after their appearance. These cars never happened, or at least they never made it into full-scale production. When you look closer at them and consider what was going on around them at the time, you start to understand more about why they didn't make it and more interestingly, you start to see the butterfly effects of what might have happened if they did make it. Concept cars are the life blood of the industry, exercising trends, styles, engineering and even names, running from sketches all the way through to public displays. In the good ol' days, a well received car, might just hop into the fast track to production. These days the stakes are higher than ever. So too are the considerations, with safety and global applications muddying up the process. Sure, every now and then a car sneaks through, but these days the process is far more complicated and maybe in a backhanded way, less creative and exciting. Why would we suggest that today's wild 3D models of hopeful designs might be boring? Take a look at these beauties and think about all of the things that would have been changed forever had they been produced. Concept cars were never as influential as they were in the 1950s and 1960s. Enjoy Ten Cars that never happened, but totally should have.
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April 14, 2015
1975 Chevrolet Corvette
It was the height of the oil crisis, horsepower was running for the hills as legions of miserly imported ants marched onto the nation's highways. The mighty muscle cars of America were gasping their last breaths. Meanwhile, Corvette was trying on short-shorts and striped tube socks, adjusting to life in the seventies. 1975 had Corvette at its lowest horsepower figure since the first generation six cylinder models(150-155hp) burbled onto the scene in the fifties. Wheezing it's way to a pavement wrinkling 165 horsepower, even Corvette was struggling with the decade. The oil crisis was not playing nicely. Even so, to this day you just have to ask how we managed to get so few horsepower from 350 cubic inches of American V8. -
February 11, 2015Steve Coonan, owner and editor of The Rodder's Journal magazine is a tried and true hot rodder. His magazine is the premier publication for hot rodders, and his photography is top-notch. Every issue (it comes out quarterly) is a keeper, and every issue is packed with excellent hot rods that roll on Coker Tire products. With that said, Steve Coonan's personal car, a black '32 Ford roadster, has our tires on it. Steve is a stickler for small details, as evidenced by his photography skills, but he admits that something as simple as a tire and wheel swap can provide a whole new look for a hot rod. He proved it by swapping tires and wheels multiple times at The Rodder's Journal booth at the Grand National Roadster Show this year. We loved the idea, because we offer such a broad scope of tires and wheels. He called us up and ordered three sets of tires to go along with the tires that were already on the car. Keep reading to see all of the combinations in use on his beautiful highboy roadster!
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April 18, 2014Here at Coker Tire, we have a lot of customers who opt for the complete tire and wheel package when it's time to put new shoes on their collector vehicle. It's a great value and it ensures the customer the trueness and perfect balance that we can achieve when combining a new tire with a new wheel. We also offer authentic accessories, such as hubcaps, trim rings and even lug nuts! That means you can complete the tire and wheel package, and give your collector vehicle the right look.
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April 17, 2014This day in automotive history changed the performance car market forever. April 17th, 1964 is when Ford launched its new 1964-1/2 Mustang, a car that would be classified as a "Pony Car". It started a whole new segment of the performance car marketplace, encouraging GM to develop the Camaro and Firebird, and the Chrysler Corporation to develop the Barracuda and Challenger. These cars were fast and affordable, and as the years went on, Mustangs were available with many different options, allowing buyers to personalize their new ride. Fast forward 50 years, and we're still celebrating the legacy that the Mustang created. Here at Coker Tire, we love Mustangs and offer many choices for tires, wheels and accessories for restored original and customized Mustangs!
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December 16, 2013We love hot rods with history, especially when they end up in the hands of a true hot rodder. We've seen our share of significant hot rods get the modern street rod treatment with independent suspension, modern engine and billet wheels...it's enough to make a man cry. Luckily, guys like Kevin Gill (local hot rodder from Ooltewah, TN) are interested in keeping history alive by preserving old hot rods. His newest acquisition is a 1929 Ford Model A roadster that has deep roots in the hot rod world, and even spent some time as a racecar in the '50s. The car had what many would consider the "wrong tires" on it, so he came to Coker Tire with intentions of giving his historic roadster a new attitude.
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November 14, 2013
Classic car enthusiasts have always had to choose between bias ply and radial tires. The restoration guys prefer the authentic construction and appearance of bias ply tires, while many folks would rather sacrifice the vehicles authenticity to have the ride quality of a modern radial. Previously, we have offered both styles of tires (bias and radial) in whitewall form, but now we offer a tire that blends the best of both worlds. It's the new American Classic Bias Look Radial, and it's the first ever radial whitewall tire with an authentic bias ply look.
We developed a bias look tire a few years ago, and it's known as the Excelsior Stahl Sport Radial. These tires are geared toward pre-war classics and hot rods, so we wanted to fill the gap for all of our great customers who love cars from the late '40s, '50s and '60s. That's where the new American Classic bias look radial comes into play. We have nine great sizes to fit many applications, with authentic wide whitewalls that are built into the tire mold from day one. These aren't grind and glue, add on whitewalls--these are the real deal!We debuted the new American Classic radial at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and it was a big hit! The folks at SEMA thought so too, as it was awarded the Best New Product in the Tires and Related category! That is a huge honor, and we're excited to offer this tire to you! These tires have flown off the shelf and have been one our most popular products since they hit the market. We're sure you're wondering what sizes will be offered, so let's get to it:
6.50R13 to fit Chevy Corvair, Chevy II, Dodge Dart, Ford Falcon and many other compact cars from the early '60s!
7.50R14 for classic Chevy Impala, '57 Thunderbird and many more
8.00R14 for many classic makes and models, such as Chevy Impala, Ford Thunderbird, Plymouth, Rambler and more!
5.60R15 to fit classic Volkswagen Beetle, Porsche, MG and Alfa Romeo. This size also works well for the front of hot rods and street rods!
6.70R15 for classic '55-56 Thunderbird, Tri-five Chevy, early Corvette, etc.
7.10R15 for many Buick, Pontiac, Dodge and Studebaker applications
7.60R15 for Buick, Hudson, Mercury and Packard
8.00R15 for Cadillac, Buick, Packard and many other full size classic cars
8.20R15 for classic Cadillac, Lincoln, Buick, etc. This size also works well for the rear of hot rods and street rods!
See why we're so excited about the new American Classic bias profile radial? There are sizes to fit almost any classic car, hot rod or custom from the '40s, '50s and '60s! These tires are backed by our trusted Life of the Tread warranty and they are also eligible for our Extended Tire Protection program. They are DOT and ECE approved, and they are made right here in the USA!
Order your set today and get the authentic looks of a bias ply tire with the modern handling and ride quality of a radial. Coker Tire is your source for exciting new products in the collector vehicle industry, and this American Classic bias look radial is yet another quality product that will keep your classic rolling!
Classic car enthusiasts have always had to choose between bias ply and radial tires. The restoration guys prefer the authentic construction and appearance of bias ply tires, while many folks would rather sacrifice the vehicles authenticity to have the ride quality of a modern radial. Previously, we have offered both styles of tires (bias and radial) in whitewall form, but now we offer a tire that blends the best of both worlds. It's the new American Classic bias profile radial tire, and it's the first ever radial whitewall tire with an authentic bias ply look. -
October 18, 2013We love a good ol' car guy adventure. We do stuff like the Great Race, the Driven Dirty Tour and other road trip adventures on a regular basis, but we encountered a slightly different approach to the standard old car road trip this week. Apparently, a group of guys from California flew to Hershey, Pennsylvania for the AACA Fall Meet with a pocket full of cash, in search of a classic car. The goal was to buy a car at Hershey and drive it back home to California, with Coker Tire being a pit stop along the way. Ok, you have our attention!
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September 11, 2013The Glidden Tour is an event that relives the early years of the automobile, when American Automobile Association (AAA) decided to hold a touring event in the 1900's to prove the reliability of the automobile, which was in its infancy. The original Glidden Tours were held from 1903 to 1911 and they were named after Charles Glidden. Then, in 1946, the Glidden Tour was revived by the Veteran Motor Car Club of America (VMCCA) and continues to this day, visiting a different city each year. For 2013, we were lucky enough to have the 68th Revival Glidden Tour visit Chattanooga, Tennessee to see what the Scenic City has to offer!
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September 05, 2013The Street Rodder Road Tour is an annual get together of street rods that head across country from state to state, visiting cool shops, car shows and all sorts of fun places along the way. Today, the crew stopped here in Chattanooga, Tennessee on their way up to Pigeon Forge for the Shades of the Past. About 50 cars were in the group, including the 2013 Street Rodder Road Tour car, a 1951 Ford Custom, built at Honest Charley Garage!
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June 05, 2013Today, we are running wide open to prepare for the Chattanooga stop of the 2013 Hot Rod Power Tour, which blasts through the Scenic City tomorrow, June 6th. This afternoon, a couple guys pull up in a slick little '31 Ford Model A coupe and these guys completely skipped today's Birmingham stop to get some new tires and wheels. Harry Kavelaars came all the way down from Orangeville, Ontario, Canada for the Power Tour, so we welcomed him with a hardy, "Come on in and stay a while" and commenced to swapping his tires and wheels while he waited.
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May 16, 2013Sometimes we get caught up in the daily hustle of selling tires, and forget about all of the cool stuff that was created specifically so hot rodders could put a personal touch on their machines. One of the coolest products that have passed through our development department and onto our customers is the Firestone Dirt Track line. They're distinct, they're old school and they're the perfect fit for a traditional hot rod...that's why WE love 'em. Here are some reasons you should love them...
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April 23, 2013Members from Hot Rod Magazine, Chattanooga Visitor Bureau, Family Events and Coker Tire Company were on hand in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee today to announce Chattanooga as a stop on the upcoming 2013 Hot Rod Power Tour. The massive car tour visited Chattanooga in 2010 bringing thousands of cars, people and revenue to the city. The 2010 visit made a good enough impression to get the encore opportunity in 2013. The event projects over 3,000 participants rolling onto the campus of Chattanooga State throughout the day, with the event hours scheduled from 12:00pm to 7:00pm. The Chattanooga festivities won't stop at 7:00pm, as there's an after-party planned at the headquarters of Coker Tire Company in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee
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November 23, 2012Local hot rodder, Lee Schmidt came by the office this week in his beautiful '32 Ford roadster, so we didn't hesitate to ask for a closer look and a ride around the block. Thanks to a tasteful mix of components, Lee's roadster sits just right and has a super clean and traditional appearance. A set of our Firestone Dirt Track tires and Hot Rod Wire wheels sets it off perfectly!
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September 27, 2012You've probably noticed that we've had a bunch of groups visit Coker Tire in the past few months. Today, we had the Eliminators Car Club, all the way from Bucyrus, Ohio! They came in a diverse group of cars, ranging from a '67 Mustang to some more obscure cars, like a '60 Pontiac and a '57 Ford wagon, converted into a sedan delivery. There was even a '64 Ford ex-drag racer, which had all of the documentation, old pictures and event decals to prove it! Other cars included a cool '57 Chevy 150 and a Ford panel truck, rolling on Coker Classic wide whitewalls.
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September 21, 2012We have a lot of visitors here at Coker Tire, and this week, we had a very special group of cars pay us a visit. A group of 11 Edsels rolled into our Chattanooga headquarters and wowed us with a great variety of the Edsel product line. It's hard to believe that these cars were regarded as "ugly" for quite some time, but they are super cool nowadays. They're also super rare, so we were excited to see a group of this many Edsels at one time!
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September 19, 2012It was exciting news to hear that the Model A Restorers Club National Tour would be Hosted by the Scenic City A's and based right here in Chattanooga, Tennessee! They're calling the event "Ahooga in Chattanooga" and it has truly been a pleasure to see hundreds of Model A's riding around town for the past several days. The event is based at the Chattanooga Choo Choo, but the members have spent some quality time at Coker Tire. Big groups came through for visits and we've seen our share of Model A's this week. Check it out!
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August 10, 2012[caption id="attachment_2796" align="aligncenter" width="640"] SHAY OWNER'S CLUB INTERNATIONAL Tour Group[/caption] Look closely and you'll see the lug count isn't quite what you expected. They're replicas! Harry Shay's Model A replicas were built between 1979 and 1982 and could be bought through Ford dealers and a group of Shay Model A enthusiasts found their way to Coker Tire Company today for a tour.
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June 28, 2012Tuesday evening in Kanata, Ontario marked the finish of Stage Four of the 2012 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty. What a reception we received from the hometown of our own Brian Goudge aka Motormouth in Kanata/Ottowa, Ontario!When our PA system malfunctioned and could not play the Canadian National anthem, "Oh Canada" I asked if there was anyone who could lead us in singing it. Our new best friend "Page" jumped right up and led the crowd with a beautiful rendition of the Canadian favorite. Thank you again Page! There were several thousand passionate old car fans and several hundred cruise in cars on display. Kanata did it up right too with a wonderful roasted chicken meal for all the Great Racers.
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May 09, 2012This past weekend, Corky and son-in-law Greg Cunningham signed up to compete in a rally in Rogers, Arkansas. Also on the trip from Chattanooga was Great Race Director, Jeff Stumb and his wife Karen. So they packed up the whole gang and drove 13 hours to spend a few days in Arkansas. Greg and his crew at Honest Charley Garage built a '32 Ford pickup specifically for rallying, so it was the perfect vehicle for Corky and Greg. By the way, all the parts were purchased through Honest Charley Speed Shop or Coker Tire Company. Jeff and Karen piloted a cute
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April 28, 2012Our big tour week was capped off with a visit from the Smoky Mountain Model A Club, from Knoxville, Tennessee. Their group consisted of 8 nicely restored Model A's, most of which had our Firestone or BFGoodrich bias ply tires beneath them. Coupes, roadsters and sedans made for a nice variety, and we're sure they had a great time on the drive down the road. We're glad they came by, to see what Coker is all about! Here are a few shots of their cars!
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April 23, 2012Last summer we decided to hold a Cruise In event, in conjunction with the Coker Tire Challenge. It was a test to see if this sort of event could be manageable and fun on a small budget. It turned out to be a great event, so we planned for two in 2012, one of which occurred last Saturday, April 21st. It was an incredible turnout of nearly 500 car, with thousands of people roaming the streets of Corkyville!
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January 16, 2012Yep, it's that time of the year yet again....time for a new Coker Tire catalog! Our Marketing Department has been slaving away at the catalog, and there's no doubt that it's our best one yet. Graphic Designer, Aaron Wolfe worked alongside Corky and the gang to create a fresh look with all sorts of new products. The finished product is really cool, so we wanted to share it with you as a sneak peek. Check it out! [caption id="attachment_2320" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="On the cover is (Uncle) Bob Coker\'s beautifully restored 1955 Buick Motorama four door hardtop prototype! It rolls on Coker Classic bias ply whitewalls and Buick Skylark wire wheels."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_2321" align="alignleft" width="500"
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October 21, 2011There's nothing like a good ole road trip with a few buddies, especially if you're behind the wheel of a vintage car! It's certainly an adventure, with the lack of technology, and the lack of horsepower, compared to our modern vehicles, but it's a lot of fun. A group of diehard Model A enthusiasts formed the "Crankin' A's of Daytona" club and they love having fun with old cars. They set out from Daytona Beach, Florida on October 16th, heading north, and they happened to stop by our place yesterday afternoon for a visit. [caption id="attachment_2243" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="The Crankin' A's of Daytona invade Coker Tire!"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_2244" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Two coupes, a Tudor, a Fordor and a Delivery...these guys have some cool cars!"][/caption] Our resident tour guide extraordinaire, Raime took the group through the Coker Tire facility, showing them our lobby, machine shop, service center and museum along the way. One of the guys even bought a set of tires while he was here, so we definitely appreciate that! These guys really know how to have fun with their vintage Fords, and we love seeing these long haulers because that means they're wearing out TIRES!!! We hope they come back and visit us again, but for now, let's take a look at their cars!
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October 11, 2011It takes a lot of dedication to drive a vintage car everyday. Old cars require a lot more maintenance and they're ill-tempered no matter the driving conditions. One young man, Jonathan Klinger, an employee at Hagerty Insurance, decided he'd drive his '30 Ford Model A sedan everyday for a year, so he did just that...and he did it on a set of Excelsior Stahl Sport Radial tires! You can read all about his journeys, which are about to come to a close at his website http://www.365daysofa.com/. Jonathan certainly sounds like our kind of guy, and his "about" post on his blog says it all: "I'm Jonathan Klinger and I'm spending one full year driving a 1930 Model A everywhere I go. (Starting October 13, 2010) Why? Because not everything a person owns should contain a computer." If you like old cars, and you like an entertaining read, check out Jonathan's blog!
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September 15, 2011It's that time of year! We're in the final stages of preparation for the Coker Tire Challenge, so it's a fairly busy environment here in Corkyville. The guys over at Honest Charley Garage applied decals and helped David McAllister with technical inspection, while our Coker crew handled all of the registration stuff. We're ready to kick this thing off tomorrow morning at 8:00am and we'll be having dinner at the farm when our day of rallying is over. Let's roll! [caption id="attachment_1999" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Lined up for technical inspection and decal application."][/caption]
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August 06, 2011Well, it's that time of the year again. It's August, it's hot and it's time for the NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky. We're on a cool little road trip this weekend, and decided to stop at the Nats for the day. As usual, the Kentucky Expo Center was packed with hot rods of all shapes and sizes, from low slung coupes to nose-high gassers. The day started with a six hour drive, and ended with about 3 more hours of driving....with lots of hot rods thrown in the midst. Tomorrow we're headed to the Funny Car Nationals at Marion County International Raceway in LaRue, Ohio...it should be a great time as over 30 funny cars do battle, along with a great deal of Nostalgia Pro Stock and Nostalgia Super Stock. We're always wanting to figure out new ways to cater to our nostalgia drag racing people, so this is a great way to do it. We'll post pictures from that event too, so stay tuned! For now, here are some of our favorite shots from Louisville. [caption id="attachment_1926" align="alignleft" width="493" caption="Our booth at the 2011 NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus"][/caption]
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July 15, 2011Talk about a great bunch of guys and gals! These folks are on a bit of a road trip and decided to drop by our place for a tour. Raime Brown did her thing, and made sure everyone had a good time and learned a little bit along the tour. We cleared the parking lot and packed the cars in there to grab a quick shot of them in front of the building...turned out pretty cool! Big thanks to the Southern Kentucky Street Rodders for visiting Chattanooga, Tennessee and for coming by our facility. Here are some of our pictures from the visit!
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June 21, 2011We had an amazing time on the Hemmings Motor News Great Race this year, and it came down to the wire to determine the Grand Champion. All week it was a tight battle between the Knowles/Gentry team and the team of Howard and Douglas Sharp. Knowles/Gentry piloted a '32 Ford Cabriolet, which was formerly piloted by Joe Knowles, who unfortunately passed away in 2010. The Sharps piloted the oldest car in the Great Race--a 1911 Velie Racetype. Knowles/Gentry led the field for several days, but the Sharps came from behind on the final two days to take home the infamous BIRD and a check for $20,000! [caption id="attachment_1836" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Corky Coker with Great Race Grand Champions, Howard and Douglas Sharp!"][/caption]
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June 12, 2011We're sitting in our hotel in Asheville, North Carolina, checking out all of our photos and videos from Day One at the 2011 Hemmings Great Race. Our route took us from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Maggie Valley, North Carolina, which means we spent a great deal of time in the mountains. It was an awesome ride with lots of opportunities for cool pictures, so take a look at our favorites and check out www.greatrace.com for even more photos, along with scores and breaking news. It's time to get ready for today's route, so we're making this one short and sweet, but we want to thank all of the Great Race staff and volunteers for an amazing job on day one. Also a huge thanks goes out to the city of Athens, Tennessee, which hosted the lunch stop, and all the fine folks at the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley. [caption id="attachment_1598" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Let\'s get this thing started! Chestnut Street in Chattanooga was packed with cars and on lookers before the start of the race!"][/caption]
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May 31, 2011That's right, we're proud to announce the availability of the new BFGoodrich Radial T/A Spec 245/55R18 Redline from Coker Tire! These tires were originally designed for use on the special edition Hurst Camaro, which is an awesome car built from a collaboration of the biggest names in the automotive aftermarket. Hurst, Detroit Speed and Engineering and BFGoodrich teamed up to build this car, and equipped it with a set of custom redline tires. The tires were such a hit with the public that BFGoodrich made a few extras, and they are now available right here at Coker. [caption id="attachment_1536" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="BFGoodrich Radial T/A Spec 245/55R18 Redline"][/caption]
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May 28, 2011You know the one--where Mike and Frank ripped us off on national TV for those old Ford signs? Well, we just wanted to let you guys know that we dumped EVEN MORE money into 'em to restore all of the old lighting. They're now hanging in the Coker Tire Museum ready to be plugged in and shown off to our visitors! We're proud of them, so the next time you're in the Museum take a real good look! To recoup our money invested, we're going to charge a $100 fee anytime someone wants to see them plugged up.....JUST KIDDING! These vintage signs are amazing to see, so look all you want... [caption id="attachment_1530" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Vintage Ford neon signs bought from American Pickers"][/caption]
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May 16, 2011There's something to be said for a historic race track, be it a dirt track, a paved track or a drag strip. Knowing that gear heads just like you were racing on that very surface 50 years ago is an eye opening experience that will put a smile on any car guy's face. With this in mind, folks around the country are flocking to nostalgia drag racing events at historic tracks. One such event and track, is the Paradise Show-N-Go, held at Paradise Drag Strip in Calhoun, Georgia. [caption id="attachment_1395" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Paradise Drag Strip is known for its uphill burnout box and slightly unlevel starting line, which causes cars with manual transmissions to roll backward at the line. Even with this flaw, it was a state-of-the-art track during the \'60s."][/caption] The track opened in 1961, and it was home to lots of big-name match races and also a home track to many Super Stock racers in the mid-60s. Legends of drag racing, such as "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, Arnie "The Farmer" Beswick and "Dyno Don" Nicholson have raced at Paradise Drag Strip, drawing huge crowds to watch the exciting action. Back then, every driver had a nickname, and every car had a distinct personality, unlike today's professional ranks in NHRA, where each car in its class is identical, aside from a few sponsor decals.
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May 13, 2011...flock together. And that was exactly the case today, as the Mockingbird Run came through Chattanooga, Tennessee and stopped at Coker Tire Company. These guys and gals are dedicated Thunderbird enthusiasts, and they braved some hard rain to get here, and braved it again as soon as they pulled into the Coker compound. Perry Anthony puts this run together, and has a Thunderbird of his own!
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April 06, 2011Last week, we posted a couple pictures of Squindo and his gang as they made the trek to the Lonestar Round Up in Austin, Texas. Now that the event is over, these folks from the East Coast need to make the long drive back home, so we had a few more visitors stop by as they passed through. Yesterday it was "Scary" Larry Garland and his crew piloting a killer Deuce roadster and a '34 five-window. Scary Larry puts on a very cool nostalgia car show called the Jalopy Showdown, one is held May 21st at Latimore Valley Fairgrounds in York Springs, Pennsylvania, while the other is held October 1st at Beaver Springs Dragway in Beaver Springs, Pennsylvania. Check out www.jalopyshowdown.com for more information on the shows. Here's a couple of shots of their cars....
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February 17, 2011We get emails from customers all the time, telling us about their experiences with our tires. And as most of you know, we're FIRM believers in driving old cars, instead of letting them sit. Well, take a look at this email we got from Joyce Chance: Model T Ford Touring car 1916/17 from North Pole, Alaska. It was used on the Valdez to Fairbanks trail from 1917 to 1926 and around Fairbanks until 1929 when placed in storage. I got the car in 2006 when it came out of storage for the first time. It was first registered in the Territory of Alaska in 1957. I am the first to register the car in Alaska with a plate. All Coker Firestones. Here are some pictures of the car!
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February 14, 2011If you look at our catalog, you'll notice some miscellaneous tires toward the rear. One interesting tire that makes people scratch their head is the Snow Bird tire for Model A's. These tires feature paddles and a heavy duty 6-ply construction, so they are ready for serious action in the snow. The Snow Bird tires measure 28x4.75 inches and mount to a 19-inch Ford Model A wire wheel. They have the original brand name "ARPS Corporation" on the sidewall and they are as authentic as you can get. We rarely get to see a set of these in action, but found these cool videos of Model A and Model T snow mobiles motoring around in the white stuff. Check it out!
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February 11, 2011We're around cars a lot and we know one thing is for certain--you won't find a more classic appearance than a set of wide whitewall tires and chrome wire wheels. We normally see them on vintage cars, but the newest version of the Ford Thunderbird has just enough classic styling to wear them well. Our buddy Jesse Adams came up to the shop from Summerville, Georgia and wanted a new set of tires and wheels for his 2002 Thunderbird. Lucky for him, we offer tires and wheels to fit these late model T-Birds, and he rolled out of our parking lot on a set of American Classic 235/55R17 tires, which have 1-3/4-inch whitewalls. He also got the wheels right
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January 07, 2011It's that time again! Every winter, the World of Wheels comes to Chattanooga, inside the Chattanooga Convention Center, which is right around the corner from our headquarters on Chestnut Street. It's an indoor car show that always draws a big crowd because of its attractions, and of course the great collection of cars being displayed! This year, our neighbors at Honest Charley Garage are showcasing a few buildups at the show, including the recently-finished 1952 MG TD owned by Wes Kliner.
