[Luv2kruz]

Just came across this article about applying red lines on existing tires.

http://moparmuscle.automotive.com/104660/mopp-0905-custom-tire-tire-tattoos/index.html

I've been looking for suppliers of red line tires because I want to go to a wider set of tires but still retain that retro look. The only ones that I found in a 275 18 inch tire is Diamondback tires, which are somewhat expensive. A set of these cost about $1000 vs. $600 without the red lines.

I have yet to contact the company named in the article, but has anyone heard of them or used them? My current red lines have a raised stripe and I was just wondering if this process produces the same look or is it just a red line flush with the surface of the tire.

Any comments or experiences?

 

[elcamino66]

Its not a new thing, used car dealer around here in NC used to put white walls on this way. It is just painted on and is flush with the tire. They stopped doing it years ago and it may actually be breaking a Federal law to do with tires. I seem to remember that being the reason they quit. I have been running Diamondbacks about 17 years now.

 

[Big White]

Mike,

I just ordered a set of Diamond Backs and I can certainly relate to your comment about cost. I agonized for over a week, trying to justify spending twice as much for red lines as opposed to simply replacing my raised white letter Radial T/A's for half the price.

I never heard of Tire Tatoo until you posted but did do a little poking around. I think that it comes down to you get what you pay for. The stripes (or white walls) on the Diamond Backs are bonded on by vulcanization. The Tatoo approach is to paints the lines on. I read somewhere that the paint-on approach doesn't last very long - the author said only a few weeks when subjected to a reasonable amount of driving.

My skepticism increased when I read that the paint-on method was available in a do-it-yourself kit. There are DIY pin striping kits that you can buy but that doesn't make every one of us an expert pin striper. Ditto for painting stripes on tires.

I hope that someone with some real experience with the Tire Tatoo approach sees this and chimes in. I'd be real curious to know the straight scoop.

Rich

 

[64chevy]

I would be really interested in seeing the real scoop on these as well. Particularly since I will be driving my car on a very limited basis and will be keeping it garaged. I would have to believe it would last more than a few weeks if done properly. With all of the prep and time it would be quite a waste otherwise....

 

[Big White]

I would be really interested in seeing the real scoop on these as well. Particularly since I will be driving my car on a very limited basis and will be keeping it garaged. I would have to believe it would last more than a few weeks if done properly. With all of the prep and time it would be quite a waste otherwise....

Yes, I hear what you're saying Troy. I read that to get the desired results, 3 or 4 layers or applications are needed. Perhaps the guy reporting a short life cycle didn't prep properly or didn't apply enough layers. Or maybe he was taking liberties when he used the term "a few weeks". We'll never know. Then too, we don't know what cautions need to be taken when cleaning the tires. He may have scrubbed the devil out of them in an attempt to keep the color bright.

Again, the color is only painted on so it's hard to imagine the end result to be equal to the same level of quality as the way original tires were manufactured or the vulcanizing method used by Diamond Back.

Rich