1933 Plymouth Tire Fitment Guide

1933 Plymouth vehicles use two tire sizes: 5.25-17 and 600-16. Both sizes apply to the full 1933 Plymouth range covered here, including the PC and PD, so the fitment split is not by model but by wheel diameter. The 5.25-17 mounts on a 17-inch wheel, while the 600-16 mounts on a 16-inch wheel. For the 600-16 size, listed products fit 16-inch rims and call for a 4.00- to 4.50-inch rim width.

That means the first thing to confirm on a 1933 Plymouth is not whether you have a PC or PD, but whether the car is wearing its correct 16-inch or 17-inch wheels. Once that is settled, the next choice is appearance, such as blackwall or wide whitewall, and the kind of use you have in mind for the car. A quick check of the wheel itself before ordering prevents the most common mistake on prewar cars that have changed hands, wheels, or restoration direction over the decades.

On a 1933 Plymouth, 5.25-17 is an older numeric bias-ply tire size. The 5.25 refers to the tire’s nominal section width in inches, and the 17 refers to the wheel diameter in inches. It is not a modern radial code, and it does not work like today’s metric sizing with separate width, aspect ratio, and construction letters. The format reflects the way American passenger-car tires were commonly labeled in the early 1930s.

For a restorer or driver, that code tells you two practical things right away: the tire is intended for a 17-inch wheel, and it belongs to the traditional bias-ply family that suits prewar Plymouth character. If your 1933 Plymouth currently carries 16-inch wheels, this is not the correct size even though the make and year are the same. Numeric sizing can look simple, but on early cars the wheel diameter is the critical detail that determines whether the tire can be used at all.

On a 1933 Plymouth, 600-16 is also a numeric bias-ply tire size. The 6.00 indicates the nominal section width in inches and the 16 indicates a 16-inch wheel diameter. It is part of the same vintage sizing language as 5.25-17, not a metric or alphanumeric radial designation. Products in this size for 1933 Plymouth include blackwall and wide whitewall versions, all built around the traditional bias-ply layout.

That makes 600-16 a good reference point if your Plymouth is set up on 16-inch wheels and you want to keep a historically appropriate tire type. It also gives you a little more choice in visible finish, since both blackwall and wide whitewall styles are offered in this size. The safest approach is to confirm the wheel diameter on the car, then compare sidewall appearance and any speed marking differences among the available 600-16 products before making your final selection.

The right choice for a 1933 Plymouth depends first on wheel diameter, not on whether the car is a PC or PD. Both sizes are bias-ply and both are appropriate to the period, but 5.25-17 fits a 17-inch wheel while 600-16 fits a 16-inch wheel. Since they do not share the same rim diameter, they are not interchangeable without the corresponding wheel. This is a fitment decision before it becomes a styling decision.

Once the wheel size is confirmed, the choice becomes much simpler. Owners running 16-inch wheels have access to multiple 600-16 products, including blackwall and wide whitewall versions, which can help tailor the finished look of the car. Owners with 17-inch wheels should stay with 5.25-17 to preserve proper fit. On a prewar Plymouth, matching the tire to the wheel already on the car is more important than trying to choose between two sizes as if they were alternate modern options on the same rim.

1933 Plymouth tires in the available 600-16 products come in both blackwall and wide whitewall styles. Blackwall choices include Coker Classic and Avon offerings, while wide whitewall options include BFGoodrich and Firestone versions. All of them retain bias-ply construction, so the visible difference is mainly in period appearance rather than in changing the tire family entirely. The 5.25-17 size does not have sidewall style offerings listed here.

For a prewar American car such as 1933 Plymouth, sidewall treatment can strongly influence the finished presentation. A blackwall usually suits a more restrained, working-car appearance, while a wide whitewall tends to emphasize a more formal restored look that many owners prefer at shows. The best choice depends on how your specific car is being restored and how closely you want to align with the visual character of the era. It is worth comparing the sidewall style to the rest of the car’s trim and overall restoration theme before deciding.

Four brands appear in the available 1933 Plymouth tire offerings for the 600-16 size: BFGoodrich, Coker Classic, Avon, and Firestone. Each is offered in bias-ply construction, with BFGoodrich and Firestone shown in wide whitewall form and Coker Classic and Avon shown in blackwall form. The Avon listing also carries an H speed rating in its size marking, while the others use the traditional 600-16 designation. That gives 1933 Plymouth owners a mix of heritage American styling cues and one more speed-explicit alternative within the same vintage size family.

Brand choice on a prewar Plymouth often comes down to the look you want as much as the name on the sidewall. Some restorers prefer the classic visual appeal of a familiar American brand with a whitewall, while others want a plainer blackwall presentation. Since all listed options stay within bias-ply construction, this is less about switching tire type and more about selecting the combination of sidewall appearance, brand preference, and sizing detail that best fits your car’s intended use and finish level.

For 1933 Plymouth vehicles using 600-16 tires, the listed fitment range is a 4.00- to 4.50-inch rim width on a 16-inch wheel. That guidance is consistent across the available 600-16 products shown for BFGoodrich, Coker Classic, and Firestone. The key point is that wheel width matters alongside wheel diameter, especially on a tall, narrow bias-ply tire where the intended profile and footprint depend on the rim it is mounted to.

If your 1933 Plymouth is running 600-16 tires, measuring the actual wheel before selection is worthwhile, particularly on a car that may have had wheel swaps over time. A rim that falls within the proper width range helps the tire sit correctly and preserves the look and behavior expected from a period-style bias-ply. Treat the wheel on the car as the final authority rather than assuming every 16-inch wheel used on an older Plymouth is identical.

Inner-tube status is not uniform across every possible 1933 Plymouth tire choice, so it should be confirmed at the specific product level before installation. The available 600-16 listings here do not use a tube-type or tubeless marker in the size line, which means the safer approach is to verify the exact tire and wheel combination before mounting. On a prewar car, wheel design and condition matter just as much as the tire itself when deciding how the assembly should be set up.

That practical check is especially important if the car still uses original-style steel wheels or if the wheels have been restored, repainted, or altered. A 1933 Plymouth owner should inspect the wheel, valve-stem area, and overall condition of the rim before deciding on final installation components. If you are aiming for a historically correct setup, a marque specialist or experienced vintage tire installer can help confirm whether your exact wheel and tire combination should be run with tubes.

Original 1933 Plymouth wheels cannot use both tire sizes interchangeably unless the car has both corresponding wheel diameters available. The 5.25-17 size requires a 17-inch wheel, while the 600-16 size requires a 16-inch wheel. Because the rim diameters are different, one wheel cannot accept both sizes in the way a shared-diameter modern fitment sometimes can. The model name does not change that basic limitation, since both PC and PD use the same two size families.

For an owner, that means wheel verification comes before any discussion of tread style, brand, or sidewall treatment. If your Plymouth still has its original wheels, identify whether they are 16-inch or 17-inch before narrowing your tire options. If the car has been modified or assembled from mixed parts during an older restoration, take the extra time to physically confirm each wheel. That one step prevents expensive fitment mistakes and keeps the car aligned with a sensible restoration path.

A stored 1933 Plymouth should be kept away from direct sunlight, standing moisture, and ozone sources such as electric motors, battery chargers, and furnaces. Bias-ply tires can take a temporary set more readily during long static storage, so maintaining proper inflation and moving the car periodically helps reduce flat-spotting. Clean, dry floors are preferable, and many collectors place a barrier or tire cradles under the wheels to reduce contact stress during extended parking.

Storage habits matter because prewar cars often cover few miles yet spend long periods parked, which ages tires differently than regular daily use. If the car will sit for a season, check pressures before it is put away and again before it is driven. Some owners also use stands to unload part of the weight during longer storage, but if you do that, support the car properly and avoid leaving the suspension hanging in a way that creates other problems. Tire care on a 1933 Plymouth starts with storage discipline.

Tire life on a 1933 Plymouth is usually governed more by age than by mileage. Collector-car tires often age out before the tread is worn down, so it is wise to begin evaluating them closely around the five- to seven-year mark and to treat ten years as a serious replacement consideration regardless of appearance. The DOT date code on the tire is the reference point for age, even if the car is only driven occasionally.

That matters because a prewar Plymouth may spend most of its life on short fair-weather outings, and low use can create a false sense of security. Sidewall checking, hardening rubber, and age-related internal changes can develop on tires that still look visually presentable from a distance. When in doubt, inspect the actual age first and the tread depth second. A fresh-looking but old tire is still an old tire, and age management is one of the most important reliability steps on any 1933 Plymouth.

Tires on a 1933 Plymouth should be inspected before every drive and again before any longer outing. Look for sidewall cracking, cuts, bulges, uneven wear, pressure loss, and any sign that the tire is no longer seated or aging normally. On an older car, it is also smart to check valve stems and the spare at the same time, because a usable spare is part of genuine road readiness on a collector vehicle.

Frequent inspection is especially important on a 1933 Plymouth because the car’s age means the tire is only one part of the system that may have been sitting between drives. A quick visual check takes very little time and can catch issues before they become a roadside problem. If the car has recently come out of storage, drive a short distance first and then recheck pressure and appearance once the tires have settled into use again. Consistency matters more than waiting for an annual inspection interval.

A 1933 Plymouth PC would have been fitted in the bias-ply era, so bias-ply construction is the historically appropriate starting point for an accurate restoration. The sizes associated with 1933 Plymouth in this range are 5.25-17 and 600-16, both of which are period-style numeric bias-ply sizes. Original-equipment branding could vary by market and production context, so the most reliable path for exact factory-delivery confirmation is to compare your car against period literature and marque-club knowledge for the body style and market it represents.

For most restorers, the practical takeaway is that construction type and size format matter first. A bias-ply tire with the correct vintage numeric designation will look far more at home on a 1933 Plymouth PC than a visibly modern tire format. From there, sidewall style becomes part of the presentation choice, especially if you are building the car toward a certain show standard. If authenticity is your main goal, verify the wheel diameter on the car and then narrow the tire by period appearance rather than by brand name alone.

Correct tire fitment absolutely matters when showing a 1933 Plymouth, especially in judging that emphasizes factory appearance or period accuracy. Size, construction type, and sidewall style all affect how authentic the car appears. On a prewar Plymouth, a visibly modern construction or the wrong wheel-diameter tire would stand out immediately, even to a casual observer. Judges and knowledgeable enthusiasts often notice tire details because they strongly influence stance, profile, and the overall period character of the car.

That does not mean every event applies the same standard, but it does mean tire choice should be treated as part of the restoration, not an afterthought. If your goal is serious authenticity, confirm the correct wheel diameter first, then choose a bias-ply size and sidewall look that fits the era and the presentation of your specific car. Marque clubs and event-specific judging guides are the best next step when you want to know how strict a particular show will be about blackwalls, whitewalls, and other finishing details.

For a 1933 Plymouth, the BFGoodrich and Firestone 600-16 offerings shown here share several core specifications. Both are bias-ply tires, both use wide whitewall styling, both fit 16-inch rims, both list a 4.00- to 4.50-inch rim-width range, and both carry a 1400-pound maximum load at 32 psi. The listed difference is weight, with the BFGoodrich at 21 pounds and the Firestone at 24 pounds, along with each tire’s own series identity and sidewall branding.

In practical terms, that means the choice between them is less about basic fitment and more about brand presentation and the visual details you want on the car. Since their wheel fit and published load-and-pressure figures align, a restorer can focus on the overall look the tire brings to a 1933 Plymouth rather than worrying that one belongs to a completely different specification family. It is still worth confirming the exact wheel on the car before choosing, but these two options occupy the same general restoration lane.

1933 Plymouth tires can be appropriate for highway use when they are in good condition, properly inflated, and matched to the correct wheels, but they remain bias-ply tires on a prewar automobile. The available 600-16 Avon option includes an H speed rating, which corresponds to a ceiling of 130 mph, while the other listed 600-16 products use traditional vintage sizing without a stated speed symbol in the listing. In real-world use, the limits of a 1933 Plymouth’s brakes, suspension, steering, and overall age are usually more important than the theoretical top speed printed on any one tire.

The practical lesson is to think in terms of sound condition and appropriate pace rather than modern interstate expectations. A well-sorted 1933 Plymouth on correctly fitted tires can be enjoyed on public roads, but it should be driven with respect for the vehicle’s era and setup. Before sustained highway use, make sure the tires are free of age cracking, are holding pressure, and are mounted on the correct diameter wheels. Roadworthiness on a prewar Plymouth is always a whole-vehicle question, not just a tire question.

For 1933 Plymouth 600-16 tires, the available BFGoodrich, Coker Classic, and Firestone products list a maximum load of 1400 pounds at 32 psi. That figure is a tire rating reference, not automatically the factory running pressure for every 1933 Plymouth application. The original vehicle literature remains the best source for the car’s intended operating pressure, while the tire maker’s published limits define the tire’s own rated ceiling. Pressure should never be borrowed from a different size simply because the make and year are the same.

Use that information as a framework rather than a shortcut. Start by identifying the exact size on the car, then compare the vehicle recommendation and the tire’s own specifications before setting pressure. This matters on a 1933 Plymouth because 5.25-17 and 600-16 are different sizes on different wheel diameters, and they should not be treated as interchangeable setups. A careful pressure choice affects ride quality, steering feel, and tread life, especially on a light, narrow-tired prewar chassis.

Before a longer drive in a 1933 Plymouth, inspect each tire for sidewall cracking, tread damage, cuts, bulges, irregular wear, and proper inflation. Confirm that the spare is usable, that the valve stems are in good condition, and that the tires match the wheel diameter on the car. On a prewar automobile, tire condition is only one part of readiness, so the inspection should happen alongside checks of brakes, steering, cooling, and basic fluid levels.

A longer outing is where small issues become trip-ending problems, especially on a car built in the early 1930s. Even if the Plymouth is used regularly for short local drives, add a closer tire inspection before any sustained run at road speed. If the car has been sitting, recheck pressures after the first few miles and listen for any change in ride feel or vibration. Preparing the tires properly helps the car feel more settled and reduces the chances of an avoidable roadside interruption.