1938 Graham Tire Fitment Guide

1938 Graham vehicles use two tire sizes, and the correct one depends on the model. The 1938 Graham Custom Supercharger uses 650-16, while the 1938 Graham Standard and 1938 Graham Standard Supercharger use 6.25-16. Both sizes fit 16-inch wheels, and the listed 650-16 products call for rim widths from 4.50 to 5.00 inches.

That means year and make alone are not enough to choose tires for a 1938 Graham. Start by confirming the exact model on the car, then verify the wheel itself before committing to a tire. If you are working with a car that has been restored long ago or fitted with replacement wheels, checking the mounted size and actual rim dimensions is a smart step before ordering.

On a 1938 Graham, 650-16 is a numeric bias-ply tire size. The 6.50 figure refers to the nominal section width, and the 16 refers to the wheel diameter in inches. For the 1938 Graham lineup, that size belongs to the Custom Supercharger rather than the Standard models.

Modern buyers often expect to see a radial-style code with width, aspect ratio, and construction letter, but prewar numeric sizes are much simpler. On a 1938 Graham, the meaning is less about speed-category sizing and more about matching the correct physical size and period construction to the right model. If your car is a Custom Supercharger, 650-16 points you into the proper part of the range immediately.

No, not all 1938 Graham models use the same tire size. The Custom Supercharger uses 650-16, while both the Standard and Standard Supercharger use 6.25-16. All three models share a 16-inch wheel diameter, but the tire size itself is not universal across the make for 1938.

That distinction matters because a buyer can easily assume that one prewar Graham size fits the whole range when it does not. If you are comparing tires across the year, think of the model as the first filter and the tire as the second. Once the model is confirmed, the remaining choices are mostly about brand and sidewall appearance rather than deciding between multiple constructions.

1938 Graham tires in 650-16 are available in both blackwall and wide whitewall styles. The listed 650-16 offerings include blackwall examples from Coker Classic and Firestone, along with wide whitewall examples from BFGoodrich and Garfield. All of those are bias-ply tires, which keeps the construction appropriate to the era.

For a 1938 Graham, sidewall style changes the look of the car almost as much as the wheel itself. A blackwall usually suits a more restrained prewar appearance, while a wide whitewall gives a more formal, dressier presentation often favored on restored upscale cars from the late 1930s. If appearance matters for judging or for matching the car’s overall restoration theme, pick the sidewall first after confirming the correct size.

Available 1938 Graham tires in 650-16 come from BFGoodrich, Coker Classic, Firestone, and Garfield. Those offerings cover both blackwall and wide whitewall bias-ply styles, giving buyers a mix of visual choices within the correct prewar construction type. The Custom Supercharger is the model directly represented by those brand options in the listed size.

Brand choice on a 1938 Graham usually comes down to the look you want and the series details that matter to your restoration. Some owners prioritize a familiar historic brand name, while others focus on a particular tread or whitewall presentation. Once your model and size are settled, compare brands by sidewall style and published specifications instead of assuming every bias-ply option presents the car exactly the same way.

For a 1938 Graham using 650-16, the BFGoodrich option listed is a 3.75-inch wide whitewall in the Silvertown Classic Bias Ply series, while the Firestone option listed is a blackwall in the Firestone Classic Bias Ply series. Both carry a maximum load figure of 1580 pounds at 32 psi and fit 16-inch rims with a 4.50 to 5.00-inch width range, but they differ in sidewall presentation and listed weight.

That makes the choice less about basic fitment and more about how you want the car to look and how closely you want the tire’s visual character to match the rest of the restoration. A wide whitewall gives the car a more formal late-1930s presence, while a blackwall keeps the appearance plainer and more understated. Compare the sidewall style first, then confirm the wheel width and the intended use of the car.

For 1938 Graham tires in 650-16, the listed fitment range is 4.50 to 5.00 inches of rim width on a 16-inch rim. That width range appears consistently on the published 650-16 examples that include wheel specification details. The Graham lineup also uses 16-inch wheel diameter across the models covered here.

Rim width matters because even when the diameter is correct, the wrong wheel width can change how a tire seats and presents on the car. If you own a Custom Supercharger, measure the wheel or verify it against a trusted source before final selection. On older restorations especially, wheels may have been swapped over the decades, so checking the actual wheel is more reliable than assuming everything remains factory-correct.

Original-style 1938 Graham wheels can share the same 16-inch tire diameter across the model range, since both 650-16 and 6.25-16 mount on 16-inch rims. That means wheel diameter compatibility is common to all three models. The remaining fitment question is wheel width, which should match the tire being considered.

In practical terms, a 16-inch wheel is only the starting point. A Custom Supercharger owner looking at 650-16 should confirm the wheel falls within the published width range for that size, and owners of Standard models should verify their wheels just as carefully before treating any 16-inch rim as interchangeable. On prewar cars, correct diameter does not automatically guarantee that every period wheel is equally suitable.

A 1938 Graham should be stored in a cool, dry space away from direct sunlight, electric motors, welders, and other ozone-producing equipment that can age rubber prematurely. Bias-ply tires also tend to develop temporary flat-spotting more readily than radials when a collector car sits in one position for long periods. Clean floors, stable temperatures, and proper inflation all help preserve the tires already on the car.

If the car is parked for weeks or months at a time, rolling it periodically can help distribute the load and reduce set in the casing. Some owners also use tire cradles or place the car on stands for long-term storage, though the suspension and frame should be supported correctly if that route is taken. Storage habits matter on a 1938 Graham because time, not mileage, is often the real enemy of collector tires.

Tires on a 1938 Graham are usually aged out before they are worn out. A good rule is to begin evaluating them closely once they reach about five to seven years of age, with replacement becoming a serious consideration as they approach roughly ten years, regardless of tread depth. The tire’s date code is a more useful guide than mileage on a low-use collector car.

That timeline is especially important for a prewar car that may see short seasonal drives, local shows, and long idle periods between outings. A tire can still look presentable and yet have age-related hardening or cracking that changes how it behaves on the road. If the age of the tires is unclear, treating them as a maintenance priority is wiser than judging their condition by appearance alone.

Tires on a 1938 Graham should be inspected before every drive and again before any extended outing. Look for sidewall cracking, tread damage, bulges, irregular wear, and signs that the tire is losing pressure between uses. Because prewar collector cars often sit for stretches, those simple checks catch problems that may not show up during casual visual walkarounds.

A longer drive deserves an extra level of care, including checking the spare, valve stems, and overall inflation consistency across the car. If your tires use tubes, the condition of the tube-compatible setup and valve hardware matters as much as the outer casing. A short pre-drive inspection takes only a few minutes and can prevent a small age-related issue from becoming a roadside problem.

A 1938 Graham Custom Supercharger would have been fitted in the bias-ply era, and the correct size in this range is 650-16. That aligns with period tire construction for an American passenger car of 1938, when bias-ply tires were standard practice and modern radial sizing had not yet entered normal U.S. production use. Sidewall appearance could vary by market presentation and owner preference, but the construction type belongs firmly in the bias-ply category.

For a restoration, that means the first step is choosing the correct 650-16 size and staying with an era-appropriate bias-ply build. The next decision is whether the car should wear blackwalls or wide whitewalls based on the way you want the finished car to present. If you are building toward marque-specific judging, confirm market and trim expectations with a Graham club or period literature before making the final sidewall choice.

Correct tire fitment matters a great deal when showing a 1938 Graham, especially in events that reward authenticity. Judges and knowledgeable enthusiasts typically notice whether the car carries the proper size for the model, the correct bias-ply construction for the era, and a sidewall style that suits the car’s period presentation. A visibly modern-looking replacement or the wrong model-specific size can stand out quickly on a prewar restoration.

Even outside formal judging, tire choice affects the car’s stance and the credibility of the restoration. A Standard wearing the Custom Supercharger’s size, or a Custom wearing something visually out of period, can change the car’s look more than many owners expect. If the car is destined for concours-style use, verify event-specific expectations with marque experts, since standards may differ slightly between clubs and show organizations.

For the 1938 Graham in 650-16, both the BFGoodrich and Garfield offerings listed are wide whitewall bias-ply tires. Each shows a maximum load capacity of 1580 pounds at 32 psi and a rim width range of 4.50 to 5.00 inches on a 16-inch wheel, but they differ in branding, tread identity, and listed weight. The BFGoodrich entry is a 3.75-inch whitewall in the Silvertown Classic Bias Ply series, while the Garfield version is a Zig Zag Tread wide whitewall.

That makes them close in basic fitment but different in visual personality, which is often what matters most on a show-oriented prewar car. One owner may prefer a well-known legacy brand presentation, while another may want the period flavor of a specific tread and whitewall look. When authenticity is the priority, compare the appearance of the sidewall and tread against period photos and restoration goals rather than choosing only by brand familiarity.

1938 Graham tires can be suitable for highway use when they are the correct size, in sound condition, properly inflated, and matched to wheels in good shape. The sizes covered here are bias-ply designs, so the road feel will be more period-correct than modern, with behavior that reflects prewar construction rather than later radial expectations. On a car of this age, the overall mechanical condition often matters as much as the tire itself.

A well-sorted 1938 Graham should be approached as a vintage automobile, not driven as though it were a modern sedan. Steering response, braking distances, suspension condition, and how long the car has been sitting all influence how comfortable and safe a highway trip will feel. If the tires are older, the alignment is questionable, or the car has not been exercised recently, a conservative shake-down drive is the right place to start.

For 1938 Graham tires in 650-16, listed examples show a maximum load capacity of 1580 pounds at 32 psi. That figure is a product rating, not automatically the same as the factory operating pressure for every 1938 Graham application. Inflation on a collector car should respect both the tire maker’s published limit and the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended usage when that reference is available.

The practical approach is to use the original owner’s manual or a trusted marque reference for the car’s intended running pressure, then confirm that the tire itself is being used within its published limits. Avoid borrowing a pressure figure from another size or another Graham model simply because the wheel diameter matches. Pressure affects ride, wear, and handling, so matching the recommendation to the specific size matters.

Before a longer drive in a 1938 Graham, inspect each tire for cracks, cuts, bulges, exposed cord, uneven wear, and stable air pressure. Make sure the spare is usable and that the wheels, lug hardware, and valve stems are in sound condition. A prewar car that appears fine in the garage can reveal age-related tire problems quickly once heat and sustained road speed are involved.

That tire inspection should be part of a broader check that includes brakes, steering, cooling, and the condition of the suspension. If the car has not been driven recently, begin with a shorter outing to confirm how it tracks and whether the tires stay consistent as they warm up. A little preparation goes a long way with a 1938 Graham, especially when the car is used mostly for occasional pleasure driving.