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I think I'd get rid of the bias ply even though they are new... they really aren't so great for driving on. Sell them to someone who only drives in parades...
BF Goodrich, Goodyear, and others make radial whitewalls. White rubber will last a lot longer than white paint.
As for crash protection, well... old cars suck in a crash. It's not just the X-frame in that '59 Chevy that makes it fall apart. Modern cars have a much more rigid cabin; notice how there is little deformation of the '09 Malibu but the dash of the Bel Air moves upwards, the windshield pops out, the driver's door pops open, the roof crumples, etc... The malibu has crumple zones to absorb the impact before it gets transferred to the cabin. Even though the Malibu is a physically smaller car made with lightweight materials, the two cars in that video weigh almost the same amount; in large part due to extra bracing for crash safety.
I love old cars, but it's not because they are "safe". Old cars need to make sure that the #1 safety device of any car is operating well: the driver.
Mike
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