Widening the wheel was still considered the most you could do to gain cornering grip and maximum tire wall stiffness.
Therefore, the 8 inch rim with a 225-50-15 would generate better cornering g-force than the 7". Even with the exact same tire.
As the picture Ron posted (great pic Ron) indicates, the 225-50-15 tire fits so nicely within the stock fender without interference. Why fix something that ain't broken?
Even the fact that just the iron Girlings were used on the race cars indicates the car is not even in dire need of controlling the shocking more precisely by reducing unsprung weight?
These cars are really an outstanding example of how you can drive them daily on the street and take them racing on the weekends.
Much more so than even a Cobra is. If you get a little warm in the cabin during the race, turn on the a/c. A little bored waiting around for the flagman to call your group, turn on the stereo? No need to hide under the underpass if you get caught in the "rain"? In the Cobra? I don't think so.
I personally purely by coincidence was able to do a side by side comparison of a 71 Pantera and a 427 s/c. Circa 1978.
The Pantera was by far easier to handle than the Cobra and with it's Weber equipped, high compression Boss 351, was notch per notch, as fast. The Pantera had Scheel seats in it, which for me made the cabin too confining...but it wasn't my car, so who could complain? Both were low EASY 12 SECOND 1/4 mile cars. I had to give each back unless I WANTED to get arrested AND have the cars confiscated as well.
What is the item in the illustration that looks like a Chiropractors spine display and the other rod that looks like a shift shaft component?