Best Looking Tire

Teby approved are Vredesteins

I have the stock Nankangs but no weird brown stuff on mine, picked the car up in September 2014

Have you tried - 

https://www.amazon.com/Forever...-FB810/dp/B000EQVMZC

Vredelsteins are great, Michelin XZX (Coker) are even better, and for a budget tire, Tire Rack's Sprint Classics are OK too.

chines1 posted:

Vredelsteins are great, Michelin XZX (Coker) are even better, and for a budget tire, Tire Rack's Sprint Classics are OK too.

And here it is mounted to a VW rim.

chines1 posted:

Vredelsteins are great, Michelin XZX (Coker) are even better, and for a budget tire, Tire Rack's Sprint Classics are OK too.

One of the classic car magazines (Hemmings Sports and Exotic (RIP) or Classic Motorsports) did a comparison of the Vredesteins and the Michelins and they preferred the Vredestein, which also happened to be less expensive.  I installed a set of Vredestein Sprint Classics from Tire Rack this summer and have been pleased so far.  They did quite well on a late September trip to the mountains.

I installed Vredestein's this past Summer on my 550 and love them. The diameter for my 15" rims looks great and they have the widths I was looking for.

I installed the Tire Rack Classics on my 356 they are ok but I can tell the difference. I should have put the Vredestein's on it too and may do so next Summer.

Is the Sprint Classic a Tire Rack store brand made for them by some undisclosed manufacturer? Or is it made by Vredestein?

I'd say yes for your first question and no for your second question. The Tire Rack tires IMO also don't look as good nor drive/ride as good as the Vred's. I run 22 Lbs front and 24 rear on both cars.

The Vreds are called Sprint Classics, but unless they've trademarked that name Tire Rack is free to use it on their own.  Mine are made by Vredestein.

If we are just talking better looking and price is not a concern(it usually is) Pirelli re-popped the CN36 with modern material.  Ooh these are hot!  I'm a self confessed tire whore. 

http://www.lucasclassictires.c...CN36-N4-p16515n4.htm

Marty - As an owner of some of your castoffs,  that made me laugh out loud. 

You guys are are spooky.  I was just about to ask the tire question.  I had pretty much made up my mind on the Vreds and I was going to ask how the field trials were going.

I would also like to get some opinions on the best place to buy the spin balance adapter for wide 5's. The local tire place doesn't have one.  (big surprise) I think that will be my "winter upgrade". Thanks.

What is a spin balance adaptor?

Most tire shops dont have an adaptor for wide 5 wheels. Many of us have purchased an aluminum adaptor to help get our wheels balanced properly.  

this on the Samba now

What is that... Steel? Pfft... I mean if you're into basic materials.

I keep a Manley adapter under the passenger seat.  Priceless when you need it.  I believe I read that Manley went out of business. Someone correct me if this is not true.  

Thanks guys.  I'll look up that Mainely adapter or measure my wheel lugs.  Now all I need is a little more mad money.

on the Vreds, Al.

Al:  Wish I had one you could borrow, but I've never had Wide Fives.  The Mainely Custom guy has retired and sold his stock and tools to Don Ladow, who is continuing many of the Mainely products.   Start saving your fried clam change and get one of these (they are really nice, but $$):

http://www.precisionmatters.bi...alancing-adapter.php

Don's site, Precision Matters, doesn't take on-line orders and tells you to just call him at the shop.    Around $110

The easiest way to clean and make a tire look new is a wipe down with lacquer thinner.. tire dressings will cause you to curse when you rub your leg up against the tire.

Ha-ha-ha...ain't that the truth

  ReV

LennyC took an old Volvo rotor and drilled and tapped it for 5 x 205. Cheap and easy, hole in the middle easily fits balancers.

I got a Mainely years ago, great to have.

When my car was being built by Vintage Speedsters I asked Kirk to install a set of Vintage 190 wide fives.  I also specified that Pirelli or Michelin tires be installed; however, when the car arrived it was sporting a set of Blacklion BH15 Cilerro 185/65R15 tires.  The fact that they are made in Vietnam did not set well with me but I was assured they would be fine so I agreed to give them some slack. 

Well, I have a tendency to drive aggressively and while the car handles very well through the turns etc., when coming to a complete stop the tires have very little grip and scare me to death.  Needless to say, I've looking for something better.

Has anyone here ever tried a set of Continental Extreme Contact tires?  

Cliff

Blacklion BH15 Cilerro 

Wow.

Blacklions are $50 tires.

Pirelli P-4s are $90. I think you are owed $160, at least.

Talk about being taken for a ride...

"Has anyone here ever tried a set of Continental Extreme Contact tires?"

One of my friends drives a BMW Z3 M Coupe with a supercharger on the track with those.  He speaks highly of them.  I run Michelin Pilot Super Sports on my BMW 128i, both on the street wheels and (slightly wider) on the track rims.  I love 'em but I don't know if they come in a size that would fit a Speedster.

Cliff, if you want to stop faster you'll need a pure summer performance tire.  Its very hard to find a non all season performance tire in that size.  Find a Vredestein dealer near you and look at the Sport Trac 5 summer tires or if you want classic vintage look the Sprint Classics mentioned earlier.   The Sprint classic's will be 1/2 taller.  I run the Giugiaro styled Sport Trac 5's.  

Italian Styled wife and tires:-)

Now those are pretty tires (and wheels)!  I've been looking at the Continental Extreme Contact High Performance Summer tires as replacement for my '16 Miata GT.  Compared to Michelin and BFG they are 1/2 the price and other Miata owners rave about performance.  Summer performance tires say don't use them when weather is below 40 degrees as grip is greatly reduced.  I'm in FL so I'll just wait to sun comes up but folks north might have a couple month wait.  I've always like Pirelli's performance but I swear I could see less tread each time on drove on them (years ago on a TR Spitfire).  They grip but the rubber compound is soft - compare the wear index.  A 200-240 tread wear is a soft rubber compound - sticky but at a more frequent replacement cost.

The Michelin PSSs are actually cheaper than the Contis in the smaller sizes.  I got them in 225/45-17 for $134 each from Tire Rack.

WOLFGANG posted:

...  I've always like Pirelli's performance but I swear I could see less tread each time on drove on them (years ago on a TR Spitfire).  They grip but the rubber compound is soft - compare the wear index.  A 200-240 tread wear is a soft rubber compound - sticky but at a more frequent replacement cost.

Remember, though, on cars like ours that are only driven a couple/few thousand miles a year, a long wearing tire will be hard and outdated long before one could ever drive the mileage out of them. Slightly cheaper, faster wearing tires that have to be replaced every few years (which you have to do anyway to be safe) allows you to sample ever changing up to date technology more often. 

WOLFGANG posted:

 

...I've always like Pirelli's performance but I swear I could see less tread each time on drove on them ...They grip but the rubber compound is soft - compare the wear index.  A 200-240 tread wear is a soft rubber compound - sticky but at a more frequent replacement cost.

I had a set of the Conti Extreme Contacts on a Scion XD (our slow, boxy, utility car).

Hard to say much about tire performance on such a meager ride, although the compound was definitely soft and grippy.

BUT, got the worst tread life of any tire I've ever had - and we obviously don't drive that car very hard. Of course, if you're doing only 5000 miles a year on the Speedster, tread life may not matter too much.

Exactly,  get the softest tire you can  find in your preferred size.  

To Lane, Marty, Wolfgang, Alb and Sacto Mitch. 

I want to thank each of you for sharing with me your personal experience with various brands of tires.  Because of your good advice (all) I feel much more confident about picking a far better and much safer set of tires to replacement the (dubious) ones that came with the car. 

What a relief.

Cliff 

FWIW, I logged 100,000 miles on my previous VS with only two sets of tires. The 2nd set was installed at 60K miles. Both sets 185x60 Michelins. To me, that's money in the bank.

Your mileage may vary... 

MusbJim posted:

FWIW, I logged 100,000 miles on my previous VS with only two sets of tires. The 2nd set was installed at 60K miles. Both sets 185x60 Michelins. To me, that's money in the bank.

Don’t you know that your tires age into concrete donuts, then disintegrate into a a pile of powder if you let them get more than 2 weeks old?!?

Oh, the humanity!

MusbJim posted:

FWIW, I logged 100,000 miles on my previous VS with only two sets of tires. The 2nd set was installed at 60K miles. Both sets 185x60 Michelins. To me, that's money in the bank.

Your mileage may vary... 

Jim, 

For the record, I have used nothing but Michelin tires on my cars since 1970 and have never been disappointed.   

About an hour ago I called the folks at Michelin (1-866 866-6606) to find out what "style" of Michelin tire comes in a size 185/65R15.   

Well, they make two types.  The Defender T+H and Premier A/S (H). 

Judging from reviews I've read on the internet, the Premier A/S (H) comes highly recommended; therefore, I am seriously thinking about buying a set of them. 

 Oh, they also said that due to high demand in the market place, production of the tires is on back order approximately 3 to 4 weeks. . . but why would anyone care about having to wait a little while if they only wanted the best?

Happy Holidays!

Cliff