Classic modern or modern modern tyres!?

[AliK]

So gang, one of my colleagues at work is a total high quality geek and really goes to the nth degree on things.

He runs a very nice condition Bristol and just spent £1600 on new tyres manufactured to old specs to keep it totally original. I told him I can get 4 sets of 4 Michelins and change for my A4 for that money!

His retort to my A4 jibe was the diagram below from his mechanic / tyre seller (no hidden agenda there)!

But the logic says the old cars' suspension and geometries were set up for old tyres, so with new tyres they are not going to break away progressively.

Any thoughts, experience, prior punch ups on this topic?

 

[Farmer42]

I think that if you are showing to Concours standard, or you have a vintage car with wire wheels etc. then it has to be the classic tyre. Otherwise why spend silly money on something that will only wear out. A modern tyre will look fine on a classic car.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

Historic race cars have to use old spec racing tyres.

 

[AliK]

My immediate thought was are they any good for staying on the road with modern traffic cornering speeds / are the tyre walls less sturdy than modern tyres.

The tragic part of our conversation was that he hasn't driven the car for 11 months and is worried he may have flat spots from the car just standing! :s

A lot of money to throw away if he has damaged them.

 

[AliK]

Historic race cars have to use old spec racing tyres.

Didn't know that!

 

[Alphabettispaghetti]

old spec rubber built using modern techniques though.

Given the modern nature of the s30 suspension design I don't think its a factor to worry about, the only concern would be the running low profile or extra load tyres as thats not what the suspension design was designed to run with. Saying that running none standard suspension does change things.

Worth always considering that the very fastest of the HSCC cars do not run fully polybushed joints.

 

[Huw]

There are a couple of companies that specialise in classic tyre remanufacture. My 38' Humber runs on original spec Dunlop tyres. Modern tyres wouldn't fit the rims and would look stupid anyway.

 

[anthon51]

So having read the above comments I am still puzzled as to which tyres to order for my 1974 260Z2+2 which came with the Bridgstone -SF-315.Size 195/70/91V Any suggestions will be very much apreciated.I need to replace all four. Is Bridgstone not in business anymore.

 

[SKiddell]

Crossplys .....................................the're the future

 

[datsfun]

Crossplys .....................................the're the future

What he ^ said

 

[RIDDLER]

The tragic part of our conversation was that he hasn't driven the car for 11 months and is worried he may have flat spots from the car just standing! :s

A lot of money to throw away if he has damaged them.

If he’s running a Bristol he can probably afford it!

 

[RIDDLER]

So having read the above comments I am still puzzled as to which tyres to order for my 1974 260Z2+2 which came with the Bridgstone -SF-315.Size 195/70/91V Any suggestions will be very much apreciated.I need to replace all four. Is Bridgstone not in business anymore.

Don’t know where you get that idea from? I put four Bridgestones on my 260Z (when I had it) quite recently and they were excellent.

 

[Stockdale]

Original Z's ran on 14 inch wheels and tyres for that diameter are difficult to come by other than budget options such as Nankang and Nexen. As far as I know Bridgestone (originally Firestone) still produce tyres although they did take a big financial hit in court a few years back by being 'naughty boys' and fixing price regimes.

15 inch wheels like those on my car (and those on Riddlers car when he had it) open up the horizon in terms of tyre option. I have Avon 205/60 R15 91V for normal road use and find them excellent. The overall diameter is an almost perfect match to original 14 inch wheel (195/70 VR) tyres originally fitted to a '74 260z and so ride height remains unchanged and the speedometer is accurate against sat-nav reading.