Tyre Options - Seeking guidance from you wise ones

ShanksKop

Club Member
Greetings All,

Hoping you and your loved ones are all safe & well and keeping positive with this latest lockdown.

I'm just seeking some tyre clarification/guidance. I have a 1975 280z (stock) on Turbines/Western Wheels (what is the actual proper name for these wheels?) and some ancient Goodyear P195/70/R14 tyres that were on the vehicle when imported.

I sense it's a regular subject.

What are people using for a road car, driven year round (mainly in the dry) I don't need anything extreme, just a good all round handling tyre.

I am in no way a tyre/wheel afficianado.
- What tyre size came as stock (Brand, Size, model) when new?
- What alternative sizes are now deemed more suitable or should I keep the same?
- What tyres (brand/model) are people's preference in the UK for a road going vehicle?
- Any preferred retailers?

There's a plethora of posts, but all mentioning various sizes that just don't seem to be consistent. I need all 4 replacing

Thanks in advance. All help always greatly appreciated.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20190211_154116.jpg
    IMG_20190211_154116.jpg
    436.4 KB · Views: 20

datsfun

Club Member
Are you retaining the current wheels ?

If so what is their spec. Width and offset ?

Will you be lowering the car in future?

All these assist in making the tyre size choice. (IMO)
 

ShanksKop

Club Member
For now, yep keeping the wheels and no current plans to lower

Spec - No idea (how do I find out?) They came with the car. Is it a case of getting the tape measure out?

Are these wheels a common standard option at the time? If so, highly likely all standard.
 

toopy

Club Member
Spec - No idea (how do I find out?) They came with the car. Is it a case of getting the tape measure out?

"Goodyear P195/70/R14 tyres" So the wheels are 14 inch and wearing 195mm width tyres, the wheels look in your pics to be maybe 6" or 7" wide, judging by tyre stretch or lack thereof, offset is likely to be a standard zero, unlikely to have a positive offset on period wheels, but may have a small negative.
Of course, apart from the obvious 14" diameter, the above is pure guess work, so best to have a measure up ;)

Performance tyres for 14" wheels can be a royal pain to find these days, average to good spec is more the order of the day!
 

AliK

Vehicle Dating Officer
Staff member
Club Member
I was about to ditch my 14” wheels for better tyre choice but I couldn’t decide on the wheels I likes so I bought a set of Bridgestone Turanza T005 and have been stunned by their level of grip in both wet and dry with good feedback and feel. Silverstone trip a couple of years ago was a total wash out but I had the confidence to push the car 90% as hard as I do in the dry. They are that good.

https://tyres.buycarparts.co.uk/bridgestone-3286341379914-13799
 

istoo

Well-Known Forum User
generally speaking tyres are the problem not wheels.
I wanted to keep my car on close to original spec so have some of datsfuns Ataras which are great on the car with a set of Nankang NS2s in 205 60 14.
I agonised over this for about a year...
Cooper cobra radials i did fancy but they were 215 70 14 which was always going to be tight so i didnt do it.
 
Top