Tires

[bneville]

I have a 1964 230SL.  I have been running 195/75R14 tires for quite a while now.  They are about dry rotted out.  I looked around for 185/ 14 tires trying too stay original, but all roads lead to Coker which are quite expensive. I live in Savananh,Ga. I recently stopped at one of my local tire dealers and they came up with 2 different mfgs. for 195/75R14 tires.  Hankook on the car with a litany of add ons was $553.63 all in for 4 tires. This included nitrogen ? They are a 60000 mile tire.  The way I use the car they would last till 2025. They also had Milestar tires ?  These are 40000 mile tires also with nitrogen. They are $532.23 all in for 4 tires. 

Anybody have any experiance with these mgs. I wiould appeciate any and all comments on better options and tires. What purpose does nitrogen serve ?  Also, if I need to inflate tires after the initial nitogen filling can I put plain good old air in them ?

Thank you,
Brian

[mdsalemi]

Brian,

Continental has a tire called Vanco 2, 185-14. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=Vanco+2&sidewall=Blackwall&partnum=8QR4V2&tab=Sizes
As long as you don't want WW you do have a few different ones available.
The "Tire du Jour" is the Vredestein Sprint Classic. Available in 185-14, but not as easy to find
There are plenty of no-name tires around too.
Plenty written about nitrogen; its best benefit is extra $$$ for those selling it to you.
Try a few different tire dealers in the area.

[bneville]

Thanks Michael, my data card shows whitewalls and that is what I have now.

Brian

[gimp]

Brian
I bought the Hankook 195/75/14 WW last year.
They look good and I find the ride not bad.
Frank

[bneville]

Thank you for the comment,

Brian

[mdsalemi]

Thanks Michael, my data card shows whitewalls and that is what I have now.

Brian

Whitewalls are a very polarizing and personal thing. If you love the look of whitewalls on your car, despite what your data card may show, by all means go for them.  My card shows them too, but I can tell you that most Europeans (if one were to buy my car) would remove them in lieu of BW in a heartbeat.  To each their own, to h*** with the data card. I love the look, but that's just me.

There are other recent threads on the topic, and at least one firm in the USA (Diamond Back Classics; http://www.dbtires.com) will vulcanize a whitewall of select sizes, on any tire.  They also have a selection of stock items; best to call.

http://www.callitw.com/calliwwtires.php is another place

The WW adds a limiting factor and raises the cost a bit, whether stock or custom. The Hankook Optimo that gimp/Frank refers to are about $80 each and doubtful you'll find much better a price on a WW tire than that.

[Peter van Es]

I just was quoted € 127,63 per tire on a Vredestein Classic Sprint tire for our car here in the Netherlands (according to my supplier, Vredestein recently cut prices dramatically). So I ordered 5.

Peter

[bneville]

The original color of my car is 181H, light beige which is what color it is today.  When I put the tires that are on it now many years ago I did put the blackwall on the outside.  After seeing the data card it said whitewalls so I turned them around. I thought it made a big difference in the appearance. It just seems to look cleaner and brighter. I have had the car 27 years, showing the whitewalls on it makes it look like a different car.  Thanks for all your comments We can only learn from asking.

Brian

[bneville]

Thanks Peter, I will research them to see what pricing they are in the States.

[mdsalemi]

I just was quoted € 127,63 per tire on a Vredestein Classic Sprint tire for our car here in the Netherlands (according to my supplier, Vredestein recently cut prices dramatically). So I ordered 5.

This will probably grate a lot of people the wrong way, but from the best of my sleuthing ability, it appears as if "the market" for Vredestein in the USA is controlled by...Coker. You know, the same Coker that so many are trying to avoid because their prices are so high?  Though there seem to be several sellers of this Sprint Classic in the USA, there also seems to be a fixed price of USD $163 each...and all the places list it as a Coker Vredestien to boot!

Peter, at today's Euro-Dollar exchange, you paid USD $163.40 each.

Talk about price fixing!!!

[Peter van Es]

Michael,

I'm glad you posted that... about a year ago I was quoted a cheapest rate of over €200 per tire for a Vredestein Sprint Classic in the Netherlands... even though the company is Dutch. That's why I went for this. But you might be right...

Peter

[mdsalemi]

Please report back on your tire experience.  Based on casual and anecdotal information to date, my next tire will be the Sprint Classic, but with added white walls in precisely the same size/location as the Coker Phoenix.  My tires are fine now--no signs of any issues, but they are 7 years old now and won't last forever.

[tel76]

Peter,
You should get a quote from   Mytyres, I got 4 a few weeks ago for around £90 delivered to the UK from Germany.

[66andBlue]

... Peter, at today's Euro-Dollar exchange, you paid USD $163.40 each.
Talk about price fixing!!!

If the price of € 127,63 per tire that Peter mentions includes 19% VAT - which is the norm in the Euro zone - then the comparable price without tax is € 107.25 or $137.31.
Is that not less than what they cost here?
Peter, how much does tire mounting cost in Holland, and what kind of road hazard insurance is included?

[TR]

Please report back on your tire experience.  Based on casual and anecdotal information to date, my next tire will be the Sprint Classic, but with added white walls in precisely the same size/location as the Coker Phoenix.  My tires are fine now--no signs of any issues, but they are 7 years old now and won't last forever.

Michael, I started coordinating with the founder of Diamond Back (Bill) several months ago about putting 3/4 inch (or 19mm) white walls on a set of Veredestein Sprint Classics.  Diamond Back acquired the blackwall tires, but then ran into difficulty related to some issue having to do with the rub strip.  They'd not done this particular tire before and had to design & machine a special metal plate to make it work in their process.  Took quite a bit of time & effort on their part but they did indeed get it done, and the rub strip was untouched in the process.  The folks at Diamond Back (in South Carolina) then sent the new 3/4" whitewall Vredestein Sprint Classics directly to my favorite guru who's working on the car in Maine.  He recently had the new tires mounted and reports significantly improve handling.  Not an inexpensive process, but hopefully a very good speed-rated whitewall of the correct size.  As I think you know, he's gone over almost everything on the car, and I can't wait to see it & drive it.

[Flyair]

I just was quoted € 127,63 per tire on a Vredestein Classic Sprint tire for our car here in the Netherlands (according to my supplier, Vredestein recently cut prices dramatically). So I ordered 5.
Peter

Peter, you grossly overpaid your tires

The - excuse me - French reseller Allopneu.com sells them just above 100€ piece all taxes included.

http://www.allopneus.com/find?activite=1&type=10&marque=170&d1=185&d2=&d3=14&d4=&d5=&variante=&saison=e

[Peter van Es]

First of all, with Internet tire places you never know how long the tire has been in stock. I've heard horror stories of many year old tires being supplied. Secondly, my price includes fitting them on the rims, and balancing them. So I think it is still a good deal.

Peter

[mdsalemi]

If the price of € 127,63 per tire that Peter mentions includes 19% VAT - which is the norm in the Euro zone - then the comparable price without tax is € 107.25 or $137.31.
Is that not less than what they cost here?

Points taken, Alfred--yes, in the Eurozone, the VAT is always included in the "landed price" whereas in the USA, tax (when necessary) is always added on "in addition to".  From mail order, of course, there is no tax, just delivery.

I noted this about the tire for two reasons: first, that this well-respected Vredestein is basically controlled in the USA by Coker, the firm that many are trying to avoid. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that if you buy this tire from any number of the other places selling it in the USA, such as Summit Racing, that it is drop-shipped from Coker.

The second point, which may be mere coincidence considering these tax issues etc. is that Peter's price was within a dollar of the "fixed" price here in the USA.

Bottom line is I don't think an American at least, is going to find this tire for less than $163...

[J. Huber]

Boy, this thread got some mileage on it quickly, didn't it?

So all the discussion is on 185/14s. Back in the day many of us chose 195s instead. I recall some justification for this. Just not sure what it was...

Anybody know? Are 195s out there. Preferable (correctness aside)?

[Flyair]

First of all, with Internet tire places you never know how long the tire has been in stock. I've heard horror stories of many year old tires being supplied. Secondly, my price includes fitting them on the rims, and balancing them. So I think it is still a good deal. Peter

Peter,

If this is fitted and balanced price, then no doubt it's a good deal. However, as for the remark about old tyres being supplied it is indeed always a risk. So far I bought a few times the tyres for my cars (here in Poland changing tyres for the winter season is almost a habit), but at ordering I always requested the month and year of production to be stated and at delivery I double checked the correctness of the year code. In other words there is a way to avoid "vintage" tyres.  

[gerster]

Last winter I bought 4 Michelin tires 195/85 14 for just  €425.-, not so bad I think.

[Louis]

Peter,

If this is fitted and balanced price, then no doubt it's a good deal. However, as for the remark about old tyres being supplied it is indeed always a risk. So far I bought a few times the tyres for my cars (here in Poland changing tyres for the winter season is almost a habit), but at ordering I always requested the month and year of production to be stated and at delivery I double checked the correctness of the year code. In other words there is a way to avoid "vintage" tyres.  

Good point.....
I've been buying tires online for a few years now and haven't received old stock yet.....If I received an old tire I would be sure to contact the seller immediately for replacement....but so far that need hasn't arisen......

[Peter van Es]

VAT in Holland is now at 21%, and yes, included in that price. And yes, with mounting and balancing it's a good deal.

Peter

[jameshoward]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1159000

Interesting thread on the Classic Sprints. I, too, am looking for new tyres, as mine are about 6 years old.

[Larry & Norma]

I have Vredesteins and they have the deformations as described on piston heads so I
went to my trusted garage (not the supplier) for an opinion they said "it is just moulding
marks and quite common on tyres with a wide sidewall. Nothing to worry about"
I am happy with my Vredesteins