Author Topic: Tyres?  (Read 6738 times)

silver surfer

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Tyres?
« on: March 31, 2015, 08:49:20 »
Hi all
My car still has the original black wall  tyres from 1969 so want to replace them for safety reasons whilst the car is being restored.

What are people fitting these days as original  black wall replacements?

Also may consider whitewalls?

Many thanks

Jkalplus1

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Re: Tyres?
« Reply #1 on: March 31, 2015, 11:09:50 »
Vredestein Sprints for blackwall, Coker Phoenix for whitewall. These two have the right thread look and curb lip in the original tire profile.  Other brands can accomodate cheaper replacement in workable sizes.  The Technical manual has a good section on tires that will tell you what works on our cars.
J

mbzse

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Re: Tyres?
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2015, 11:40:05 »
Quote from: silver surfer
../...What are people fitting these days as original  black wall replacements? Also may consider whitewalls
You can find some hopefully useful info in this posting:
http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=16028.msg121517#msg121517
/Hans in Sweden
.
/Hans S

Dave H

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Re: Tyres?
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2015, 12:43:09 »
Mercedes 250SL    1967
Mercedes 250SLK  2014
Alfa Romeo 166 3.2 Ti
Fiat 500

silver surfer

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Re: Tyres?
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2015, 13:48:14 »
Dave
These look very reasonable and with the ridge pretty close aesthetically to the originals.
I need 5 so thanks for the tip!
Is H speed rating acceptable for Insurance?
 
Regards

Rolf-Dieter ✝︎

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Re: Tyres?
« Reply #5 on: March 31, 2015, 15:10:49 »
You might like to have a read here too.

Check it out ----> http://www.mbca.org/forum/tires-69-280-sl
DD 2011 SL 63 AMG and my 69 Pagoda 280 SL

Paul99

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Re: Tyres?
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2015, 15:47:36 »
I bought four Falken 185/80R14 which seems to be right rotation as the speedo is spot on.   £300 for 4 fitted. 

Not the original look and not white walls but seem ok. 

dowsup

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Re: Tyres?
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2015, 23:45:45 »
Silver Surfer,
Check out Wikipedia for the history of the W113, and "The Original Mercedes SL-Restorer's Guide to the SL's" by Lawrence Meredith covers this very well.  Initially, the 230 was fitted with Michelin X radial tyres, however due to less than acceptable performance, Firestone-Phoenix and Continental radials were the most common OEM replacements.  Also, according to the Guide, Dunlop's were used for cars going to England.  So, in short, all are correct.  There is also some wonderful information and pictures in "Factory Original Mercedes SL" by James Taylor.

66andBlue

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Re: Tyres?
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2015, 03:22:07 »
Neither Wikipedia nor the Meredith book are a good source for "originality". As was discussed here many times the Meredith book has more errors  than a Swiss cheese has holes and Taylor copied much information from Meredith without checking further. For example, the first Pagoda to arrive in the USA (VIN # 00003) had Continental white wall tires.
If you want to find out what was "original" just use the search function here and you will find the answers.
Alfred
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1966 230SL automatic 334G light blue (sold)
1968 280SL automatic (now 904G midnight blue)

stickandrudderman

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Re: Tyres?
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2015, 17:16:15 »
I will post my tyres comment in the commercial section..............