tyres/rims - any thoughts?

[gamma a.i.]

Zanetti....just listen to your wallet & go ahead i purchasing Pirellis & then post fotos after they are mounted; you, the car, lovely blond girls, enthralling vistas & yes, not to forget ....the wheels & tires.

I am sure it is a measurement "in smidgeons" concering overall "performance" of the Pirel, Fires or Michel...just don't (please) do what was mentioned herein some months back by someone in, I believe, USA...purchasing no-name china-junk for a Fulvia... because of the price.

I have always been partial to Pirelli "performance tires"; since they were (perhaps still are) 1st choice of many "sporty-car manufacturers" & generally rate high in "neutral-testing"...as Mich; Yoko & Conto also do...+ perhaps others I can't list now...because only the above 4 name pop in mind as being 'leading candidates'.
For wat is worth....Conti seems to always be 1 of the top brands...be it 14, 15, 16 or larger-sizes; leading me to believe that they only produce "top-tires".

I do not have Conti on any of my cars though...since they are so dern-expensive, even in Germany...where they are produced !!; but they also have a "private-label brand (supposedly the same tires at 1/2 price ???) that my tire shop recommends for "everyday cars"; they have been fine on our company vans & I can (oh help) half-way live / cry over the price

I remember the days when my tire-shop (same guys for 35 yrs !!!; my ...they got so old !!!) used to saved "good used wheels/tires for me...usually when some crazy-person traded 1/2 fat wheels/tires for 1/1 fat wheels & tires after welding on fender flares to a ...for example.. BMW 2002, Opel Manta:) etc.........ah, what times they were. I could even afford fuel back then !

[lancialulu]

Ed you are quite right re size availability. It seems the 175 whatever is a poor relation in the tyre world.

Thats why I went for 70's to broaden the choice, and Dunlops (Sport) SP01 as a compromise tyre (175/70/14) for the occasional track day but good allround wet / dry performance - they were much cheaper than the M's as well. IMHO it is no good unless one keeps swopping tyres/wheels to have a track oriented tyre such a Yokohama A008 etc as if it rains on the way home (assume one is a gentleman driver and drives to the track and not trailers the car) it will be a very unnerving and unpleasent and ultimately might be costly experience!!!!

I like Gamma have enjoyed this thread. We should start one on Carello versus Cibie v Siem etc headlights...............

Tim

[ZanettiZA]

I have to agree with you Tim and Gamma, this has been a very interesting thread and very informative, and no, I certainly will not be fitting cheap Chinese chunk to my car...

[gamma a.i.]

my 05 Jun 2010 01:12AM post has been slightly added to this evening. No, I am not drinking (again!!!)

Who is going to the Benelux Meet this Year !!

[lancialulu]

John

We are - are you and your grappa wagon?

Tim

[gamma a.i.]

Lula, we soitenly wood like two attend again; but...as always...many factors play a (jelly) role in this decision ... so ... it is too early to even think about thinking about attendence in 2010...or too think about which Lance will get muddy this year...or, perhaps, will take the stright line route each morning to the destination & stop to enjoy historical sites; avoiding views of godzilla-size beef -cows & their droppingsB).

In any case, the event seems to be moving further & further away from the DE-Benelux-France Border, which makes it harder to get to/from....from our direction anyway::o

[lancialulu]

Harder but we make the effort to cross the river!!!

Maybe this conversation should reemerg in right thread.

Tim

[gamma a.i.]

just mention the word "wheel" or "camber" or "tire/tyre" & you will be alright.

I was driving along thinking about wheels/tires when I remembered that the initial SWB Porsche 911/912 tire / wheel was 165 (70?) on steel 14"; a dangerous driving combination ! As Porsche & many Porsche drivers soon found out:X

of course these VW Beetle bolt pattern wheels would never fit a Fulvia (I have to get Fulvia into this message somewhere, somehow; didn't I !!

Alloy 15" wheels wearing 185 shoes were an expensive option.
I still 'did not ever like driving old 9'ers wearing them either & fully understood why so many S1 9'ers got fender flares & fatter footwear...which "back then" was considered "cool".

Now-a-days 9'er nuts would be reverted back to original fenders & footwear; thereby increasing car-value by 500%. Older 9'ers also (often) got a f&r spoilers "back then"; which certainly helped road-holding.

Unfortunately, these spoilers will not adapt easily to any model Fulvia B)

Historical Note: the balance on S1 911 (912 less so, but still "exciting") was so rear-biased that Porsche hid very heave steel weights in r & l corners of the (worthless) "integrated-front-bumpers; instead of manufacturing bumper more internally massive ( crash absorbing, therefore givíng the front bumper pan a bumper-purpose other than covering the front frame.

Of course, energy absorbing bumpers were not a major design consideration in the early 60's, as can also be witnessed on all model of Fulvia

[gamma a.i.]

to close this thread; let us know what song the fat-lady sings

[lancialulu]

I am tyred of this old song????????