hypoid53 Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 Whilst I have the Spitfire up on stands for a winter overhaul, I realise that my Michelin Classic 155R13 tyres are now 15 years old! Although in very good condition (the MOT man said so!!) I feel it is time they were replaced given that 'modern' tyres are only good for 6 years.I see that 13 inch tyres on 80 aspect ratio are very rare now, so will consider 175/70's. I have used Avon 175/70 CR322's on my GT6 with 5J rims, but would rather fit something else on the Spitfire with original 4.5J steel wheels. Any recommendations for a summer use, low annual mileage tyre? 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferny Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 I fitted Falken SN832 for their wet weather performance. Very happy with them and the car no longer dances on man hole covers and wet grip is as good as dry. It'll still spin the wheels in 2nd gear easily if poked... I also used to run 24psi front and 26psi rear, I'm now running 30psi all around as I get a feel for them and they still look flat! Not too easy to find in some sizes - there were only eight 175/70/r13 in the country when I bought mine. I almost got some Dunlop StreetResponse 2 as a result.http://www.falken.nl/sincera-sn832-ecorun/?lang=enFrom personal experience I'll not use Michelin and I'd never touch Continentals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 I have good experience with Falken too, but in a different size and mine are 914's.Also VERY good experience with some Goodyear efficient grip tyres, really excellent in the wet. At 15 years old the tread may look great still, but grip will be severely compromised. You are doing the right thing.This site is good at finding good dealshttp://www.tyrepriceadvisor.co.uk/en/search/-/-/175/70/13/fitted/-/-/-/-or try tyreshopper (national tyres online arm, but way cheaper) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royboy66 Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 I'm running 5.5" x 13 on My GT6 with 175/70/13 tyres , on my 3rd set of Yokohama's. I like them ! 😎Roy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royboy66 Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocita Rosso Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 A539`s.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny-Jimbo Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 ^ What he said, or if the car is only used in the dry, AO40's (I think that's the number) are good tyres. Won't last 15 years though - quite soft rubber.I find that Demon Tweeks have a very good range of mail order tyres, and easy to filter by size. They aren't always the cheapest to order from, but give you an idea of what is available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 I use this site for some very good fitted prices: http://www.tyre-shopper.co.uk/ Ive fitted 165/80/13 which drop cruising revs nicely but of course give a speedo error. I also buy the cheapest I can find as I dont drive in the wet much and my vitesse is so poor handling that good tyres are a waste! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Quoted from glang I use this site for some very good fitted prices: http://www.tyre-shopper.co.uk/ Ive fitted 165/80/13 which drop cruising revs nicely but of course give a speedo error. I also buy the cheapest I can find as I dont drive in the wet much and my vitesse is so poor handling that good tyres are a waste! A vitesse should handle OK. And will certainly benefit from decent tyres. The thing is, you only really try the tyres out when it REALLY matters, and that is when you wish you had simething really good connecting you to the road. I have a T shirt, a bit ripped and bloodstained, to prove the point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocita Rosso Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Quoted from cliftyhanger . I have a T shirt, a bit ripped and bloodstained, to prove the point. Anything can happen after a long run out .....domestics included Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny-Jimbo Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 I've never understood the 'cheap tyres' philosophy - they're the ONLY thing that keeps you on the road, so why skimp on them? I think some of the worst must be 'Red Triangle', when I went to a tyre fitting place to replace the Yoko's on my Vitesse they tried selling me them. When I said the car was built for fast road and track work they said 'Yeah, it'll be fine boss.'... I declined the offer of tyres for £30 a corner... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferny Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Quoted from glang I use this site for some very good fitted prices: http://www.tyre-shopper.co.uk/ Ive fitted 165/80/13 which drop cruising revs nicely but of course give a speedo error. I also buy the cheapest I can find as I dont drive in the wet much and my vitesse is so poor handling that good tyres are a waste! I liked the budget tyres I had fitted to the car in 2008. They've taken me all over Europe, done autotests, were excellent in the wet and generally given me a good time. They even reached a point where no matter how many miles I did (700 in five days in one instance) they never went below 1.8mm tread. Eventually I conceded and bought new tyres which I'd been saying I'd get for two years. The difference is night and day and it's taken weeks to get near to the confidence levels I used to have in the car. If I accelerated gently over a manhole cover or when on a white line the back would step out. Now I can drive just as fast in a monsoon as I can the dry.Honestly, spend a couple of tanks of fuel of buying better tyres. I started to lose enjoyment driving my car but now I've got proper tyres it's back to how it should be.End of preach! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aar0sc Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 My Spit has KumHo (teehee) Solos on, 155/80 R13, that size is still available and quite cheaply too, I was offered unbranded things from about £20+, and Michelins for over £70, and I think the Kumhos (pahaha) were about £38. Really good, I bought another two for the back soon after the first pair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT6 M Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Odd on a minute, nowt wrong with Budget tyres,IF, ye read the tyre markings, to compare like for likethe tyre sticker helps a wee bit, there to catch the unknowing,but read the tyres actuall printthink if ye did, then folk will fin that some will actually end up wid a better tyre than the tyres that cost 3 times as much,but just hoo many folk actually look at this when buying a tyre!! just tek what a non info,ed tyre fitter saysthis is handy, compare diff typeshttp://www.safercar.gov/nhtsa-.....ure=any&wear=anyM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobbie Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 I've used BlackCircles.com for tyres before and they seem to have a very wide range available and then you just get them fitted at a nearby tyre centre. I was looking at the 155/80R13 Yokohama Bluearth AE01 for £37.10 fitted. They seem like a decent tyre, any views? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Quoted from Jonny-Jimbo I've never understood the 'cheap tyres' philosophy - they're the ONLY thing that keeps you on the road, so why skimp on them? I think some of the worst must be 'Red Triangle', when I went to a tyre fitting place to replace the Yoko's on my Vitesse they tried selling me them. When I said the car was built for fast road and track work they said 'Yeah, it'll be fine boss.'... I declined the offer of tyres for £30 a corner... What I meant was that if youve got a modern really good handling car then its tyres become a really important factor to drive at the limit whereas if youve got a Vitesse where the back wheels can tuck under very very easily (and Ive done it) the quality of the tyre is much less important. After all its ONLY the driver that keeps you on the road...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny-Jimbo Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 But if you have good tyres then you're much more likely to know what the car is doing and be able to control it. You could have the best driver in the world, but tyres made from blancmange and covered in vaseline are still crap tyres... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martins Stag Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 So I suppose you could go for crossplys if you wanted ready bad tyres! 😉 Would they be any good for drifting? I am only joking. Were crossplys ever standard on the early Spitfires or GT6's?Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Quoted from Martins Spitfire Were crossplys ever standard on the early Spitfires or GT6's?Martin Radials were an option up to Mk3 Spitfire. Ours still had them on the front when we got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JensH Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 What would you recommend on a standard 4,5'' original spitfire 1500 wheel?Have trouble finding 165/70 R13 here locally - can it take a 175/70 13 - or is it too wide? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferny Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 It does depend on the way the tyre is constructed, each is different. I'd be going for 155 to minimise wobbly sidewall flex sensations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 I have 175/70-13 on my 4.5J rims. Seems fine.A 155/80-13 is also good.You could also look for a set of 5J rims, much cheaper than the 5.5J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JensH Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Okay, thanks a lot - will try to ask the tire fitter what is available - I am using 175/70 13 on my minilites and pleased with them; but this is for one of my other projects though. Its a 'very locally' place only serving moderns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypoid53 Posted November 11, 2015 Author Share Posted November 11, 2015 Thank you to everyone for their contribution to this topic.Overall, I am favouring Falken in 155/80 or Yokohama in 175/70.As I am not replacing the tyres until the spring, I will revisit the options then.A quick word on crossplies. Back in 1972, my first Spitfire, a 1966 Mk2 with wire wheels, came with Dunlop crossplies and was lethal! I put it in a ditch within a week, as I explored the 'interesting' handling characteristics of the swing axle rear suspension. A set of Goodyear G800 radials followed immediately, and I have used radials ever since. The dreaded 'tuck-under' is a rite of passage for all Triumph Spitfire drivers. 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobPearce Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Some years back a member (possibly of the TSSC, it was a long time ago) asked me to look over his Herald. It was quite tidy, running on cross-plies. He invited me to take it for a drive. I was convinced all the wheel bearings were falling off, that handling was that bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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