RE: [DML] Front Tires still needed

["Tom Tait" <TTait@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Cliff:

I just spent the morning at the tire shop putting new rubber under
10902, which just went back on the road last week,  I went with Goodrich
TA Radials, but that's not my point.

The tires that I took off were installed in May of 1993, and they only
had 300 miles on them.  I intend to drive this car occasionally, and
there is no way I would put myself or my wife in a car with tires that
old, even though they looked fine.  Now the tires did develop a flat
spot each from sitting for a long time, but it was the UV exposure, dry
rot, or other degradation in the rubber, seen or unseen that I was
worried about.

I have had a "perfectly good" older tire blow out on the freeway on
another car years ago - no perceptible damage or warnings, just old.  I
was going about 65 at the time and I consider myself fortunate it was on
the rear, not the front.

I know a lot of concours owners have original tires, but I cannot
believe they drive on them regularly.  My understanding in general is
that show car owners who want vintage tires generally trailer the car or
have them on a separate set of wheels and install them once on location.
I would really rethink using vintage tires.  

You will note that a recurring theme on John Hervey's site is that he
tries to sell new products, not NOS when it comes to fuel accumulators
or bushings or the like because the rubber in those items, in his
opinion, may not be up to snuff.  I would much rather lose a fuel
accumulator at 60 miles per hour than a tire.

If you are looking for tires for show purposes, then you will likely
need to get them from a small shop or private entity.  Chain stores are
not going to want to be involved with getting you those tires from a
liability point of view.

My $.02,  but when it comes to safety I'd rather be a killjoy than keep
quiet.

Drive safe.

Tom
#10902

-----Original Message-----
From: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Cliff Wallace
Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 9:13 AM
To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [DML] Front Tires still needed

Hello group.  I'm having a hard time finding a set of front tires for my
Delorean.  Looking for Goodyear Eagle ST (P195/60/14).  These have been
discontinued for about 10 years. I still have the original NCT's on the
front.  They have plenty of tread, but are warped. 
I've called Coker and Goodyear, but neither can help with it. Coker
doesn't have the license from Goodyear to remanufacture them. It just
figures, you can get tires for a car built in 1910, but not 1981. 
I've also called local Goodyear centers in here in Oklahoma even for a
decent used set, but nothing. Tire Rack and all of those other online
stores don't have it either. I think the only way I'll find a set is in
someone's garage or a place that bought them from Goodyear when they
consolidated them. 
I'd like to get a matching set for all four since my rear tires are the
Eagle ST's.  They only have about 3-4K miles on them.  I can still
see the colored marks on the tread.   
I like them not only because they are raised white letter tires, but
it's the same brand used on the Delorean in Back to the Future.  

Any help would be appreciated. 

Thanks,
Cliff
10525









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