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I am in need of new tires and know how difficult it is to find 15" tires w/a decent speed rating-especially ones that match. I also know that the idea of the mixing of tires is controversial. I am not ready to take the $4000 leap for new wheels/tires as I'd rather put the cash towards body/paint first. I really just need something that will perform decently for awhile until I get to the wheels.

I have read about the Mickey Thompson Sportsman SRs in 26X12.00R15 and maybe Yokohama adavans in the front? Does anyone have this combo or another combo of front/rear tires that they have been comfortable with? The car has euro TAs on it nowm, 265/50HR/15 and 225/50HR/15s with almost new tread-but the sidewalls have cracked due to cold weather storage which makes me uncomfortable driving on them. I know the BFG TAs are available but have not heard anything great of their performance. Thanks in advance...
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As I say from time to time both here and on the POCA Forum, high speed-rated 15" tires ARE available. They are not available in every size and they are never cheap, but Pirelli for one does make them in small batches. Larry Stock at PPC-Carson City has a pair of brand new 335-35x 15 Pirellis W-rated (168 mph continuous) P7-Rs in stock NOW; I saw them yesterday. Credit cards accepted. I think he also has a pair of 5-yr-old 275-55x 15s.
Pirelli has a short-run tire plant in Izmir, Turkey that occasionally turns out 'Legacy' tires. Problem is, its a small plant that also makes ALL the F-1 tires for all the Grand Prix race teams.... guess what gets priority? Larry orders a dozen 295-15x 15s speed rated from Pirelli-Europe. 3 months later he gets two tires. He reorders; he gets one- or maybe none. Or a different size altogether. He has a waiting list of customers 4 years long.
The British Lamborghini Club and the Swedish Pantera Club went in jointly on 100 275-55x 15s (W-rated) a decade ago, and Pirelli built them 100 tires, which the two clubs split and sold to their members. I got 4; Jerry Brubaker in Ohio got 4. They definitely exist and they were not cheap especially when freighted in from Sweden....So how bad do you want fast-car tires? Call him for details or to get on the list.
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