Not that I need them because tires were new when we bought the car, but if we ever needed tires can you still find Pirelli's to fit the GT5 wheels? What else fits?
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I understand the Pirelli's are always on back order and they have a run of a few hundred occasionally, so when it gets near time (50% tread?) get your name on a list and start saving the pennies now.
As alternatives I think there is a Toyo Proxes that rates quite highly amongst the GT40 replica crowd, but I think it is slightly narrower max tread width at 315.
As alternatives I think there is a Toyo Proxes that rates quite highly amongst the GT40 replica crowd, but I think it is slightly narrower max tread width at 315.
If you like your 15" wheels (and I like mine) then my advice would be to keep your eyes open and pick some up before you need them. They are darn hard to find, so you should take advantage of the opportunity.
Yokohama is the other major manufacturer who makes 345/35/15 tires. I bought a bunch of them a few years back when The Tire Rack was discontinuing them. The rear tires were easy to find for a while but the front tires were impossible. I bought a bunch anticipating the same problem down the road.
Last time I checked the Tire Rack had rear tires in stock. But I haven't checked for a while.
Front tires are tougher. Yokohama tooled up and made a batch of 1,000 tires last year. So they are out there, but they are kind of expensive. The only source I know of to purchase new front tires is the Swedish DeTomaso club, who purchased a bunch. They sell them at cost, but the dollar/euro exchange rate makes them kind of steep.
One last bit of advice - before purchasing any 15" tire, ask the seller for the date code off the tire. I bought some Pirelli P7R's for the rear of my 5-S that were brand new, as in never used. But they literally split down the middle 50 miles after being installed. I was going slow so nothing happened, but it scared the h*ll out of me. If it had split while cornering quickly it could have been ugly. I later looked at the date code and they were 9 years old. Rubber dries out, and old tires, even if never mounted, can be dangerous.
Yokohama is the other major manufacturer who makes 345/35/15 tires. I bought a bunch of them a few years back when The Tire Rack was discontinuing them. The rear tires were easy to find for a while but the front tires were impossible. I bought a bunch anticipating the same problem down the road.
Last time I checked the Tire Rack had rear tires in stock. But I haven't checked for a while.
Front tires are tougher. Yokohama tooled up and made a batch of 1,000 tires last year. So they are out there, but they are kind of expensive. The only source I know of to purchase new front tires is the Swedish DeTomaso club, who purchased a bunch. They sell them at cost, but the dollar/euro exchange rate makes them kind of steep.
One last bit of advice - before purchasing any 15" tire, ask the seller for the date code off the tire. I bought some Pirelli P7R's for the rear of my 5-S that were brand new, as in never used. But they literally split down the middle 50 miles after being installed. I was going slow so nothing happened, but it scared the h*ll out of me. If it had split while cornering quickly it could have been ugly. I later looked at the date code and they were 9 years old. Rubber dries out, and old tires, even if never mounted, can be dangerous.
Wow, that's scary.
I wouldn't have concidered 9 years of age dangerously old.
I wouldn't have concidered 9 years of age dangerously old.
quote:Originally posted by dvil:
Wow, that's scary.
I wouldn't have concidered 9 years of age dangerously old.
In the 1990's, the owners manuals for various German cars such as Mercedes and BMW as well as Toyota indicated that tires more than six years old could be dangerous. I've also seen four years max life bantered about in a few places.