I have been asked by a couple of people what the situation with tyres is so far this year.
There is rumours of some people having Firestones left for sale,if this is true could we know who they are if they want to sell some.
Also Michelins.I have heard that they are difficult to find.If we know where they can be found please let us know.I'm also unsure as to whether the club will be buy some in bulk to sell out at cost.I know this was spoken about but obviously the first outing is growing ever nearer.
Any info will be put on the fantastic parts list for all to see.
Michelins available from Longstone tyres 01302 711123 or Vintage tyres 01590 612261
We have a contact in the Milton Keynes area who in the past has been able to supply us tyres at a fairly keen price.Last season he could still provide Firestones without a problem although with a price hype from £25 to £45 so we (foolishly in hindsight) declined. He now cannot find one anywhere but can supply Michelins without trouble but at £62 + vat !!!
Is the best price around still £49 + vat or are Michelins now rapidly disappearing as well or perhaps our contact is not so good after all?
Does anyone know what 145-15 tyres were originally made for?
As an aside there's a firm on the Web advertising 145-15 tyres made in the original Firestone moulds they have aquired- trouble is its in Australia. Anyone visiting Melbourne ??
As a matter of interest what's involved in getting a particular tyre approved for racing?
Nigel
The tyres were originally for Citroen GS's
The Austrialian thing might be interesting especailly if the club buys them.
Can you find out any more about this?
My brother may still be going to Melbourne for the Commonwealth Games, not competing, just providing the motion control cameras. Get details of this to me and I will see what the chances are of "piggy-backing" on their transport home
Trevor
I may have found a couple of places for firestone tyres. One guy reckons he can get me a few hundred if the club was interested.
He thinks he can get me 8 for certain. Anyone else interested if i can pull it off?
Just had another idea! :? Smart cars run 145/65 R 15 on the front. Would they be any good for next season?
Marc
Get details of the Firestone tyres to me asap.
Smart car tyres are NOT allowed at all, as they do not meet the crireria contained within the Regulations
Trevor
I think what Marc may be suggesting is the club look at allowing Smart tyres in the regs for next year, provided they're suitable for running on 2CV rims.. (?)
Thats what i was thinking. There easy to get hold of too.
These were discussed by the tech committee last year, and tested I think at Croft. The decision was that they were not suitable for our cars without MAJOR works to front arms as well as bringing in problems with gearing.
Regards
Trevor
Dont know which tyres have been tested but i been on the phone all morning trying to see what tyres are available. Both Contiental and Bridgestone do 145 x 15's. No luck with firestones at the moment. Found Michelins at £49 +vat if over 20 ordered.
Marc
Bridgestone, Continental and Pirelli all do tyres for Smart Cars in the size 145 x 15. Howevre, they are 65 rather than 80 aspect ratio(?). Which means that major modifications would have to be done to the cars suspension arms. There would also be the problem of gearing due to the smaller circumference. All of this was taken into account by the Tech Committee in their recommendation not to allow these tyres.
A LOT of investigation was undertaken on behalf of the club to find an alternative tyre to the Firestone F560, and the only one that we could find was the Michelin. Michelin themselves then undertook to get this tyre approved by the MSA for motorsport use.
PLEASE, if you have found someone who can supply Firestone F560 145x15 80s, let me know the contact details and the club may coinsider a bulk purchase. The only problem with that is storage
Regards
Trevor
Ispent ages looking into tyres for this season the smart tyres and the michelins were the only viable alternatives it was decided that as the smart tyres required everyone to change thier arms and also would mean over 7000 rpm in top at snetterton that they were not really a suitable replacement for the firestone although cheaper .
Michelin had already heard of our predicament of not having a tyre to race on and had the XZX reintroduced specifically for our series.The tyre is part of their historic range and available from their historic stockists as listed previously.
Paul, I picked up Michelin's "vintage" tyre brochure at Retromobile at the weekend and the 145 is the XZX. They also do a 135 ZX, is this getting the same approval treatment? Just asking because my car has 135s at the back.
No derek only the 145
No derek only the 145
Derek - there's a new firestone F560 135-15 on ebay at the moment if your interested.
What about TOYO tyres?
All the talk about Bridgestones, Continental and Toyo tyres is very amusing, but nothing more than talk.
From the time spent investigating the alternatives I feel I must point out a few "home truths"
1. Bridgestone tyre for smart cars is I think the B340 sries. This is not approved for motorsport.
2. According to the Blue Book, the Continental tyre that is used for smart cars, which is approved at the moment, may have that approval withdrawn by 31st December 2006.
3. The Pirelli tyre is approved for motorsports but is rarer than hen's teeth in this country
I don't know what the Toyo tyre being talked about is, so please get me some details.
Firestone F560 145 R15: I have found a company in the states that owns the original moulds for these tyres. They are a vintage tyre supplier with their UK distributor approximately one mile from my front door. I have been told that they will be making this tyre again, so I will keep in contact with them to see how feasable it would be to get a load of tyres imported.
Trevor
Re: Australian contact for Firestones. I've tried contacting several times but without success. Details are-
Antique Tyre Supplies
134 McEwan Road
West Heildelberg
Melbourne
VIC 3081
www.antiquetyres.com.au
Maybe they are the aussie agents of your U.S. source Trevor?
Nigel
Yes they are!
Cheers
Trevor
Have info on Toyo somewhere, but I can't put my finger on it at the mo. Have a feeling though that it might be in some of the lit I picked up at Retromobile, which may mean not available in the UK, tried web last night which was a bit unhelpful though that may be linked to this tempermental computer!
I 'ate technology!!
C x
Hello
Alan Bradford at Silly CVs in Rochester, Kent carries Toyo tyres.
http://www.sillycvs.co.uk/
Unit 1A Vicarage Lane, Hoo Marina, Hoo, Rochester, Kent ME3 9LB, England
Tel: 01634 252987 or 07860 276806
e-mail:
[email protected] Best wishes from Dick Roberts
Cannot locate the original thing I saw Toyo tyres in, maybe I dreamt it after all!
www.melun-retro-passion.com
This lot have the following listed in their 2cv catalogue as issued this year:
125 x 15 Firestone
135 x 15 Firestone
135 x15 SR ZX Michelin
No idea how accurate they are or reliable, they are in France too which just complicates it further!
Club Cassis, www.2cvclub.com again located in France list in their catalogue:
Michelin - 135 x 15 XM+S89, 135 x 15 ZX, 125 x 15
Toyo - 135 x 15
Realise this is singularly useless information, but had said I'd try and find the info I'd thought I'd seen. Off to review the car mags I've bought recently in case it was in one of them instead ... note to self, invest in memory.
C x