[Healeys] Tires, redux

Fri Nov 3 15:06:28 MDT 2017

Gary,
Here in Germany and other countries we are not forced by law to put on new 
tyres when the ones on the car are older than ten years, as long as they 
look fine. Even MOT doesn´t force us. Why should we force Concours 
contenders to fit new tyres when the law allows older tyres?

For the cross or biasply tyres. Here in Europe we do not have really good 
remanufacturers for shock absorbers. So many here send their shocks to a 
company in the USA for remanufacturing.
Why it shouldn´t be possible for US Healey owners to let their tyres ship 
from Europe. Tyre suppliers here have AVON 590/15s in stock and ship to the 
US. I order my body panels from Kilmartin in Australia and do not buy them 
from other sources here in Europe. We have an worldwide market these days. 
So why should I buy second source quality when I can get first.
So I see no reason to allow non original tyre sizes without deduction for a 
car in Concours.
You are so painstaking correct in your Concours´s with otheer things like 
underfelts, bolt heads, etc., but here you are extremely open.

Josef Eckert

-----Original-Nachricht-----
Betreff: Re: Tires, redux
Datum: 2017-11-03T21:45:17+0100
Von: "editorgary at aol.com" <editorgary at aol.com>
An: "josef-eckert at t-online.de" <josef-eckert at t-online.de>, 
"baggsr at embarqmail.com" <baggsr at embarqmail.com>

I can't stress enough that tires can look just fine and still be 
delaminating between the tread and sidewall and the first warning you will 
get is a very brief period when you feel as if you're riding in one of 
those kiddy toys with the uneven wheels. Then the tire goes bang as the 
tube breaks through the opening between the tire and tread and your only 
hope is that you're already going slow enough so that you can countersteer 
to hold the car straight until you get to the side of the road.

Having had it happen to me -- with some Pirelli Cinturators that looked 
just fine but were over 10 years old, and having known a friend of a friend 
who was killed in his 1954 Jensen because he was on a highway at speed when 
it happened and he ricocheted off the guardrail and back into traffic.

So, drive at your own risk, but it's a real cheap change-over, that is 
going to be inevitable sooner or later, to put new tires on the car every 
10 years.

And I raced on cross-plies on my MGA for many years and loved the gradual 
release allowing me to drift corners when necessary. But those were 
replaced every five race weekends or so, at a cost of $1,000 a set, as the 
tread wore down -- just an expense of racing. Unfortunately, the only 
bias-plies that are available in 590-15s in this country are made in 
BFGoodrich molds and have a distinctly American appearance.

G.

Gary Anderson
Los Altos, California

-----Original Message-----
From: josef-eckert <josef-eckert at t-online.de>
To: ROBERT BAGGS <baggsr at embarqmail.com>; editorgary <editorgary at aol.com>
Cc: Healeys <Healeys at autox.team.net>
Sent: Fri, Nov 3, 2017 1:00 pm
Subject: AW: Tires, redux

Here in Germany we have no general speed limits on  motorways and I have 
crossplys on 3 of my vintage cars and never had a problem. Crossplies can 
be as save as radials. Its the driver who is responsible for save driving. 
Its a different driving with crossplies, but that´s what its all about with 
driving a classic car.
I even haven´t heart of any tyre problem with older tyres as long as they 
are in good shape and do not have too many hairline cracks.. On my vintage 
Mercedes I have Michelin radials fitted which are definitely older than 10 
years, but they still look good and I see no reason to take them off. I 
accept a longer stopping distance than with new tyres, but its an old car 
and there are many shortages you have to accept compared to a new modern 
one.

Josef Eckert
Konigswinte/Germany

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