yet another tire post...

[Jim Rosenthal]

All of us know the difficulty in getting the same tire for both ends of a GT40, due to the disparity in size and the scarcity of any decent performance rubber for 15" rims. Basically Avons are the only game in town, and although they are great tires (never heard a bad word about them) they are also about $1700 the set of four, so for a car that is sitting around a lot these days and not sorted for the street yet, I have to find something less pricey to hold up the back end.

The Radial TAs are off the car and on their way to a new home, with any luck. Fronts are BFG G-Forces, and after some worrying I ordered BFG G-Force Drag radials for the rear. These are very sticky tires which probably won't last long, but they ARE the correct size and I suppose if you are going to have stickier tires on one end they ought to be on the rear. My hope is that inflated to 35 psi or so they will be at least reasonable for the shaking-down which will occur over the next few months. They are reported to be fine on dry roads, terrible in wet conditions. That's fine, we don't plan on driving in the rain at this point.

Does anyone have any experience with these as road/street tires? No track days, nothing crazy, just sorting the car out.

 

[Ron Earp]

Got a set on the Torino and they were fine driving around. Didn't put a lot of miles on it before I tore it apart, but thy were ok for what little I drove it.

However, on threads like these I'll say what I always say - ditch the over priced and under-performing Avons and put some Hoosier DOT radials on the car. Work just fantastic on the street and track. They will SUCK in the rain, but you have to make the call yourself about driving in the rain or not. With a Lola it is pretty easy, rain driving needs to be avoided. Run you around $1100 a set.

 

[Pat Buckley]

I have used the G Force Drag radials and like them. Street use only, but a friend has open tracked the same tires on his Kirkham 427 and was very happy.

Cheap, too.

 

[Kirby Schrader]

However, on threads like these I'll say what I always say - ditch the over priced and under-performing Avons and put some Hoosier DOT radials on the car. Work just fantastic on the street and track. They will SUCK in the rain, but you have to make the call yourself about driving in the rain or not. With a Lola it is pretty easy, rain driving needs to be avoided. Run you around $1100 a set.

Ron,

I can only find 275's in a 15" size.... am I looking in the wrong place?
9.5" rim max recommended...

I am looking at the Sports Car DOT Radial here.
Hoosier Tire

Kirby

 

[Mike Drew]

I am looking at the Sports Car DOT Radial here.
Hoosier Tire

Kirby

Actually, you're looking at it here:

Hoosier DOT Radial Tires

Your link pointed to the rain tires by mistake.

 

[Kirby Schrader]

Actually, you're looking at it here:

Hoosier DOT Radial Tires

Your link pointed to the rain tires by mistake.

Regardless, the widest 15" tire is 275.

 

[Ron Earp]

I have used the G Force Drag radials and like them. Street use only, but a friend has open tracked the same tires on his Kirkham 427 and was very happy.

I've heard the same from a couple of folks.

Yes, 15" Hoosiers go up to 275 tire size. I use 275s on the rear and 225s in the front.

R

 

[Tim Kay]

FWIW, I use Hoosier 275 rr, 245 front. Keep in mind the Hoosier is a smaller o.d. than similar sized in other brands.

 

[Randy V]

A number of guys on the Cobra forums are using Drag Radials as well..
The size tires you're looking at are generally DOT approved for cars that might weigh as much as twice what a GT40 weighs..

Edit -

One thing I need to add is almost all those people that have ever been caught in the rain with their Drag Radials, swore NEVER AGAIN...

I guess those tires are not exactly the best for water management...

 

[Paul Butvila]

With the 17" wheels you have a much larger choice of performance tires. Granted 17" are not stock for the car but if you want the performance in dry and wet conditions I think that's the way to go. At least when I'm ready to go Gt40 I'm going with the 17" wheels.

 

[Cliff Beer]

Sure would be nice if somebody made a 16" replica halibrand or brm - would look more like the originals than the 17's and there's some limited availability of tires in 16's last time I checked.

 

[Eric Johnson]

With the 17" wheels you have a much larger choice of performance tires. Granted 17" are not stock for the car but if you want the performance in dry and wet conditions I think that's the way to go. At least when I'm ready to go Gt40 I'm going with the 17" wheels.

For sure...But it just doesn't look "right", does it? Sorry, but it's hard to get over that one :sad:. As a big motorsports history fan, I want my 1:1 "diecast" to look the part. It IS a tough situation.

 

[Seymour Snerd]

For sure...But it just doesn't look "right", does it? Sorry, but it's hard to get over that one :sad:. As a big motorsports history fan, I want my 1:1 "diecast" to look the part. It IS a tough situation.

I have the same feeling about wheel proportions. It occurred to me however that the fitment/variety problems are somewhat more difficult at the rear, particularly if you want to run something really wide. So I wonder what a GT40 would look like with normal 15's in front but 17's at the back....
:flameon:

 

[Eric Johnson]

I have the same feeling about wheel proportions. It occurred to me however that the fitment/variety problems are somewhat more difficult at the rear, particularly if you want to run something really wide. So I wonder what a GT40 would look like with normal 15's in front but 17's at the back....
:flameon:

I agree Alan. The rear tires are the big problem. Most of us running 15's want the rears to be as wide as possible to fill the rear bodywork.

 

[Darnel A.]

Pirelli has a wide 15" tire (as used by the Pantera. I think it is a 335 x 15. FYI.


Darnel

 

[David in Durango]

4 Goodyear "Stock Car Special" 26.5 x 8 x 15 need a good home. Not for highway use. The tires have been scuffed, but appear to have plenty of rubber.

These are what the Cobra boys call "Goodyear Billboards" - white letters.

 

[Paul Butvila]

Personally I don't mind the look. Granted it doesn't look stock but you sure get lots of tire choices. I find it easy to "get my head " around this one. We all have our personal choices. If I could get 15s that worked well in the dry and wet that didn't cost me a second mortgage I would choose them over the 17s. But then I don't have a GT40 yet so this problem is inconsequential.

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

Yeah.... according to Ron the Drag Radial has a wide area in the middle of the contact surface with NO tread at all... I guess that's the drag slick part of the tire. Well, they did call it a "drag radial"...

 

[Mick Ridley]

Hi,

While you have another tyre thread going, maybe you can help me....

I started my scratch build GT40, 20 yrs ago, got it to a rolling chassis, then it spent 18yrs in the back of a barn, I restarted the project 2 yrs ago, as you can imagine I have 15 in wheels, and Im strugling to find suitable tyres for them that are road legal. I have no "E" marking, on my originall tyres

I have 6.5 x 15 rims,on the front, and I have found a few tyres, would Pirelli P zero 225/50/Z15, be ok on the rims ?

On the rear, I have 10 x 15 rims, and Im really struggling to find some tyres for them. Originally they had 295/50/ 15, but the closest, I can find are Pirelli P zero 345/35/Z15....would they fit on 10 in rims ?

Any help or advice you can give would be greatly appreciated

thanks

mick

 

[Ron Scarboro]

Hi,

I have 6.5 x 15 rims,on the front, and I have found a few tyres, would Pirelli P zero 225/50/Z15, be ok on the rims ?

On the rear, I have 10 x 15 rims, and Im really struggling to find some tyres for them. Originally they had 295/50/ 15, but the closest, I can find are Pirelli P zero 345/35/Z15....would they fit on 10 in rims ?


mick

Those tires are popular with the Stratos Replica crowd. I think you have two things to consider.

1st the section width is a lot for the width of wheel you have. An 1" more rim width would make a better fit for those tires.

The bigger consideration is that diameter of the tires. The wheel wells look best IMHO with a tire in the 26"-27" range as was originally designed. The Pirelli's you cite would be 23.8" in the front and 24.5" in the back. Regardless of the width they may look a bit lost in the wheel wells given they're about 2" smaller than generally put on the car.

Additionally, IIRC those Pirelli's weren't much cheaper than the Avons last time I checked.

Best,

Ron