Need Help 1973 914 OEM TIRE INFO Options

[sonyaonya]

Hello:

Is there anyone out there that can help me find out what tires were OEM on 1973 914 2.0.

Brand of tire/Company that produced them
Name of tire if applicable
Was the spare tire the same as the rest
If not how are they different.

Thanks in advance;

Sonya

[dangrouche]

Hello:

Is there anyone out there that can help me find out what tires were OEM on 1973 914 2.0.

Brand of tire/Company that produced them
Name of tire if applicable
Was the spare tire the same as the rest
If not how are they different.

Thanks in advance;

Sonya

Dunlop SP57 165 HR65

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act...t&id=181022

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/lofiversion/i...t74857-200.html

[Tom_T]

Hello:

Is there anyone out there that can help me find out what tires were OEM on 1973 914 2.0.

Brand of tire/Company that produced them
Name of tire if applicable
Was the spare tire the same as the rest
If not how are they different.

Thanks in advance;

Sonya

Dunlop SP57 165 HR65

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act...t&id=181022

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/lofiversion/i...t74857-200.html

Sonya,

Yeah, Dan has that correct - at least their initial US market ones & all of the magazine test cars for their then "new" 1973 914-2.0 models came with their best performing Dunlop SP57 165HR15 Tubeless tires - very sticky but not great miles out of them!

They also shipped later on in 73> with the Michi & Continental & even Semperits in Europe - you can read more at that O&H Forum Tires & Wheels thread linked above.

As to the OP's last question - the 914s always came from the factory with all 5 wheels & tires exactly the same - whether Steelie, Pedrini, Fuchs 2L or Mahle Baby Gas Burners (all 4 lug - but also same for the 70-72 914/6 wheels/tires too, except maybe some 914-6GT racers with collapsible spares).

When you see 4 alloys & a steel spare, that's where the disreputable dealer "stole" the alloy spare & put in a steel spare, then collected 4 "free" spare alloys to sell to other customers at 100% profit! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

I've made a couple of passes to try to get Dunlop to repop the SP57 in that size - which were also used on the early 911/912 as well as on BMWs etc. too with 15" wheels, but to no avail so far. I may retry that again in 2015 when I have more time again hopefully!

For now you'll have to settle for Vredstein in that size & tubeless, or the Michelin 165SR15 XWX? tubeless or 165HR15 XAS tube type available from Lucas Tires, Coker, Universal, etc. But do a google search for that size 165R15 tires & see what comes up now.

The key is the SR speed rating was fine for a 1.7 top speed, but the 2.0 was slightly higher top speed of 118 so the went to HR rated to 129 moh IIRC (I've had my stock 2L up to 126 before). A TR rated is actually good for 118 mph but not available in the `70's, but works in some Bridgestone 165/80TR15 tires offered a few years back.

Truth is they stopped making HRs in the early 1980s, so I had to switch to SR for my DD use & not push any top speed. Before that Semperit made a 165HR15 which had a SP57-like tread pattern, which handled almost as well & got 40,00+ miles out of them, which many of us SoCal 914ers 1.7, 1.8 & 2.0 really liked, & they were less expensive than Dunlop, Michi, Conti, Pirelli, etc. in that size.

If you're driving & doing local & PCA Region/Zone Concours, then the Vreds are okay, if you're doing PCA Parade &/or AACA & other more strict on originality & period-correctness, then go to the pricier Michi 165s which are slightly off as either SR & tubeless, or HR & tube type.

You can always do a 2nd set of wheels & tires of any size/type which will fit & work without damaging the wheel wells, but use the tire size converter at the 914 info button above or on the tire store websites (Tire Rack) to get the smallest speedo/odometer error possible, cuz you probably don't want "ghost mileage" on a nice survivor or resto 914 - esp. now that they're appreciating again!

PS - all of those 155 & 165 tires on 911/912/914 back then were considered as 80 cross-section - or 80% width to sidewall height - so today you'll see them marked as 165/80HR15 etc.

Lucas Tire is in Long Beach & worth a call to see what they can get, if you're in SoCal - or even Central or NoCal.

Good Luck! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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