New OEM style tires, Looking offer recommendations Options

[914Next]

All,

It's time to put a new set of tires on my car for spring. The ones on it now have only 8,000 miles on them and look like new; zero cracks or checking but they were put on the car by the previous owner in 2000! Time for a new set.

Definitely want to stay with stock OEM appearance and size since the car is all original. Tom you mentioned at one point the Bockley's at Lucas tire but I noticed that they say that they are new old stock manufactured in 2011?

I'm thinking of the Vredestein sprint classics. Any suggestions for better OEM type tires with original appearance? If not, I'll go Sprint Classics.

Thanks in advance.

[914Next]

Thanks.

Cal I checked out Lucas tire but shipping was not free....not too bad at $105 but still a an addition to the price of overall.

I'm leaning toward the Michelins or Pirelli's in 185/70 15's.

Steve

[Cal]

Thanks.

Cal I checked out Lucas tire but shipping was not free....not too bad at $105 but still a an addition to the price of overall.

I'm leaning toward the Michelins or Pirelli's in 185/70 15's.

Steve

Sorry.....the shipping from Longstone in the UK is free to the US.....but only for the Michelin or Pirelli tires and not the Vredestein tires.

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/

[Tom_T]

Thanks.

Cal I checked out Lucas tire but shipping was not free....not too bad at $105 but still a an addition to the price of overall.

I'm leaning toward the Michelins or Pirelli's in 185/70 15's.

Steve

Sorry.....the shipping from Longstone in the UK is free to the US.....but only for the Michelin or Pirelli tires and not the Vredestein tires.

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/

The Vreds are available pretty much everywhere in the USA, & IIRC America;s Tire (also go by another name in parts of US) can order them for you. So why buy from the UK anyway.

Steve - If you're still interested in the Blockley's, then both check with Russ at Lucas for special order cost+S&H, & also try emailing to Longstone directly to see their cost & if they'll do free shipping on them too.

But if it's a choice between Pirelli & Michi XWX in 185/70VR15 - & if the prices are near the same &/or not an issue - then I'd go with the XWX's as the better & grippier tire - both from back in the day, as well as in the modern repops with better rubber/materials & construction. Not many whom I knew who weekend tracked/AXed their 914s back in the 1970's-80's were shod with Pirelli 185s, pretty much all wore XWXs for that reason. IMHO the XWXs also look better than the Pirelli's - again with the "dogbone" tread.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[Cal]

Thanks.

Cal I checked out Lucas tire but shipping was not free....not too bad at $105 but still a an addition to the price of overall.

I'm leaning toward the Michelins or Pirelli's in 185/70 15's.

Steve

Sorry.....the shipping from Longstone in the UK is free to the US.....but only for the Michelin or Pirelli tires and not the Vredestein tires.

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/

The Vreds are available pretty much everywhere in the USA, & IIRC America;s Tire (also go by another name in parts of US) can order them for you. So why buy from the UK anyway.

Steve - If you're still interested in the Blockley's, then both check with Russ at Lucas for special order cost+S&H, & also try emailing to Longstone directly to see their cost & if they'll do free shipping on them too.

But if it's a choice between Pirelli & Michi XWX in 185/70VR15 - & if the prices are near the same &/or not an issue - then I'd go with the XWX's as the better & grippier tire - both from back in the day, as well as in the modern repops with better rubber/materials & construction. Not many whom I knew who weekend tracked/AXed their 914s back in the 1970's-80's were shod with Pirelli 185s, pretty much all wore XWXs for that reason. IMHO the XWXs also look better than the Pirelli's - again with the "dogbone" tread.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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I agree that the Michelin XWX 185/70VR15 looks better than the Vredestein.....I'm actually still considering this tire. My only issue is the price. The XWX is $340.00 per tire and the Vredestein is $128.00 per tire.....that's a BIG difference.

Here's an interesting article the compares the Michelin, Pirelli, Vredestein and Blockley tires in the 185/70 R15 size.

https://www.cinturato.net/images/test-classic-tyres-0716.pdf

[Tom_T]

Thanks.

Cal I checked out Lucas tire but shipping was not free....not too bad at $105 but still a an addition to the price of overall.

I'm leaning toward the Michelins or Pirelli's in 185/70 15's.

Steve

Sorry.....the shipping from Longstone in the UK is free to the US.....but only for the Michelin or Pirelli tires and not the Vredestein tires.

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/

The Vreds are available pretty much everywhere in the USA, & IIRC America;s Tire (also go by another name in parts of US) can order them for you. So why buy from the UK anyway.

Steve - If you're still interested in the Blockley's, then both check with Russ at Lucas for special order cost+S&H, & also try emailing to Longstone directly to see their cost & if they'll do free shipping on them too.

But if it's a choice between Pirelli & Michi XWX in 185/70VR15 - & if the prices are near the same &/or not an issue - then I'd go with the XWX's as the better & grippier tire - both from back in the day, as well as in the modern repops with better rubber/materials & construction. Not many whom I knew who weekend tracked/AXed their 914s back in the 1970's-80's were shod with Pirelli 185s, pretty much all wore XWXs for that reason. IMHO the XWXs also look better than the Pirelli's - again with the "dogbone" tread.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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I agree that the Michelin XWX 185/70VR15 looks better than the Vredestein.....I'm actually still considering this tire. My only issue is the price. The XWX is $340.00 per tire and the Vredestein is $128.00 per tire.....that's a BIG difference.

Here's an interesting article the compares the Michelin, Pirelli, Vredestein and Blockley tires in the 185/70 R15 size.

https://www.cinturato.net/images/test-classic-tyres-0716.pdf

Thanx for the article Jeff!

I'd look at their actual raw results charts for each test - over their bottom line "ratings" which don't seem to track with the atual results - & look for what aspects fits your region best. Because what I'd pick for mostly sunny SoCal, will differ from what yo would pick in NJ with rain/snow/ice, or Steve for mostly rainy or sunny (in the same day) in GA.

The Blockley looks disappointingly lesser in most aspects, & the Vred tests surprisingly better than I'd have thought. I'm puzzled by the results of the XWX vs. the CN36, since they were tested the opposite in the similar MT & R&T tests back in the `70's. So maybe Pirelli did more updated engineering internally & with their rubber compounds, than has Michelin?

The Porsche website's Classic section at Documents have some classic tire reccos with their N Spec ratings for both Summer & Winter Tires - unfortunately only under the 914-6 (I guess they're still ignoring their VW-Porsche poor cousins). I suppose we could use the 912/912E as a "kluge" for 4 cylinder 914s, in order to see some reccos for lower SR & HR speed rated tires (or maybe TR).

IIRC it's the Pirelli CN36 in 185/70VR15 which has a N4 rating for Summer Tires on 914-6, but I don't recall the others listed in Summer or Winter for 914-6 (I don't think that the XWX was listed, but I may be remembering wrong).

I have pix of some of those older tests in digital pix, but will have to find them to post. Back then the Dunlop SP57 in 165HR15 (/80) were the best, but only got 10-15K miles of normal & some spirited driving. Whereas, the Semperit M401 & M501 in the same size with a similar dogbone tread were almost as good (90-95% IIRC), but actually got 40K+ - so I used those for as long as they were available (gone by the early `80's). I'll post them later when I have time to search thru SD cards & files (but they may be already posted in the O&H Forum's Wheels & Tires nailed topic).

From the CW perspective - I look at the "Look" of them as - Vredstein is the classic Brit car tread look in a thoroughly modern tire (e.g.: not a repop of a classic tread & sidewall construction/design), the Pirelli CN36 & CA67 as classic Italian wear, & the Michelin XAS, XZX & XWX as the classic German & French tires. But that's just a personal opinion.

And you really cannot beat Vredestein for price in either 165HR15 or 185/70HR15 (or VR) for modern classic look tires - other than the ones which Firestone/Bridgestone puts out in the 165R15 (SR, TR &/or VR).

Jeff & Steve & others reading this - Keep in mind that our 2L /4 914s only spec'd HR (SR for 1.7 & 1.8 models), & that TR will also meet the max speed ratings for a stock 2L /4 - so any can be used, & even SR if not driven too hard nor at top speed.

What we're discussing here is mostly for classic looks in a good repop of a period tire available in 1969-76 (or -79~) & actually factory fitted on our new 914s (Pirelli & Michelin choices noted above), or a repro look tire similar to others available & fitted back then (Vred & Blockley).

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