getting ready to buy tires for the -6, best quality\ price\CW Options

[freezing14]

ok I need to buy tire for the -6 , I hope to have a a good concour car, but it will be a driver after all , no trailer queen here, I want a good quality tire , sticky, and not too pricy and all that for the 5.5 14,, by the way whats the best size, I know we can play a bit with size, but original look,

[Pat Garvey]

ok I need to buy tire for the -6 , I hope to have a a good concour car, but it will be a driver after all , no trailer queen here, I want a good quality tire , sticky, and not too pricy and all that for the 5.5 14,, by the way whats the best size, I know we can play a bit with size, but original look,

We had a rather lengthy discussion on the CW aspects of tires sometime back on this forum (do a search). From a CW standpoint, it came down to Coker Tire, since they have the moulds for early Michelins, etc. The jury is still out from my perspective as to whether this makes safety sense. Yeah, they look right. Yeah, the are CW correct. Yeah, you'll get gigged at a Parade for not having them.

They are EXPENSIVE, particularly when you take into account paying a high price for old technology.

I've decided to go for something contemporary & just take a hit at Parades.

Guess it all boils down to priorities & preferences.
Pat

[Porsche Rescue]

I was faced with a similar decision a couple of years ago on a six I once owned. It came to me with a set of bare 14" Fuchs and mounted 15" Fuchs with 195/50x15 tires. The diameter was way too small for my taste, not filling the wheel arch and messing up the speedo/gear ratios.
The OE diameter for all 914's is about 25.5", either with the 165x15 or 185x14 which came with the 14" Fuchs alloys.
You can get a 185HR14 Vredestein from Coker at $130 each. There are other sources as well. I didn't want to spend that much but wanted an OE look using the correct 14" alloys. A modern size 195/75x14 is also about 25.5" in diameter. For $45 per I bought Kuhmo Solus KR21 in that size from Tire Rack. Of course shipping, mount and balance add to the total. Attached images show comparison of 195/50x15 and 195/75x14 side by side and on the car. The 75's are on the rear. Surprising how much taller a 14" combo is than the 15" with low profile tire.

Edit: After further reflection, the 195's were Michelins from Costco at about $75 each, mounted and balanced. Today I might be tempted by the Kuhmos.

[Porsche Rescue]

Decided to check to see if the car was still for sale. I sold the car to a dealer (Export 56) in the UK for my asking price of $21K in July of '06. Wondered how he could make a profit after shipping from Portland, OR. He is asking 33,000 pounds, which is over $67,000! Not a bad mark up! But then it is unsold after a year and a half. Guess we know why cars are returning to Europe!

Anyway, go here to see better pictures of the car with 195/75x14's on Fuchs.

http://export56.com/carsforsale/saleitem.asp?SaleID=10