Hello guys!

So I have a GT tribute with very old BF Goodrich G Force tires. 205/60/15 in the fronts and 225/60/15 in the back. I LOVE the stance I have right now.

There doesn't seem to be any good options for a staggered set with the same compound tires. This is a car that rarely gets driven in the wet, is not tracked, but I do put about 3000 miles a year on it.

I have a slow leak on my LF and need to purchase some replacement tires.

So what is everyone buying these days?

Ingo Schmoldt
Genau AutoWerks

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Firestone tires on mine and ride really nice, handles well and fairly cheap.

Not a lot of tires around with that much sidewall height these days. If you went up to a 16" rim or down to a ~23" diameter tire you would have a lot more options and be able to stick with a staggered 205/225 width

205/50R15 Front , 225/45R15 Rear (23" diameter)

or

205/55R16 225/50R16 (~25" diameter) (FYI this is the setup ran on 944 Turbos)



Curious what offset and wheel spacers(if any) you are running? Looking for new wheels for my flared cars and it looks like you have the wheel wells filled out pretty much perfectly.

Thanks James! I just picked up the car. Bill Nakasone in the PNW built this car about 8 years ago. I'll need to see what he put on there. (I haven't even taken the wheels off yet) They're real minilites and I'd like to stick with them.

What brand have you seen that has the 50 & 45's? It's a shame as I really like the 60's, nice beefy sidewall.

Hi Ben,

Just looked on Firestone's website. I see 205/60/15's but no 225's. What specific tire are you running?

Tire Rack will let you do a search with different front/rear sizes specified

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchRe...rearDiameter=15


You actually have some pretty aggressive (autocross class) tire choices with a 15" wheel 23" diameter tire but it visually is a noticeable change in tire height from where you are now (though it does lower your overall gearing as well for quicker acceleration) I run the g-force Rivals in 16" on my autocross car and they are TONS of fun, super sticky.


More options as far as less aggressive higher treadwear tires available in 16", and you get to keep the same overall diameter but I know you want to keep your 15" Minilights.


If you do decide to change wheels, VTO has their "classic 8" that people often mistake for minilites available in 15" and 16" , both 7" and 8" width and they can machine them to whatever offset you like.

https://www.vtowheels.com/1969-1976_c_1706.html

Looks like you can get the BFG Radial T/A in your current sizes

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?ti...romCompare1=yes

Not as aggressive as the BFG Sport Comps (at least thats what they look like) that you have on there but would save you from having to change anything else. As long as you dont mind the white lettering and more vintage looking tread.

I just went and looked they are firehawks and was a bit wrong on size . I run 195/65/15 and 215/65/15s on my 15x7 and 15x8 which was a stock size on a 85 Carrera base wheel and tire option

Love that car, Ingo, and tires make a lot of its look. While 15-inch tires are t-o-u-g-h to come by if you want performance with good looks, keep the faith!

BFG Radial T/As will allow you to replicate the sizing, and black wall out give you even simpler sidewalls and more period correct tread patterns. John Holleran reports they handle beautifully too; I have been wondering if they were redesigned/re-compounded by Michelin (which owns BFG) some years ago when the price was increased.

Next run up, for performance and looks, is Michelin TB—but they are not cheap and I hear varying things about their longevity. 185/70 (get softest compound) & 215/60 Avon CR6ZZ also look super right under GT flares, and have served me well for 5 years, but they're also expensive. Pirelli P6000s in 195/65 & 215/60 might be worth a look too? Some people also swear by the CN36.

After that, you gotta get creative if you want 15s. It's a pity that 205/55R15 & 225/50R15 combos are no more, even if they're a bit short on the O.D.

Happy hunting!

Toyo Proxes R1R. 205/50 15 and 225/45 15. Sidewall ok in front, a little squat in the rear.

I have 16s so 225/50r16 are pretty easy to find. Firehawk A/S because hydroplaning scares me. I still autocross on them though. Not well, but compromise...

Not aggressive but on my 2nd set of Riken Raptors in 195/60R15 - but then I'm limited by my 5 1/2" Mahle rims. Friend suggested the T/A's in 205's - narrower than the Riken 195's and did not like the tread at all. Dealer also suggested them got me a set and I rejected them.

Very happy with the handling - and yes, I do push it in the twisties....

GN

Great stuff James, I did see some of the aggressive tires and since I probably won't run a ton in the wet, I am ok with them, but the lower sidewalls is a bit of a concern lookwise.

I did see the BFG Sport Comps. It made me wonder if the same race tire guys who shave tires could shave the white off the lettering and minimize the look. I mean I had BFGs on my old Datsun 510 35 years ago, I'd rather not see the letters peeking out from under the car like they did back then!

Yep, saw these and I probably won't be doing too much wet weather driving here in NorCal. How's the day-to-day ride on those? I'd love them in the twisties, just wondering if they're particularly harsh on regular streets.

The backs as you noted were the thing concerning me, going from 60s to 45s would be pretty dramatic.

Great thoughts, thank you. I appreciate the love for the car even though I had nothing to do with it other than recognizing it when I saw it! I am so excited about putting some miles on it.

I don't really care too much about price, a car like this deserves proper tires. At 3000 +/- miles a year, even the softest tires should give me several years of fun!

So that's a couple of thumbs up for the old school BFG Radial TA's. I also love the look of Avon's and going down a size at the front on Pirelli's might be a very good option.

Happy hunting indeed, if only I could try them out like shoes before I buy!

Tschuss!

These Dunlops (race compound) are period correct, and still available. This set of 4 were shipped in from a UK tire dealer, less expensive than some USA race tire shops!
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Not too harsh to me and am running 200 lb rear springs and 22mm front torsion bars. Plus ARB'S. Compound is soft, and the tread looks like racing rain tires. Very good grip. Gearing ends up pretty low but fits my mod S cams. Got used to low gearing decades ago running a 6/28 R&P in a 66 911, and that's what it feels like. On the positive side, you'll likely not wear out 1st synchro.

Cool! What vendor did you get them from over there? It's crazy for my Alfa Duetto, I can often get parts cheaper and quicker from my UK supplier as well!

This is a very muscular looking 914!

I'm running 225/50/15 Toyo 888 tires on my car.
Awesome stickage and decent in light rain.

They look great!