Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login As promised here are a few shots of my new Classic P7's. I think they look amazing. Big thanks to Carl for all this help.
Finally, here is a photo of those exact Pirelli P7's fitted straight from the factory (you may need to squint). Image Unavailable, Please Login
Haven’t driven on them much. Winter has set in here in Melbourne so not the best time to be testing out new tyres. They do look fantastic though with the tread pattern and sidewall.
Really ?! You mentioned "your tire fitter did not feel 100%" Now I understand completely. Best from Germany Martin
Every 3x8 is different and every owner is different. Some can justify buying more expensive original OEM equipment for their cars and some can't. And after judging concourses for a while now, some cars are worth putting on OEM equipment and some just aren't. Either is fine with me.
Oh, there are indeed differences which can spoil driving experiences. Besides a few peanuts, the things I hated the most with former 16"-tyres were, when my car behaved like a snake on the run in lane grooves and when the tyres generated a rough ride after a certain amount of wear like on 60s winter tyres. Both was supplied by my Goodyear Eagles, which had a similar looking tread pattern like those P7s and which were said to be the best tyres for the 3x8-cars during the 90s. Stupid me, I blamed the suspension for that crappy behaviour which completely disappeared with Michelin Pilot Sports 1st gen. Best Martin
Came with the car. 34 years. Hard as rocks but they are in better shape than the 4 year old Goodyear Eagle F1's on my Cayman which have cracks in the tread groves. Honestly, I don't know why they having gone to pieces or leak air. I keep thinking I should change them but I don't drive the car hardly at all. Maybe 5 miles to a C&C twice a years and they speak to the originality of the car. Not a lot of one owner, unmolested, US GTB QVs around. And they meet my requirement. They are round.
Gee John, with such a beautiful car I wouldn't risk driving on those tyres at all (famous last words, I was only driving a few miles to the shops and then...bam !!). If you need to stop suddenly on 34 year old tyres, who knows how they would react. Not too good I'm guessing. The outside may look ok but the inside may be completely past it. Just buy another set of rims and put a fresh set on those and keep the NCT set in the garage to always have for originality if needed. Better safe then sorry.
Yeh , when I bought my GT 4 last summer it came with “ rock hard “ Vredstiens (sp ?) . The wheel refurb guy spotted the dates 2001 and said much the same thing - you can get sudden catastrophic failure .Also he noted a few cracks . I bought some new ones on line and had them delivered to his shop for fitting . Being 14 inch I found some Yokohama’s super soft road tyres .OK modern but I would prefer to wear them out as reason to change as opposed to letting them age / crack / harden with sub 2/3 K mikes / annum . When a I had a 360 the fronts age / crack well before wearing and the F dealer would replace every 5 years .Rears wore normally out before 5 years - enthusiastic driving .