1984 308 QV (Euro) - Upgrade Tire Size and/or Brand? | FerrariChat
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1984 308 QV (Euro) - Upgrade Tire Size and/or Brand?

Discussion in '308/328' started by DeloreanPilot, Feb 20, 2025.

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  1. DeloreanPilot

    DeloreanPilot Rookie

    Feb 17, 2025
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    Eugene Bolton
    #1 DeloreanPilot, Feb 20, 2025
    Greetings all,

    I just bought a 1984 308 GTS QV (Euro) from a family member. 16" wheels with Dunlap FRONT 205/55R16 and REAR 225/50/R16. One tire had a slow leak. Upon investigation, I learned he had never replaced them (he owned car about 14 years), and I just looked at the dates on the tires, and they are circa 2008 and 2009. Yikes!

    Since I'm buying 4 new tires, and soon, now would be the time to make changes if I'm ever going to. I've read through a bunch of thread on this subject. I'm going to keep the 16" wheels, but when it comes to the tires, I have two questions:

    1. Should I upgrade the size? Read threads about having FRONT 225/50R16 and REAR 245/45R16. What's the advantages/disadvantages, or is it just an aesthetic preference?

    2. Reading some of the other threads, I narrowed the tires down to these four options. I'm in San Diego, and pricing them out with Discount Tire and Tire Rack (keeping the current tire size, all 4 tires and tax and fees, but not installation).
    Continental Extreme Contact DWS06 Plus - $725 (Discount Tire)
    Continental Extreme Contact Sport 02 - $750 (Discount Tire)
    Pirelli P Zero Rosso - $1122 (Tire Rack)
    Pirelli Cinturato P7 (Collezione) - $1435 (Tire Rack)

    Seems to be a lot of fans of the P7's on the threads. Is it worth the splurge to the Pirelli's and then all the way to the P7's? I'm in SoCal . . . dry roads.

    Have I missed anything important?
    Thanks for the help!
     
  2. miketuason

    miketuason F1 World Champ
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    Feb 24, 2006
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    Mike
    #2 miketuason, Feb 20, 2025
    Welcome and congrats! For tire size, #1 is what some people upsized their tires to which makes it for wider looks and better handling.
     
  3. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 11, 2001
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    30°30'40" N 97°35'41" W (Texas)
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    #3 Steve Magnusson, Feb 20, 2025
    Not sure if this tire size is still available, but I preferred FRONT 205/55R16 and REAR 225/55/R16 on the 308 coachwork.
     
  4. Thomas Magnum

    Thomas Magnum F1 Veteran

    Feb 24, 2013
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    Mark
    #4 Thomas Magnum, Feb 20, 2025
    ProvaMo and mixedgas like this.
  5. DeloreanPilot

    DeloreanPilot Rookie

    Feb 17, 2025
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    Eugene Bolton
    #5 DeloreanPilot, Feb 20, 2025
    Oh, now I need to check the spare. I pulled it out and took it to the gas station before purchasing to make sure it was pressurized for my drive from L.A. area to San Diego. 0 psi, of course. I'm sure it hadn't had air put it in for 15+ years. I didn't looks at the size or brand.
     
  6. rwbolt1

    rwbolt1 Karting

    Sep 10, 2006
    214
    Boerne, TX
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    Rodney Bolt
    #6 rwbolt1, Feb 20, 2025
    I've thought about going with the same larger tires sizes. My concern is too much tire roll around turns on spirited drives on such narrow wheels.
     
    mixedgas likes this.
  7. dave80gtsi

    dave80gtsi Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 3, 2003
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    Dave Meredith
    #7 dave80gtsi, Feb 20, 2025
    Be aware that if you go to a wider than OEM size for the rear, you will then be unable to close the front boot if you have a puncture and need to change over to the spare tire by the side of the road.

    And you can all easily figure out how I learned this lesson firsthand ...
     
    ChevyDave and mixedgas like this.
  8. DeloreanPilot

    DeloreanPilot Rookie

    Feb 17, 2025
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    Eugene Bolton
    #8 DeloreanPilot, Feb 20, 2025
    Good to know. Thank you.

    So the bad rear tire gets to ride shotgun . . . LOL . . . I hope your spouse/significant other wasn't with you . . . "honey, get an Uber, I'm taking the spare tire with me."
     
  9. ChevyDave

    ChevyDave Formula Junior

    Dec 21, 2019
    408
    Pacific Northwest, USA
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    Dave W
    #9 ChevyDave, Feb 21, 2025
    The answer could depend on why you want to change the size: Are you currently traction limited (experiencing excessive wheelspin, understeer, or oversteer) and need more rubber on the road? Are you taking the car to the track? Are you having difficulty finding the OEM sizes? Do you simply want the aesthetics of a wider tire?
    I'm a minimalist, so I don't want to be carrying around any unnecessary weight but that's just me.
    The aesthetic considerations are completely up to you and not really open to discussion IMO.
    - Dave
     
  10. DeloreanPilot

    DeloreanPilot Rookie

    Feb 17, 2025
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    Eugene Bolton
    #10 DeloreanPilot, Mar 2, 2025
    Thanks @ChewyDave,
    This is really helpful. I'm not having any rubber-on-road problems. OEM sizes seem pretty accessible here in San Diego. So sounds like the choice comes down to purely aesthetic preference for me. I'll have to check out a bunch of different pictures online to see if I really like the look of the bigger tires. For me, having the OEM lower weight is probably what I'll pick if its a coin flip on aesthetics.

    If I ever track the car, it would be a rare thing just to have some legal speed fun on the straightaways. And I'm not going to go nuts. I have no interest in exploring the tire traction on curves in this car.
     
  11. ProvaMo

    ProvaMo Formula Junior

    Jun 29, 2004
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    Paul John
    #11 ProvaMo, Mar 5, 2025
    I'm kind of like @Thomas Magnum, except mine is a 1980 Euro Carb with the P7 option. I absolutely love the new Cinturato P7's (Collezione) looks and handling over the set of BFGoodrich g-Force COMP-2 I was running. FWIW (and what's in the picture) I initially went "Plus 0" front and rear (225/50-16 front with 245/45-16 rear). The 225 on the fronts with the OEM 7" wide wheel was a bit too much bulging for my tastes, so now I'm running the P7's with 205/55-16 fronts and 245/45-16 rears... works absolutely perfect for my purposes, spirited street driving.
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    Thomas Magnum likes this.
  12. Iain

    Iain F1 Rookie

    Jan 21, 2005
    3,320
    UK
    #12 Iain, Mar 6, 2025
    Modern tyres are already much stickier than those available back in the day so they will put greater loads through the suspension, hubs & steering as it is.

    I would not upsize them past the205x55s & 225x50s. If nothing else it will make the slow speed steering much heavier than it already is.

    Its the rear size that limits the choice. I have had P7 Cincuratos on my 328 (same sized tyres/wheels) & they were OK but the Michelin Pilot Sport 4s that are on it now are much better.
     
  13. ChevyDave

    ChevyDave Formula Junior

    Dec 21, 2019
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    #13 ChevyDave, Mar 6, 2025
    Beautiful car but good lord, how often do you repair that front spoiler? ;)
    - Dave
     
  14. mike996

    mike996 F1 Veteran

    Jun 14, 2008
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    Mike 996
    #14 mike996, Mar 6, 2025
    Keep the OEM tire size; install ANY brand/correct rating tire, they will be much superior to the tires that were on the car when it was new.
     
  15. Michael DB

    Michael DB Karting

    Dec 22, 2023
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    Michael D Beswick
    #15 Michael DB, Mar 7, 2025
    I still have the Michelin TRX 390s! But they are a little over UK 400 a corner....
     

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