Pete. (l33t FS) said:
Keith Tanner said:
Why would the 275s be a squishy mess?
That's a weird original fitment, 160TW and a load rating of 106! I can see why, but it's still weird.
*raises hand*
The only street friendly 275/60-15s that I am aware of are "cosmetic" tires with condom-thin sidewalls and laughable UTQG numbers. I think my Radial T/As are 320/A/B.
They are round, hold air, look cool, and work well with suspensions engineered around donut shaped tires, which is their primary purpose in life.
Fair enough, I was commenting more on the size than on the selection of tires available in that size.
johndej
SuperDork
9/22/22 2:11 p.m.
I mean just looked up the Avons and if you go that route you'll have "TURBOSPEED" written on all 4 corners of your Turbo R
In reply to johndej :
That's what's on it now. I'm sure it's a great tire, sort of. It actually has borderline reviews.
How about the whole Nascar look with yellow Goodyears!!
Seems to just be begging for a Grey Poupon livery!
RossD
MegaDork
9/22/22 3:34 p.m.
I am a big fan of raised white lettering on painted black steel wheels on just about anything. Including Bentleys.
Date is on one side only. Last four digits after DOT and some numbers molded into the sidewall, stamped into a little raised pad made for that purpose.
Buy the OE tires. You won't regret it.
1988RedT2 said:
Date is on one side only. Last four digits after DOT and some numbers molded into the sidewall, stamped into a little raised pad made for that purpose.
Buy the OE tires. You won't regret it.
unless they're really old, then the date code is only 3 digits.
tire date code info from tire rack
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:
1988RedT2 said:
Date is on one side only. Last four digits after DOT and some numbers molded into the sidewall, stamped into a little raised pad made for that purpose.
Buy the OE tires. You won't regret it.
unless they're really old, then the date code is only 3 digits.
tire date code info from tire rack
My rule is "if it's not in the WW-YY format, it's too old so I don't need to know how to read it" :)
In reply to Keith Tanner :
No doubt. A few years ago I re-engineered the brake apply system on an old cobra kit car for a friend. BFG Euro Radial TAs. 3-digit dates. Question then was "which decade?" Answer: 1980s.
So, semi relevant:
Firestone indy 500 have a stiff sidewall by feel in 275/60/15, as well as do cooper cobras.
You can also find a bit more variety in 255/60/15.
Lastly: a 255/55/17 is the correct dimensions, and was factory on some heavy (weight) performance cars. Not sure how much is left in that size.
You know the solution here.
Backhalf it. Ford 9", 4 link. Minitubs.
May as well do a front chassis too, you can get it all from Chris Alston Chassis Works.
Then gut the front fenders, stuff some 18x12s at all 4 corners. Put a wicked big block Chevy with at least one turbski and a hater pipe or hater pipes through the hood.
Solves the tire availability issues.
Heck it already has a Turbo 400. Most of the work has been done for you.
Do the newer rims work .
I would think enough Bentleys got pimped out that there are a lot of almost new tires and rims,,,,..
my Chevy Express-van tire was a 16 inch and about $200 last week....
In reply to californiamilleghia :
I suspect there isn't a single thing shared by this Bentley and the big VW Bentleys. Not even a bolt pattern.
Now I really want to see a Bentley on white letter Cooper Cobras.
You don't want tires old enough that Paul Walker wouldn't have dated them.
The_Jed
PowerDork
9/22/22 9:43 p.m.
No worries, I'm sure you have a lovely skull.
Keith Tanner said:
In reply to californiamilleghia :
I suspect there isn't a single thing shared by this Bentley and the big VW Bentleys. Not even a bolt pattern.
The VW Bentleys share a modern lug pattern. Nothing made after 1998 fits. Most of them are on 20 inch wheels which would look out of place on this car.
In reply to tremm :
Your answer, with all due respect, couldn't be more incorrect. A T or S speed rating is designed for a 2800 125hp economy car or an old school wrangler geared to 90mph top speed. Weight transfer is real and heat build up is real. Throw some 89T rated tires on it and go for a 2-3 hour drive and you're begging for a blow out, not to mention a miserable ride. Could they be utilized in an absolute emergency? Sure your spare could be one, but that's it.
There's an old adage with regards to luxury cars of a certain that's something along the line of, if it was once a $300k car that's depreciated to $50k, it will still have the repair and maintenance cost of a $300k car. (The mental illness for some of us is that is part of the appeal, "I could learn how to do that!", But it IS part of the fun).
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:
The V12 308 guy posted info for the shop in China that made his wheels. IIRC they were about $400 apiece.
Please provide link, I'm searching and failing.
EvanB
MegaDork
9/23/22 8:12 a.m.
tuna55
MegaDork
9/23/22 8:37 a.m.
93gsxturbo said:
You know the solution here.
Backhalf it. Ford 9", 4 link. Minitubs.
May as well do a front chassis too, you can get it all from Chris Alston Chassis Works.
Then gut the front fenders, stuff some 18x12s at all 4 corners. Put a wicked big block Chevy with at least one turbski and a hater pipe or hater pipes through the hood.
Solves the tire availability issues.
Heck it already has a Turbo 400. Most of the work has been done for you.
I think we're best freinds
In reply to tremm :
Option number 4 gets you one tire. The Avon Turbospeeds at $486 a piece. Expand the search beyond Tire Rack and you can find a few LT truck tires in that size.
The odds of this car spending most of its life in a garage is probably slim. It's going to see some long road trips in all kinds of conditions. It's going to get driven to work and dinner with the wife. It's going to eat up some interstate miles. Probably lots of them. I have no use for a garage queen. All of these reasons are also good reasons to not buy a $486 tire with a UTOQ of 160. As a stop gap I have ordered a set of Indy 500 tires. They have the load range to hold up the car and I think I can keep the car under 112 mph for the foreseeable future. They will at least get a set of tires under it that won't blow out and take out a fender.
I've done some more digging and I found a shop in the UK that has a set of 17" Bentley 5 spoke wheels for $1700. This is the stock wheel on the later cars. I have an email to them to verify they have them and are willing to ship them. I'd also like to know what shipping to the States would be. No answers yet so fingers crossed. These are my favorite Bentley wheel.
