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KTPhil 
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 34013
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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 Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2018 3:42 pm Post subject: Re: What's the best way to get tires? |
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| Zundfolge1432 wrote: |
| Actually these big tail lights and directionals and the side markers came into being not as styling cues but as Federally mandated orders, you know those pesky safety nazis and consumer groups that pressured lawmakers to act. |
I'll both agree and disagree... lights that size were never actually required, just the side marker lights and reflector sizes. These could have been handled by smaller lights than what they went with. But they did this for two reasons.
(1) Laws were changing, and there were so many proposed changes that an automaker, not knowing which would pass and which would not, and considering the lead times they had to have, they just went big to be sure they would pass whatever standards came along.
Also, (2) The "appearance" of a safer car helped sell it... big looking lights and bumpers served a PR purpose both to potential buyers, and to the regulators who insisted they "do something."
So the "threat" of such laws (plus the PR motive) resulted in these larger lights (not attractive to me generally),and not the laws themselves. Same result, same root cause, just a little different spin.
Today we take shorter lead times as the norm, but back then, a 3-5 year model cycle time was more common, and getting longer as the '60s came to a close. Lawmakers just didn't get this aspect of the business, and accused the automakers of foot-dragging. Although there was some of that, the real result was a series of band-aids, and not true redesign, for both safety and emissions.
I believe even VW flubbed when they came out with the larger '70 taillights... and left out the reflector portion, necessitating those little accessory rounded rectangular add-ons for a year or so. The next year, the lenses got even larger and VW went back to the built-in design for reflectors they had used from the beginning. When you rush, mistakes get made...
Okay, back to tires! I had a real hard time finding 165-R15 tires, and finally found a tire shop that would order them for me. What was once the most popular tire size in the WORLD is almost gone from the market! I had the shop that was going to install them do the ordering, so if there was any mixup, I had just party to hassle.
About 10 years ago, all I could find were Nankang brand. They worked well enough, but didn't last very long.
Next change was about two years ago and I had a shop order a set of Nexen brand. These seem to be working well. Pricier, but very well made, are the Vredestein Sprint Classic, if they are still available.
2016 posts here, might not be 100% current, but it will give you some ideas:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=655883
Last edited by KTPhil on Thu Oct 04, 2018 9:32 am; edited 1 time in total |
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mukluk
Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2012
Posts: 7028
Location: Clyde, TX
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| Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2018 5:32 pm Post subject: Re: What's the best way to get tires? |
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Vredestein Sprint Classics are still available and don't seem to have gone up in price since I bought a complete set for my '60 five and a half years ago. I've been quite happy with them regarding both all around driving performance in varied weather and how well they are holding up to wear.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cok-579821/overview/
I ordered the tires myself and had them mounted locally.
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1960 Ragtop w/Semaphores "Inga" |
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Gurn Blanston
Samba Member
Joined: January 18, 2014
Posts: 339
Location: Texas
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| Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2018 11:07 pm Post subject: Re: What's the best way to get tires? |
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| KTPhil wrote: |
| (1) Laws were changing, and there were so many proposed changes that an automaker, not knowing which would pass and which would not, and considering the lead times they had to have, they just went big to be sure they would pass whatever standards came along. |
That's how we got the 911 Targa, too.
From Wikipedia:
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| In August 1967, the A series went into production with dual brake circuits and widened (5.5J-15) wheels still fitted with Pirelli Cinturato 165HR15 CA67 tyres.,[10] and the previously standard gasoline-burning heater became optional. The Targa (meaning "plate" in Italian[11]) version was introduced. The Targa had a stainless steel-clad roll bar, as automakers believed that proposed rollover safety requirements by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would make it difficult for fully open convertibles to meet regulations for sale in the US, an important market for the 911. The name "Targa" came from the Targa Florio sports car road race in Sicily, Italy in which Porsche had several victories until 1973. The last win in the subsequently discontinued event was scored with a 911 Carrera RS against prototypes entered by Ferrari and Alfa Romeo. The road going Targa was equipped with a removable roof panel and a removable plastic rear window (although a fixed glass version was offered from 1968). |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_911 |
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dc1962cars
Samba Member
Joined: April 16, 2010
Posts: 63
Location: Cincinnati Ohio
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 11:01 am Post subject: Re: What's the best way to get tires? |
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Has anyone ever had their tires mounted and balanced on stock wide five powder coated wheels at Wal Mart? I plan on buying Nankang 145 R 15 and 165 80 15s from Wal Mart online. They ship to the store of your choice for free and their prices are the best I could find just didn't know if Wal Mart had the ability to do Wide Fives.
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64 Beetle |
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don1357
Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2017
Posts: 387
Location: Palmer Alaska
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 1:55 pm Post subject: Re: What's the best way to get tires? |
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| Am I the only one that remembers the completelly non PC meaning of fat chick? |
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Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24764
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 2:02 pm Post subject: Re: What's the best way to get tires? |
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| 67ctbug wrote: |
1971 was the first year VW offered radial tires as an option. |
Are you sure? Below page dated 3/68.
From the 1965 "Damage Numbers" VW dealer manual:
DN manual was for the VW dealer to be able to report directly back to the factory that there was a problem with any parts of the VWs.
More at:
http://www.oacdp.org/
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In Stereo, Where Available! |
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mukluk
Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2012
Posts: 7028
Location: Clyde, TX
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 2:14 pm Post subject: Re: What's the best way to get tires? |
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| dc1962cars wrote: |
| Has anyone ever had their tires mounted and balanced on stock wide five powder coated wheels at Wal Mart? I plan on buying Nankang 145 R 15 and 165 80 15s from Wal Mart online. They ship to the store of your choice for free and their prices are the best I could find just didn't know if Wal Mart had the ability to do Wide Fives. |
Your best bet would be to ask the specific store you'd like to use. I've found even with the big name tire stores it's hit or miss whether they'll have the equipment to balance wide fives, and it's usually much more miss than hit. I had to resort to providing my own adapter plate when getting wide fives balanced as nobody around here had their own.
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1960 Ragtop w/Semaphores "Inga" |
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