Future C3 Owner Questions

[Chuffer]

Time for my next one, let's talk tyres:

My newly arrived C3 will need some tyres.
It's wearing BF Goodrich P255/60R15.

Not yet sure how old they are but they have cracking in-between the barely used tread.

so....

What Tyres Are Recommended & Where To Buy?

If they are cracking , replace asap , I had that issue on my rears dispite having lots of tread depth . I had a carbuncle form and the implications of a blow out are horrendous . I run 255 /55 / R15 fronts and 295/ 60 /R15 rears on my C3 and are BF Goodrich with white lettering . I am awaiting delivery of two new front tyres as mine are 2014 date stamped but the problem is none in the country in my size . I tried both Mid Hants Tyres who I have used before and also Langstones . I eventually placed an order with Langstones in early March and they are expected in shipment from the US until the end of this month . The BF`s are 115 mph rated which I am happy with as only drive on public roads although I take on board what Roscobbc said .

 

[Nassau65]

That’s who I was going to suggest. BUT, have a look online.

 

[teamzr1]

Time for my next one, let's talk tyres:

My newly arrived C3 will need some tyres.
It's wearing BF Goodrich P255/60R15.

Not yet sure how old they are but they have cracking in-between the barely used tread.

so....

What Tyres Are Recommended & Where To Buy?

If the tires were made after about mid 1990s, it has been a federal law here in the USA to
have a date code stamped into the sidewall, as month/year
Here they do not want tires older than 6 years

Thus was due to the japs buying up American Firestone, reducing quality, who was supplying tires to Ford
which had a rash of SUV rollovers due to crap tires and not having tire pressure sensors

This is a bitch because it then forced race groups to require tires with date stamps of no more than a few years
even though the car is rarely driven, so fewer miles on tires

 

[teamzr1]

Cracking has been said to happen as tire makers looking for more profit and less quality where
they are not doing what is needed to protect the tire from the Sun's UV rays.

Also, tires made for better traction do not stand up to cold weather
Example is the tires used for upper model Corvettes including there is a GM TSB where the summer tires
of the C8 Z51s are cracking in cold weather (GM states not to use summer tires in cold weather)

 

[GCorvette]

If the tires were made after about mid 1990s, it has been a federal law here in the USA to
have a date code stamped into the sidewall, as month/year
Here they do not want tires older than 6 years

Thus was due to the japs buying up American Firestone, reducing quality, who was supplying tires to Ford
which had a rash of SUV rollovers due to crap tires and not having tire pressure sensors

This is a bitch because it then forced race groups to require tires with date stamps of no more than a few years
even though the car is rarely driven, so fewer miles on tires you see the date stamp in this shot

Thank you. Do you see the date stamp in this shot?

 

[GCorvette]

You need to look at North Hants range of Galaxy tyres.......some of these have quite a high speed rating.........others (including BGG) have a surprisingly low speed rating. Don't be put off by those who say "I never go over 70 mph" - its also about the tyre construction and reinforcement.....

Availablity seems to be an issue both there and other places I've looked at so far?!

Edited to add this reply from Northants Tyres:

"The BFGs are low stocks everywhere at the moment. They do have some in the USA, but at 30% above usual price. Michelin here have none, with no production date yet, so we may be forced to buy the ones from the USA if it comes to that.

We have 255/60x15 in:
Galaxy RWL @ £123 each + VAT
Cooper Cobra RWL @ £170 each + VAT"

 

[Letank]

Assuming your Rally wheels are AZ stamped (8” width), which were standard fit on 73, then the closest to original size is 225/70R15. I think they went to 255/60R15 in or around 78.
Cooper Cobra Radial G/T’s are a slightly more modern tread pattern and construction than the BF Goodrich Radial T/A’s and the white letters are less prone to browning. But as others have said you can get white letters with even more modern day tread patterns and constructions like the Galaxy’s and General Grabbers.
North Hants tyres seem to be the biggest stockists and I think we get club discount too.

 

[Chuffer]

st

Thank you. Do you see the date stamp in this shot?

View attachment 16347

Date code is under the letters ri in Goodrich . The date of manufacture is the last four digits . Digits 1 and 2 are week of the year and digits 2 and 4 are the year . Best I can tell is week 1 of 2001 so pretty damned old !

 

[Roscobbc]

My logic relating to tyres (and irrespective of any limitations of the UK's 70 mph speed limit - if our C3's when first introduced to the market had the tyre technology we have available now - OEM spec' for tyres would have been 'W', 'Y' and 'Z' rated tyres. Whilst you may not ever crank your car up past 120 mph there is still the not inconsiderable power and torque channeled through the rear tyres that higher spec' tyres will deal better with.

 

[teamzr1]

Date code is always to the right of DOT (Department Of Transportation)
If not found on one side, look at the back side

So like one is 3013 which is tire was made in 30th week of 2013
and the other 4213 is the 42nd week of 2013

I highly suggest telling tire seller if new tires that you will not accept tires with older than like 2 years or best 1 year and
make sure you look at them before mounting to the rims

People will say well F it I never race so who cares when they are made until they get into a crash and cops report the codes they found
and insurance company than blames the age of tires as the cause of crash, has been done like that here in the USA

I show 2 examples from 2 different tire makers

 

[Letank]

st

Date code is under the letters ri in Goodrich . The date of manufacture is the last four digits . Digits 1 and 2 are week of the year and digits 2 and 4 are the year . Best I can tell is week 1 of 2001 so pretty damned old !

That’s the UN ECE Regulation type approval number for the tyre as it follows the E4 for RDW/Netherlands who will have issued it. As mentioned by teamzr1, the date code always follows the letters DOT, so it doesn’t appear to be in that pic.

 

[teamzr1]

That’s the UN ECE Regulation type approval number for the tyre as it follows the E4 for RDW/Netherlands who will have issued it. As mentioned by teamzr1, the date code always follows the letters DOT, so it doesn’t appear to be in that pic.

Also, the date code has an oval like shape around it

 

[Letank]

Also, the date code has an oval like shape around it

Yes that’s right. Those shapes are where they put in the tyre batch specific codes which are not part of the main tyre mould. If you look carefully the type and font is normally different too.

 

[Forrest Gump]

I have Galaxy’s on rallye wheels on my car if you want to see how they look. BFG are the more classic choice for sure but I wanted a tyre with better speed rating and more modern (but not leary) tread pattern. And much lower cost if that’s a consideration.

 

[Roscobbc]

My logic relating to tyres (and irrespective of any limitations of the UK's 70 mph speed limit - if our C3's when first introduced to the market had the tyre technology we have available now - OEM spec' for tyres would have been 'W', 'Y' and 'Z' rated tyres. Whilst you may not ever crank your car up past 120 mph there is still the not inconsiderable power and torque channeled through the rear tyres that higher spec' tyres will deal better with.

I'd be inclined to do some research on tyre diameters and fitments etc - a 245/60/15 Galaxy R1 is shown on North Hants website at a reasonable £120 plus vat. It is 26.54" diameter and 'V' rated at 149 mph.
Your 255/60/15 is 27.10" diameter which is the ideal diameter for an accurate speedo reading (although 1/2" diameter won't make too much differnce) and I'm guessing correct optional size for '73?

 

[Nassau65]

I have Galaxy’s on rallye wheels on my car if you want to see how they look. BFG are the more classic choice for sure but I wanted a tyre with better speed rating and more modern (but not leary) tread pattern. And much lower cost if that’s a consideration.View attachment 16350View attachment 16350

They look real nice. Any white lettered tire suits the C3 shape so well. I think it enhances the muscle/masculine “look”
Whitewalls are elegant for the “classic “ American look. Plain blackwall tires just don’t do it for me at all. ( on a C3)

 

[CaptainK]

Plain blackwall tires just don’t do it for me at all. ( on a C3)

I used to think that whilst I was debating what wheels and tyres to replace my old original wheels with on my C3 (as we discussed previously I think - I know you are a fan of the original wheels, whereas I really didn't like them). Anyway, I really wanted to keep RWL tyre on my C3 when I got my 17 inch alloys, but was finding it hard to find some good tyres in the size needed. So gave in and went for "normal" (aka NOT RWL) tyres on my C3, and surprisingly I actually quite like it now.

 

[Nassau65]

At the end of the day it’s all a personal choice, there’s no good or bad. To me the corvette C3 has always looked aggressive, and white lettered tires add to that aggressiveness.

 

[CaptainK]

Oh I definitely like the RWL on all old American cars. I was just surprised that I actually liked the Vette without them as well.

 

[GCorvette]

Next Question:
Naturally we must address things we pray never arise, but the need to carry a fire extinguisher is the sensible thing to do, so..

What are the recommended Fire Extinguishers?