1974ta

I have an opportunity to pick up a virtually brand new set of 225-70-15 Goodyear Eagle GT II tires for my 70. They have maybe 150 miles on them and best guess is they were manufactured in 2007 or 2008.

What are they worth? Best Guess?

Thanks,



Bill

mikep3

I would not drive on them after 6 years.... If you need them for show maybe, but not to drive on.

Alan 71

Hi Bill,
I understand the concern about age.
Does how the tire was stored, and where, enter in to the usability?
Regards,
Alan

Jclgodale3

Wouldn't chance the safety and not original for your car.

1974ta

They were stored in basement and may be just 3-4 years old so they would still have life.

They are T rated and look better than anything available today in my opinion.

Bill

vairxpert

I'd offer $40 or $50 bucks each, put them on and enjoy them for the next 10 years or until they're worn out...which ever comes first.

1974ta

It is very unfortunate that they discontinued the tires.

I am not crazy about either the Radial T/A or Firestone Indy 500s. There are other options with RWL but they are all mediocre tires at best.

These GTIIs came up and they were better tires than any current offering.

If money was no object I would have the Kelsey Goodyear Speedway original type tires for show and 17" Cragar SS with NITTO Motivo tires to drive.

Thanks,


Bill

PRNDL

When I bought my 68 it had on a set of Eagle GTs, raised white letter. Can't remember the size, but a little lower and wider than 225/70. They were old but still had decent tread on them. I gave them away.


http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-p...le-gt-rwl.html

wow! That sure was a long time ago!! (it actually was a long time ago, but 1999, not 1969)




of course this reminds me that the tires I now have on the car were purchased in late 1999 = 12 years old.

dbeall1968

I would pass. Money aside, they are 7 years old (the 'magic number' of years), and I have no love for Goodyear tires.

TheSkunkWorks

For my money, exactly $0.00.

mstanton

One thing to consider. Unless you are going to do it yourself, you may have a hard time getting someone to mount tires that old. I had several local shops refuse to put my current tires on new wheels because the tires were over 3 years old.

1974ta

They are likely only 3-5 years old.

Bill

hunt4cleanair

What's the date code? That will give you the precise age of the tire. Look for the four digit embossed code along the tire rim on either side. You should see something like 3307 or the 33rd week of 2007. The link below is to an article on tire safety published a few years ago in the now defunct Corvette Enthusiast.

Sounds like you really want them for your 70 tho they were not OEM. Just understand the limitations...local cruises and around the block. Than offer what you think is reasonable...afterall they aren't getting any younger!

Corvette Tire Safety

Easy Mike

Keep your insurance paid up.

redrdstr72

IMHO, the value is what you want to pay.

Tire options for these cars is drying up fast. No more G'years. "Loud" lettering on F'stones. Low/seasonal production on BFG's (not to mention BFG was not an OEM brand). I bought a set of 215/70 15 Radial TA's last spring and had a hell of a time finding them. I use these, on GM rally wheels for driving and my Kelsey Tire Speedway F70 15's on another set of GM rally wheels for judging. Radial and bias ply tires drive like a dream. Only problem is the bias plies are a nightmare dream.

One other option you might want to consider if you want to have a conservative looking tire AND have a nice-riding tire is the Michelin Symmetry. It has a thin white stripe, much like the white stripe option from 1970. They come in 215/70 15 and look very nice, especially on an all stock car. Since it's a stripe instead of letters, the fact that they're not OEM is less apparent when looking at the car from the curb. I came VERY close to getting them instead of my TA's. I sometimes regret not getting them...

leadfoot4

215/70 is kind of one size too small, and if you have an 8" wide rally, there's NO WAY you're going to SAFELY mount a 215 on them....

redrdstr72

This seems to be an on-going debate. My research showed the 215 to be the closest in dimensions (overall dia, tread width, sidewall width/height, etc) to the OEM tire. I consulted with several "tire folks" before going forward with my choice. I specifically sought out advice from one that declined to re-mount my 40 year old spare after I removed it from the rim to restore the rim, thinking that if they were conservative on this, their thinking would be useful for the use of 215's.

Quite a few other owners prefer the 225. I respect that. I never drive the car hard and am not concerned for safety when driving these, especially when compared to my bias plies .

The 215's are the 3rd set (not counting the Speedway's) of skins I've had on the car in 7 years of ownership. Never liked the look of any of the wider treads on my all-stock car. The larger OD of the 225 gave me too much concern for breaking a fender in a full turn.

Vette5.5

I wouldn't worry much about tires of that age, if stored inside out of the sun. Half the cars on the road, are running around on tires, far older than that. If the treads are starting to harden a bit, you can always brush on some Formula V or VHT Track Bite treatment. If the sidewalls close to the rim, show cracking when mounted, then time for a change.

1974ta

Yep the 215s are the closest to OEM size.

If Kelsey tires were not $1,000 a set estimated and closer to $150.00 a tire I would have those mounted on my rallies. I still may buy them at some point for judging.

I would then go and get a set of 17" wheels (Cragar ss) and put a really nice set of Firestone wide ovals or maybe the new NITTO motivo.

The Eagle GT II might be borderline age wise and I will see when I get the date codes. If they are more than 6-7 years old I may pass unless they are really inexpensive. Like almost free.

Why won't firestone (Bridgestone) come out with a retro radial wide oval in out sizes with original type letters? I guess they just won't sell enough and cannot make a profit.

Bill

Alan 71

Hi,
I agree with rr, from what I've read the 215/70 is the modern equivalent in size to the original F70.
They do look pretty skinny compared to what we've become used to in modern tires.
My 255/60 tires really look 50% wider than my repro F70s.
Regards,
Alan