Discussion
After an interesting episode on a wet Norfolk roundabout, I decided it was time to change my tyres (Avon Turbosteels made in 2000!), especially after I checked its old MoTs - 3 successive advisories warning that the tyre's sidewalls were cracking - my excuse is that I'd not owned my MGB GT for long. After dismissing original style Michelins and Cinturatos for their ridiculous prices, I settle on a set of Barum Brillantis 165/80 R14 85T from mytyres.co.uk for £56.90 each fully fitted. So far they have proved excellent: quieter, slightly better ride and nicer round corners with less squeal.
salamagundi said:
After an interesting episode on a wet Norfolk roundabout, I decided it was time to change my tyres (Avon Turbosteels made in 2000!), especially after I checked its old MoTs - 3 successive advisories warning that the tyre's sidewalls were cracking - my excuse is that I'd not owned my MGB GT for long.
. . .
So far they have proved excellent: quieter, slightly better ride and nicer round corners with less squeal.
it's good that you changed those tyres, it wouldn't give me much confidence in the previous owner's overall care of the car. . .
So far they have proved excellent: quieter, slightly better ride and nicer round corners with less squeal.
as you've already found, but is often forgotten, tyres effect the braking, steering, suspension, handling and ride comfort and noise
any reasonable new tyres, once bedded in, should be a lot better than 13 year old tyres as tyres age especially the sidewalls and lack of use of the car doesn't help them (have a look at the mileage over those 13 years)
along with loads of other information on this page and the others see the part on age - http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html
a tale about an old tyre with loads of tread depth that looked fine -
By Geoff Ev, Gloucestershire
‘My 1980 BGT had four new tyres in 1991 at about 26,000 miles. After only another 1500 miles by 2007, I bought it.
After about a year, a leaking valve caused me to use the spare. I forgot about it, it had good tread and no apparent damage. A couple of months later, it blew at 70mph. It had spent the previous 17 years (at least) in the dark in the boot. It was a Dunlop with no obvious date marks, so I assume it was an original 1980 tyre.’
Edited by nta16 on Wednesday 6th November 15:04
Some notes of the history of my 1975 MGB GT may be of interest.
It was owned for more than 35 years by the second owner, who was forced to give up driving early (Altzheimer's). He appears not to have been a hands-on owner but relied on his local garage to warn him of necessary work (skim head, new exhaust, on a car with less than 50k miles on it now). Four Rostyle wheels were replace by MGOC alloys in 2004 but the old tyres appear to have been re-fitted. You're right about the low mileages - only 3000 in the last ten years, with less than 100 for each of the last 3 years.
It was bought by a Nottingham man who makes a hobby of refurbishing MGs. He converted it from rubber bumpers to chrome (and had done a very good job according to a local professional MG engineer).
I bought the car from a dealer, with a current (dated May) local issued MoT which didn't have any advisories (Coincidence?), while the 3 previous certificates issued by West Midlands testers warned of cracking tyre sidewalls.
It was owned for more than 35 years by the second owner, who was forced to give up driving early (Altzheimer's). He appears not to have been a hands-on owner but relied on his local garage to warn him of necessary work (skim head, new exhaust, on a car with less than 50k miles on it now). Four Rostyle wheels were replace by MGOC alloys in 2004 but the old tyres appear to have been re-fitted. You're right about the low mileages - only 3000 in the last ten years, with less than 100 for each of the last 3 years.
It was bought by a Nottingham man who makes a hobby of refurbishing MGs. He converted it from rubber bumpers to chrome (and had done a very good job according to a local professional MG engineer).
I bought the car from a dealer, with a current (dated May) local issued MoT which didn't have any advisories (Coincidence?), while the 3 previous certificates issued by West Midlands testers warned of cracking tyre sidewalls.
salamagundi said:
Some notes of the history of my 1975 MGB GT may be of interest.
It was owned for more than 35 years by the second owner, who was forced to give up driving early (Altzheimer's). He appears not to have been a hands-on owner but relied on his local garage to warn him of necessary work (skim head, new exhaust, on a car with less than 50k miles on it now). Four Rostyle wheels were replace by MGOC alloys in 2004 but the old tyres appear to have been re-fitted. You're right about the low mileages - only 3000 in the last ten years, with less than 100 for each of the last 3 years.
It was bought by a Nottingham man who makes a hobby of refurbishing MGs. He converted it from rubber bumpers to chrome (and had done a very good job according to a local professional MG engineer).
I bought the car from a dealer, with a current (dated May) local issued MoT which didn't have any advisories (Coincidence?), while the 3 previous certificates issued by West Midlands testers warned of cracking tyre sidewalls.
I've just bought an MGC that's been hibernating for 10 years or so.It was owned for more than 35 years by the second owner, who was forced to give up driving early (Altzheimer's). He appears not to have been a hands-on owner but relied on his local garage to warn him of necessary work (skim head, new exhaust, on a car with less than 50k miles on it now). Four Rostyle wheels were replace by MGOC alloys in 2004 but the old tyres appear to have been re-fitted. You're right about the low mileages - only 3000 in the last ten years, with less than 100 for each of the last 3 years.
It was bought by a Nottingham man who makes a hobby of refurbishing MGs. He converted it from rubber bumpers to chrome (and had done a very good job according to a local professional MG engineer).
I bought the car from a dealer, with a current (dated May) local issued MoT which didn't have any advisories (Coincidence?), while the 3 previous certificates issued by West Midlands testers warned of cracking tyre sidewalls.
Tyres are all fine if you look at the tread but all show cracking as a result of the car not moving for years.
MOT tester advised me that he can't fail OR add an advisory on them as there is no longer an option on the computerised MOT system to do so!
My decision is to change them anyway hence the other post up at the moment regarding 15" tyre options.
salamagundi said:
only 3000 in the last ten years, with less than 100 for each of the last 3 years.
that sort of mileage does the cars no favours at all, I always advise the same for all old (classic) cars that are new to you and that is to get a copy of the Driver's Handbook and do a full and proper 36k-mile service/check up staggered if required between driving the car regularly all year rounda lot of new owners just think an oil change and fiddling with the carbs is what it's all about but the engine is one of the less important components of the car, brakes is number one then tyres, steering, suspension, lights and windows
salamagundi said:
with a current (dated May) local issued MoT which didn't have any advisories (Coincidence?), while the 3 previous certificates issued by West Midlands testers warned of cracking tyre sidewalls.
always nice to have a MoT but it is just to say the car passed a minimum level of tests to one qualified person's opinion at one point in time it doesn't mean the car is running as well as it could or should, most classics are running well below what they could because most owners don't know any different having not driven other cars of the same model in good mechanical condition, most rare drive their own classic - reasonably easy to get the car running well and reliably just takes regular full and proper servicing, maintenance and repair and regular driving all year aroundit took me many years of using classics for daily use and for holidays and tours to learn the above fully
good luck
pb450 said:
Something that nobody has mentioned here is that the ageing cracks can appear at the bottom of the treads, even if the side walls appear to be ok. So on old low mileage tyres, check within the treads, not just the side walls.
Don't be 'cheap'. It's YOUR life!
very good pointsDon't be 'cheap'. It's YOUR life!
and you can also get it on tyres around 2/3 old (use)
ETA: I meant to put there's lots of rubbish rubber around in components and parts so I'm not too surprised even if it turns up in product made by reputable companies
Edited by nta16 on Tuesday 22 July 23:30
Gassing Station | MG | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff