Tyres for 1980 V8 Vantage (15" BBS Vantage wheels)
Discussion
Hi,
Looking for recommendations for the above? It seems that very few manufacturers do this size any more.
Michelin XWX or PIRELLI CINTURATO CN12 are recommended on the Longstone classic tyres website, but both appear to be discontinued or not currently available with no due date. Avon Turbosteel seems to be the only known brand in the correct size.
The car currently has 235/70 x 15 Avon Turbosteel fitted but they are very old and all need changing.
Cheers,
Andy
Looking for recommendations for the above? It seems that very few manufacturers do this size any more.
Michelin XWX or PIRELLI CINTURATO CN12 are recommended on the Longstone classic tyres website, but both appear to be discontinued or not currently available with no due date. Avon Turbosteel seems to be the only known brand in the correct size.
The car currently has 235/70 x 15 Avon Turbosteel fitted but they are very old and all need changing.
Cheers,
Andy
Hi Andy
If your V8 is a genuine Vantage then it would have had 255/60 VR tyres originally. These are available but not cheap. 235/70 are generally fitted because they are the cheapest option for the V8 but I am pretty sure they were never original equipment on any Newport Pagnell V8. My V8 is not a Vantage and has always had 225/70 tyres fitted. Whilst they are narrower than the 235/70 they have much stiffer sidewalls so offer a slightly more sporting look and feel.
All the best,
Graham
If your V8 is a genuine Vantage then it would have had 255/60 VR tyres originally. These are available but not cheap. 235/70 are generally fitted because they are the cheapest option for the V8 but I am pretty sure they were never original equipment on any Newport Pagnell V8. My V8 is not a Vantage and has always had 225/70 tyres fitted. Whilst they are narrower than the 235/70 they have much stiffer sidewalls so offer a slightly more sporting look and feel.
All the best,
Graham
Andy, you can get Avon turbosteels quite easily and cheaply. I fitted these to my 1974 V8 last year, although it has the GKN design alloys not BBS
https://www.blackcircles.com/catalogue/avon/turbos...
https://www.blackcircles.com/catalogue/avon/turbos...
Hi - you can get the 255 Pirelli Cintauro tyres from UK specialists but they are not cheap. The Pirelli 255 were for a decent time considered the best option for the 15” GKN with the 7” rim (were fitted as OE to post Oscar India Vantages with the GKN wheels), and also the the post 83 15” BBS wheels.
The fundamental problem is really getting decent modern rubber for a 15” wheel. It’s why many convert the hubs of the 71-84 cars to take the later 16” Ronal wheel, which opens up options like the fantastic Michelin pilot sport, though again these are very expensive (OEM for the Ferrari Testarossa).
The good news for you is that if you already have BBS wheels, your 1980 hubs would have already been converted to to take the smaller PCD of the Ronal wheels, as the BBS wheel uses the same smaller PCD as the Ronal.
Thus you have the option of fitting the 16” Ronal without the huge additional expense of converting the hubs.
The fundamental problem is really getting decent modern rubber for a 15” wheel. It’s why many convert the hubs of the 71-84 cars to take the later 16” Ronal wheel, which opens up options like the fantastic Michelin pilot sport, though again these are very expensive (OEM for the Ferrari Testarossa).
The good news for you is that if you already have BBS wheels, your 1980 hubs would have already been converted to to take the smaller PCD of the Ronal wheels, as the BBS wheel uses the same smaller PCD as the Ronal.
Thus you have the option of fitting the 16” Ronal without the huge additional expense of converting the hubs.
Thanks for the info all. New tyres have been fitted by the dealer as part of the agreement because the old tyres were more than 10 years old.
The car is new to me, just picked it up today and haven't really done much other than drive home and put it in the garage (raining lightly and getting dark by the time I got home anyway). I'm sure I'll get more familiar with the car as time goes on. And I'll probably have lots of questions too, so good to see a few classic V8 owners on here!
Still trying to get used to all the controls being in different places to modern cars!
No, its not an original Vantage, its a V8 saloon with Vantage upgrades. I know its not quite the real deal (the price reflected that) but I still love it!
Andy
The car is new to me, just picked it up today and haven't really done much other than drive home and put it in the garage (raining lightly and getting dark by the time I got home anyway). I'm sure I'll get more familiar with the car as time goes on. And I'll probably have lots of questions too, so good to see a few classic V8 owners on here!
Still trying to get used to all the controls being in different places to modern cars!
No, its not an original Vantage, its a V8 saloon with Vantage upgrades. I know its not quite the real deal (the price reflected that) but I still love it!
Andy
Don’t worry at all that your cars isn’t the ‘real deal’. Once the series 4 or Oscar India (your car) was introduced the differences between that and the Vantage were minimal - reduced to cylinder head tuning (slightly enlarged porting, inlet valves, carbs and wilder inlet cam profile), and the front air dam and ‘vantage’ badges. Other than the fact that Vantages were only sold with the ZF 5 speed manual (with a couple of exceptions for directors) and most of the standard cars were fitted with the Torqflite 3 speed slush box and a slightly higher geared diff, that was pretty much it. The only other differences were the Vantage had the larger 255 Pirelli tyres shoehorned onto the 7” wide 15” GKN rims where the standard car continued with the smaller 225 Avons.
Does yours have the ZF box fitted ? - though the differences are really just head tuning and the ‘box, converting to ‘Vantage spec’ is far more costly than you might expect (as I discovered), largely due to the rarity and cost of the key required components such as the bigger carbs and the manual box.
Lastly - you have committed the sin of not uploading a photo, though this forum is mainly for the Gaydon cars, we love to see photos of those handsome old V8’s.
Does yours have the ZF box fitted ? - though the differences are really just head tuning and the ‘box, converting to ‘Vantage spec’ is far more costly than you might expect (as I discovered), largely due to the rarity and cost of the key required components such as the bigger carbs and the manual box.
Lastly - you have committed the sin of not uploading a photo, though this forum is mainly for the Gaydon cars, we love to see photos of those handsome old V8’s.
Calinours said:
Don’t worry at all that your cars isn’t the ‘real deal’. Once the series 4 or Oscar India (your car) was introduced the differences between that and the Vantage were minimal - reduced to cylinder head tuning (slightly enlarged porting, inlet valves, carbs and wilder inlet cam profile), and the front air dam and ‘vantage’ badges. Other than the fact that Vantages were only sold with the ZF 5 speed manual (with a couple of exceptions for directors) and most of the standard cars were fitted with the Torqflite 3 speed slush box and a slightly higher geared diff, that was pretty much it. The only other differences were the Vantage had the larger 255 Pirelli tyres shoehorned onto the 7” wide 15” GKN rims where the standard car continued with the smaller 225 Avons.
Does yours have the ZF box fitted ? - though the differences are really just head tuning and the ‘box, converting to ‘Vantage spec’ is far more costly than you might expect (as I discovered), largely due to the rarity and cost of the key required components such as the bigger carbs and the manual box.
Lastly - you have committed the sin of not uploading a photo, though this forum is mainly for the Gaydon cars, we love to see photos of those handsome old V8’s.
Well I only picked it up yesterday!Does yours have the ZF box fitted ? - though the differences are really just head tuning and the ‘box, converting to ‘Vantage spec’ is far more costly than you might expect (as I discovered), largely due to the rarity and cost of the key required components such as the bigger carbs and the manual box.
Lastly - you have committed the sin of not uploading a photo, though this forum is mainly for the Gaydon cars, we love to see photos of those handsome old V8’s.
So many changes happen by the time a car gets to this age. It was originally an auto, converted to the ZF 5 speed many years ago and then given the Vantage upgrade in 2011 including new unleaded heads as part of a fairly impressive single £22K invoice in the history file!
Noogly said:
Wayne95 said:
Nice looking V8.
Did you get it from the Motor Hub where that picture was taken ?
Are you local to there or did you have long fin drive home? I’m based in Cheltenham
Thanks!Did you get it from the Motor Hub where that picture was taken ?
Are you local to there or did you have long fin drive home? I’m based in Cheltenham
Got it from there, I'm in Stroud so not far at all.
Ah yes, of course. Apologies, the side on profile and wire wheels threw me.
I understand that someone uncovered a big batch of straight six engines somewhere in the factory long after the V8 went into production thus they created a special straight six version of the V8 and simply called it the Vantage as all the cars were only offered in straight six Vantage spec.
The paintwork looks absolutely sublime. It is a great feeling to be the custodian of one of those old beasts, though the the costs can be ridiculous with most of the 'specialists' operating as the Harry Enfield character 'I saw you coming'
"Sir, your service is done, but your mirror needs adjusting, I can do that if you wish, only half an hours labour"
(yes that was a real quote)
I understand that someone uncovered a big batch of straight six engines somewhere in the factory long after the V8 went into production thus they created a special straight six version of the V8 and simply called it the Vantage as all the cars were only offered in straight six Vantage spec.
The paintwork looks absolutely sublime. It is a great feeling to be the custodian of one of those old beasts, though the the costs can be ridiculous with most of the 'specialists' operating as the Harry Enfield character 'I saw you coming'
"Sir, your service is done, but your mirror needs adjusting, I can do that if you wish, only half an hours labour"
(yes that was a real quote)
Gassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff