E-Type Tyre Dilemma

[dr_gn]

So after 15 years off the road, it's now or never for my '64 4.2 E-Type Coupe.

I've been going to get it on the road for the past few years, and may well have asked this kind of thing before on here; if so apologies!

In the last few years I've done some of the jobs I never got around to doing properly when I rebuilt it such as professionally re-furbed carbs, re-calibrated and rebuilt distributor, new rear brake pots and 3-point seatbelts. The only thing remaining are the tyres.

Currently Avon Turbospeed 205/70 R15 (virtually un-worn, but very old). They look great on the MWS 6" rims, but the steering is heavy.

So the options seem to be:

Longstone Tyres:

185 VR15 PIRELLI CINTURATO CA67
£1344 + tape & tubes & fitting
Relatively expensive, look a bit skinny, but should improve the driving experience.

Blockley Tyres

185VR15
£744 + tape & tubes & fitting
Inexpensive, look a bit skinny, but should improve the driving experience.

205/70VR15W
£811.20 + tape & tubes & fitting
Relatively inexpensive, would look great, but a question mark over how the steering would feel.

Longstone
Seems expensive, but fairly local and they would fit them.

Blockley
Less expensive, postage costs, and I'd have to find somewhere who could fit and balance them.
Blockley say their 205/70VR15s give light steering, but I won't know until I try them.

Any thoughts, or real word experience good or bad, or advice on what to do? I'm inclined to go for the 185's, but which ones I don't know.

Thanks.

[dr_gn]

Bump…

[dr_gn]

timhum said:

Pirelli every time, 185 section on 6" rims work well and look good.

Tim

Thanks!

Have you tried Blockleys on an E-Type?

[dr_gn]

politeperson said:

I have Blockleys on an E type, I was driving it this afternoon. Here is is. They are 205s.

In fact I have 205 center laced wires on all my E Types. I just find the 185s a bit too skinny looking. I always have!
I find the steering nice and light,
One of the cars had heavy steering with 205s. The top ball joints had seized. To replace both top ball joints is less that £40 from SNG and does not take long.
Another car also had heavy steering, that turned out to be incorrectly shimmed lower ball joints. The self centering had vanished too. Best to change them to the later sealed units now.
Tyre pressure around 32 psi helps too.
My other cars have Michelin 205 XWXs. They are great, however I cannot really tell the difference between them and the Blockleys. The XWXs are expensive too.

Here I am twiddling the wheel with 205s!
James
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi-9PyV1n98

Edited by politeperson on Saturday 1st April 19:05

Edited by politeperson on Saturday 1st April 19:07

Edited by politeperson on Saturday 1st April 19:09

Thanks PP.

I already fitted the sealed lower joints when I rebuilt the car. I’ll double-check the uppers.

I’ve spoken to a fellow E-Type owner, and have pretty much decided on the Blockleys. Still not sure about the widths though. I too like the wider ones (currently fitted), but I’m curious to see how much a difference 185’s make to the steering.

I also need to check the front caster angle, because that can also cause heavy steering if it’s too large. In fact I need to get all the suspension geometry checked.

[dr_gn]

politeperson said:

Hello Swisstoni,
Those ones are 6.5s above.
These ones are 6's on the silver car below.

Your videos are great! Can't wait to get mine back on the road now. Are your cars modified? The exhaust sounds nice. I've got an old E-Type Fabs system on mine (which the newer versions I believe have now been modified) - it's a bit loud to be honest.

[dr_gn]

Very nice!

I’ve actually gone the other way, on the minor modifications I made, for example re-converting from electronic ignition to mechanical. I’ve got a lightened flywheel (wish I’d not bothered), and the sports exhaust (ditto).

Anyway thanks for the feedback on the tyres.

[dr_gn]

Thanks very much all.

After much deliberation I've just ordered 5x 185VR15 Blockleys (no point in having an insurance issue with potentially using an old spare tyre).

I thought unless I go for the narrower profile, I'll never really know how the steering should/could feel. I think the 6" rims should widen the look a bit anyway.

Decision was based on comments from fellow owners on this thread (who clearly use their cars and don't dawdle about with them), and likewise talking to a couple of owners who have Blockleys fitted to their E-Types (and a Lotus).

If money was no object I would have gone for the Pirellis, but these days I have to be realistic, and double the cost for the amount of miles I'll be doing seemed to be unjustifiable. The magazine tyre review comments are however at the back of my mind. Anyway, it's done!

[dr_gn]

OLDBENZ said:

LowDrag:
"ETA:- Wheels are 5.5 and tyres 185/70. I am quizzical about the chart above because I have never seen a 185/80 tyre. And I would seriously disagree with the Blockley rating. Oh, and they are tubeless with nary a problem in that department. But then again, we are all different."

80s are full profile tyres, which is all you could get before 70s were introduced as the first 'low profiles' (although few people would regard 70 profile as 'low' these days). 80 is typically not quoted in the tyre size of a full profile tyre so a 185HR15 will strictly be a 185/80HR15.

I always run with tubes on wire wheels regardless of whether the tyre is branded a tubeless because I am always concerned about losing air at the spokes. Interested to hear that you are running tubeless on wires without air loss.

Some wire wheels (mine included) have a rubbery resin around the rim that completely seals the spoke nipples. I run tubes because There seems little disadvantage and I’m unsure how the resin degrades. Not worth the risk IMO.

[dr_gn]

Sine there are a few people with E-Types who actually use them - any advice on wing mirrors? I've got some of the rectangular clamp-on versions, but haven't fitted them yet. I'd like something a bit more permanent, and period looking, but obviously they need to be effective. A bit reluctant to start driling holes in the door/scuttle, but it can get tiring turning your head round every 5 minutes in city traffic. Thanks.

[dr_gn]

No going back now - but they do look tiny…