Tyres for your 6.9

[Styria]

Obtaining the correct size tyres for our 6.9s has become somewhat of an issue for some considerable time now. The original size when first introduced in 1975 was, and still is, 215.70.14, the tyres being Michelin XWX's, as also fitted to high performance cars like Ferraris, Maseratis, Iso Grifo and Rivolta. Those very same tyres are still in production, albeit I daresay that compounds and other features would vary somewhat when compared with the originals specified at that time.

In fact, I know that they have changed. At one stage, I had some originals, and also some of the present day examples, and I can verify that the originals were quite a bit heavier, and appeared to be more solid in construction, than the ones available today - and available they are, but at a cost of close enough to $1K. per cover, give or take a couple of hundred. To be honest, not only would I not have that sort of cash available, nor would it be prudent value wise to outlay that sort of expense on almost any 6.9, irrespective of their valuation. The days of $150K. are long gone - not that I ever envisaged my Gleaming Beauty to attract that sort of demand and value. If its value was in the Supercar class, $4K. tyre cost per car would be minimal and probably justified.

So, this brings us up to present times. BTW, as a matter of interest, I have driven 6.9s with the correct 215.70.14 XWXs, but honestly I was not overly impressed with the quality of ride by way of lack of harshness nor quietness over less than perfect surfaces. As I said, original sizes have been difficult to come by, and when they are available, it only seems for short periods before they are sold out or disappear. 215.65.14s provide a partial solution, but are not 100% ideal. More to come. Regards Styria

 

[Styria]

For a number of years, Gleaming Beauty had been fitted with 235.45.18 Nankang tyres on Taiwanese made "Speedy" rims that I bought some ten years ago. Nothing wrong with that combination which provided excellent road holding both in the wet and dry, albeit at the cost of some softness in ride quality - a little "Brick" like, but not obtrusive. Some three years ago, I exercised the opportunity to purchase some chromed Bundt or Baroques, shod with the correct 215.7014 Columbian tyres with a fairly aggressive thread pattern, and decided to fit them to my GB in deference to regulations "recommended" by RMS and correctly applied by "My Car Club" that I am now a member of - what a good Club (as an aside).

Those Columbian tyres started to become a bit of a liability on account of advanced age, with one front tyre shredding its thread. I replaced that with an old Michelin XVS with the correct size in keeping with the other Columbians. However, ride comfort and lack of smoothness started to become more evident, and it forced me into taking pressing action to look for new, replacement tyres. Looking for options became a fairly onerous task, until I contacted Tyroola Tyres, an Internet Company, as well as other suppliers with less than impressive options - well, in fact almost none. So, along came Tyroola with Chinese manufactured KAPSEN COMFORT MAX AS H202 215.70R.14 96H tyres - just what was needed for GB. I decided to take the plunge and decided to purchase somewhat, shall we say, unfashionable tyres. More to come. Regards Styria

 

[Styria]

This is the way it works. Tyroola supply and ship the tyres to your choice of Fitter as shown on the net, and they do advertise the cost to fit the supplied tyres. Most Fitting Stations charge round about $220.00 fitting charge for a complete set of four, but I chose Jax Tyre Service at Hilltop (near Merrylands and Wentworthville) with a quoted fitting and balancing price of close to $120.00. A bargain. The advertised cost of the Kapsens was $106.00 each (!), but that was reduced to $90.00 each if I bought four. Please, all of you, don't start laughing ! The full quote, including everything came to $543.50 and I conveyed to Tyroola that I wanted to go ahead. However, due to the difficulty in mastering their Internet procedures, I could not go ahead with the deal, i.e. sale, delivery, fitting charge all in one. So, I contacted Hilltop Tyre Service, the fitting station I had chosen and asked them to handle the complete transaction on my behalf with Tyroola and I would just pay them instead of dealing with the supplier. Their cost all up was $130.00 per tyre - in other words, $520.00 all up. The deal was agreed to by all parties and I had those tyres fitted yesterday morning, being Monday 19th.

The experience was seamless on all fronts. Friendly and helpful service, I was able to discuss with them and illustrate locking the suspension of the car when they are raised and lowered and nothing seemed to be any trouble. Perfect, and highly recommended. The tyres themselves - time will provide the answer, but the characteristics of a comfortable and soft ride on initial use are a huge improvement already over anything I have experienced for some years now. I do not expect miracles, especially as I am not a hard driver and GB, with its History Car Registration, has only travelled about four hundred kilometers in the last three years. Great solution all round. Regards Styria