The Official 356Talk Forum

Here is latest sale from Longstone Tires UK see https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/classi ... n-xzx.html

and see here for the Longstone guy's pitch on the DDK chat http://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewto ... =3&t=63907

I want to reshoe my 356 with the stock tire size, as I believe that it offers the best handling/comfort compromise. There are a few options and before I start ordering tires for my 4.5x15 wheels wanted the community to add their comments;

these are the choices I am aware of

Verdenstein "classic" , they seem to be unsuitable for any use in cold weather, and as I drive it in North east ,the caveat on web leave me dubious

Pirelli CN36 , I have experience with these back in the day an found the dogbone pattern both noisy and not good in wet, they are vintage endorsed by Porsche but actually the CN36 was a 1970's design

Blockley makes a high quality tire ,I have used their racing bias ply tire ,but no expedience with 15" radials , anyone try them out ?

Nanking Cx668 , I have had good performance on other sports cars with some Chinese tires, as with a light car the higher quality of modern rubber seems more important than the brand

Tire rack offers a house brand classic tire in this size, imagine it's an off brand Nanking too or maybe Kuhmo

I know that Coker offers reproduction Michelins and other 165/80R15 but generally I have been disappointed in their recent offers,they license designs but farm out production not OEM at all

too bad that Seperit not longer offers 165/80HR15, they the best tire in showrooms stock back in the 1960's

Check out Longstone in the UK. They have a Michelin XZX for what seems a really good price of $400 for a set of 4 with what appears to be free shipping to the USA.
https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/classi ... n-xzx.html
I bought a set of Nankang CX668 tires and they were the most unsatisfactory new tires I ever put on a car. The fronts were acceptable but the rears felt like jello in all except very mild cornering forces. I run a pair on the front of my 59 cab but only because it is still 60 hp and I don't tend to push it very hard.
I put a set of Sumitomo 175 x 15's HTR A/S P02 on my 64C but they lower the gearing a tad.

I went with the Verdenstein Classics a few years ago and have been very happy with them. But I never drive the car when it is below freezing. I do drive it quite often when the outdoor temps are around 40 degrees +/- and have not noticed any unusual handling.

I have heard the story of the Michelins that Coker sells are not real Michelins. I don't believe it - they are made by Michelin. I bought a set or my VW recently and they seem fine with expected Michelin quality.

I've driven my 356C with Vredestein Sprint Classic tires in 20* weather with no problems. Where are you getting your info?

from tire distributors website tirerack.com

The Sprint Classic is Vredestein's Grand Touring Summer tire developed for drivers of classic automobiles who want a tire with vintage style combined with modern technology. Like all summer tires, the Sprint Classic is not intended to be serviced, stored nor driven in near- and below-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice.

Sprint Classic tires feature a summer compound molded into a symmetric tread design with a classic look. The solid rib pattern with closed shoulders delivers confident straight-line tracking on the road, and the modern radial construction provides the foundation for handling capabilities that far exceed the bias-ply tires the Sprint Classic resembles. Multiples sipes within the tread ribs create additional biting edges for improved wet grip, and the deep, circumferential grooves allow water to flow through the contact patch away from the footprint for improved hydroplaning resistance.

The tire's internal structure includes twin steel belts on top of a single-ply (215/70R15 is two-ply) rayon casing.

Note: Tires exposed to temperatures of 20 degrees F (-7 degrees C) or lower must be permitted to gradually return to temperatures of at least 40 degrees F (5 degrees C) for at least 24 hours before they are flexed in any manner, such as by adjusting inflation pressures, mounting them on wheels, or using them to support, roll or drive a vehicle.

Flexing of the specialized rubber compounds used in Grand Touring Summer tires during cold-weather use can result in irreversible compound cracking. While compound cracking is not a warrantable condition because it occurs as the result of improper use or storage, tires exhibiting compound cracking must be replaced.

longstone in UK is reselling Coker tires ,that's how they ship free, and the Michelin's are made under license by cCker not Michelin , one of my guy's worker in the factory that did the work for coker as subcontractor

Why would you purchase a street tire other than a Michelin? I have been using these tires for 56 years without any manufacturing tire failures. They are round. al zim

I found a cheaper source for the Classic tire that Tire Rack sells.

$54 and free shipping, I just ordered 4 more.

https://simpletire.com/sigma-165-80r15- ... mgQAvD_BwE

How often do you drive your car? Vredesteins are nice but if you drive 1000-2000 miles a year (or fewer) then your tires will "age" out and IMHO you are overspending. I run Nexens on my coupe (Kumho apparently bailed on this size) because they perform well and are far less expensive.

I have had good luck with Blockley tyres on my MGTC and other old cars, so decided to try a set of 165 x 15 on my 356T-5 coupe in 2012. They are similar to the old Dunlop radials in appearance. A few thousand miles of street driving and 3 weekends of racing at Lime Rock. I am very happy with them. However, I saw that test done with the 911 which showed the Pirelli CN36 as the best choice. I plan to try a set of those on another car soon.

The test is located at www.cinturato.net/porsche-911-tires.html

Here’s the tire comparison in English.
https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/media/ ... rticle.pdf

Here we go again with the nonsense about Coker making Michelin pneumatic tires.

I use the word "pneumatic" because Michelin made tires at the dawn of the automobile, and those tires were hard rubber. Coker may very well reproduce Michelin hard-rubber tires. I don't know. Maybe that is the genesis of this hard-to-kill nonsense.

Can you imagine a multi-billion dollar tire manufacturer, with plants and sales all over the world, putting its reputation in the hands of a tire store? And facing liability for something it has no control over?

Edit: In 2018, Michelin sold the most tires of any manufacturer. Well, with the exception of Lego.

At one of the big Porsche events at the Laguna Seca racetrack, I asked a Michelin representative working in the Michelin booth about this. He said absolutely not and was dismayed at the persistent misinformation.