The Official 356Talk Forum

Yokohama 195/65s on 5 1/2" wheels. H rated, quiet, lightweight, excellent in rainy corners and what passes for high speed in a '57 A. The car is lowered so they just fit without rubbing and are the same height as the 1960 tires, still collecting dust in storage. They replaced a previous set of 185/65s which look too small. 60K warranty should last me about 100 years.

I have Kumho 165x80x15 tires on my 65C coupe and Kumho 185x65x15 tires on my 64C coupe. Frankly, I don't see much difference in performance or handling on 4.5 inch rims (both cars).

Right now, Kumho 185x65x15 Solus KH25 tires are on closeout at Tire Rack for $56 each. If I needed tires, I would probably go for it. (No personal affiliation with Kumho or Tire Rack). http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp ... 5TR5KH25V2

Last weekend ( 09/14/12) I attended a Bosch Service Center meeting. At one time Michelin had a facility that manufactured tires for older show cars. I pursued this enthusiastically and came to the conclusion that Michelin no longer provides this service.
He informed me of what I already knew that Coker Tire company has the molds for their older tires. I asked what quality controls were in place to insure that Coker's manufacturing process was similar to those at Michelin. There are none. I would like to know if the X-stop and XZX usae the Michelin construction on the casings as well as the mold of if the molds are put on some other casing. Information would be appreciated. al zim

Al, when did the transfer happen?

Edwin,

It was many years ago, now. I bought my current 356 in '97 after a decade of not owning any 356 or old VWs, and was surprised to find I could not go to a tire store and buy good ol' Michelin 165-15 tires, or the Sears re-branded ones. I had to scramble to find some used ones in Seattle (where I bought the car) in order to drive it home (I didn't have the luxury of ordering something online.)

Brian Adams

Love my 185 70 15 Vredestein sprint sport.

Where the era look is less important, you may want to consider the Bridgestone Potenza, both the previous 950 and current 960 (the other Potenza doesn't get a good a review) have been an impressive tire. 195/65/15 on 5.5's on a lowered car (1963), very tight in the rear but has never rubbed, not even in autocross runs. I think the size got as close to the original diameter as possible in a decent tire. They are about $87 at tire pre mount/balance, etc. Just put the same tire on my son's 914.

I just bought a 1965 356 coupe is there a tire you recommend for comfortable ride and what size ? I heard that the Michelins are good

Max: On my cars I use a Michelin Harmony 195/65X15. This is a Mercedes Benz tire. It is wider than the 165 size tires, the circumference is the same as the 165 tire.
I am sure that you will not wear out the tire before it is time to replace them. The price should be in the low hundred dollar range. If you have a wide bolt pattern car, find a shop that has the adapters to hold the wheel properly. When in doubt ask them to show you. al zim

Bob: It would be better to go on line to Tire Rack, Discount Tire or other tire stores and shop for the correct size and check prices. In many cases (like the VW and 356) the correct size is no longer manufactured. Talk to a tire sales person they are going to be a lot more knowledgeable than the Toyota Dealer. al

The original question was:

charlesbennett wrote: Any recommendations for tire sizes for 4.5" rims? Best vendors to use like Discount Tire, PepBoys, etc?

The 356 is a light car. In my opinion, unless you are racing, autocrossing, or just have to have that vintage tread look, I don’t think there is anything wrong with whatever store brand or generic Chinese, Korean, or domestically manufactured tire you can get in the proper size for a 356 (165R x 15), provided it’s a steel or polyester belted radial.

In the past on 4.5 inch rims, I have used Monarch, Good Year, Michelin, Dunlop, and Kumho brands on my C coupes. I found that they were all good for street use and on the twisty-turnies on country roads. Lately, I have cheap Kumhos on both coupes, with over 20,000 miles on them on the 65C coupe in the past 3 years, and there is still plenty of tread left. Sure, the tread pattern is more modern, but I’m not into concours.

I have bought tires from Discount Tire and NTB, and I have also bought several times from Tire Rack and had tires drop shipped to Discount Tire for installation, which sometimes saves a little money over buying directly from the local tire shops (which frequently don’t stock 165R x 15 tires).
Currently, Tire Rack shows no 165R x 15 tires in any brand, but Kumho 185/65 x 15s (which I have on one of my cars) are available in several configurations.

Dear Al Zim

michelin does not make the Harmony 195/65X15 any longer they do make the - Primacy™ MXV4

about $122.00 at Costco and you get 70.00 off when you buy 4. I hope I made the right decision with the tires. After reading what you said Im not sure Costco has the right wheel adapters, Ill know tomorrow when I bring the car there.

Max: I have just checked my Tire Rack Wholesale catalog dated 30 Sept. to 19 Oct. They show the Harmony to be in stock. They also show that a Defender and and Energy saver tire all within a few dollars of each other. Looking at pictures of these two tires the tread pattern should run down the road quietly. These two tires have less rolling resistance to provide better gas mileage. The other tires are H rated which is about 25% more expensive and uses a softer rubber with a firmer sidewall. If you had an SC/912 engine the H rated tire wold be required in Germany since it is 115 MPH sustained rated. You can't drive you car that fast in the U.S. and you will receive no performance enhancement over the T rated tire. These were built for M-B which probably weighs a thousand pounds more than a 356 so there a large safety margin.
Dave: "You get what you pay for" after your Pacific rim tires are 5 years old they will be hard and not round thus giving a bumpy ride. Michelin will stay round and the rubber usually stays good for more than 10 years. With new Michelin tires and an alignment most of our customers say the car rides as if it was new. al zim

Guys,

Ten years! I thought tires should now be replaced after 6 years from new (by checking date of manufacturing on sidewall).

I'm going to be replacing my tires soon. Switching from 185/65 on stock rims to 195/65 on 5.5" wheels. I sure won't be driving 90K miles in my 356 Porsche anyway you cut it. So, It's more about quality of the tire for 6 years.

Anyone else had bad experience with Pacific Rim tires going hard and out of round? Or good experience?

Please post your Pacific Rim tire experience?

Thank you,

Steve

I think it all depends on how you drive your car. If it used for cruising any tire will do. If it is tracked, autocrossed or best friends with the canyon roads, tenacious grip and predictable is what I would and do recommend. Haven't tried the other brands but at the risk of being redundant, the 960 version of the Bridgestone Potenza are a great tire. I try not to keep tires over 4 years but the 950 Potenzas on the front are right at 6 years. 35,000 miles or so. Rears go faster, little to much toe/camber. 195/65/15s on a 5.5 inch wheel. A great tire if you drive your 356 like they did when they were new.

If I could put Michelin Pilots on it, I would. Not available in the right size, though. They are an amazing tire and even good in the rain (they don't like cold). Even the all season version (500 wear rating) is better than most others. Recommend them for all your modern sedans.