NOS tires?

[Steve Jelf]

Just saw a FB ad for half a dozen 1986 NOS tires for $1500. I wouldn't take them if they were free. I was delighted by my NOS white Firestones. Coming out of the original wrappers they were beautiful. Country roads ate them up PDQ. When I see guys brag about running on tires that are decades old, I bet they don't drive hundreds of miles at a time.

[Jones in Aiken SC]

I guess we are getting old when tires from 1986 are referred to as "New Old Stock!"

[TWrenn]

I guess we are getting old when tires from 1986 are referred to as "New Old Stock!"

And most of us are just plain "old stock"!

[VowellArt]

White tires always seem to wear out quicker than black tires do (or so I've heard, they certainly get dirtier quicker than a black tire), maybe country roads are hard on tires of any kind also. I've had my tires (Canadian Goodyear) on my car since 1979, I've driven (in that course of time about 40 or so years) maybe 2000 miles (I know that's not a lot, but I also don't go interstate either, but then SoCal is bigger than most of the other states as well and our roads were the best in the country...at one time, now however who knows?). Now the roads here in CA, aren't "country roads" but some of them are concrete and some of them are asphalt and some are just are just potholes pretending to be city streets, but generally they're not too bad (we don't have to contend with all that ice and snow and road salt, like other states do, unless you go up into the mountains, but I've never gone there...maybe I would if I had a Ruckstell, but otherwise, NOPE!).

I've been from one end of So Cal to the other usually by back roads, I've been North (to Los Olvios up past and to Solvang) and as far South as the Del Coronado Hotel and yes my tires are starting to wear. The tread is getting pretty thin, so now I'm looking into buying those WARDS RIVERSIDE tires, but I'm not sure how well they'll hold up, given that they're made in Vietnam (I've not heard much good about the longevity the tires produced in that country). I've heard Blockley's (made in England) are supposed to be pretty good, but I don't know of anyone who has driven the tread off a set of those to be sure they're claim is not just more advertising hype....does anybody know how well they hold up (WARDS vs Blockley's)? I mean.

[Steve Jelf]

...does anybody know how well they [Blockleys] hold up...

They haven't been around long enough for anybody to say from experience how long they will last. I believe all clincher tires, including Blockleys, are made in Vietnam. Anybody who wonders if country of origin matters can see my remarks above. When I looked into prices, I found that Blockleys are less than $10 more than Wards Riversides. Of course the shipping from London is higher than from Long Beach. So the question is whether Blockleys are enough better than Wards to be worth the costlier shipping. From what I've heard from people who bought them, I would say probably so. I think I know somebody who has been running Blockleys for a couple of years. I'll ask about his experience with them.

[Allan]

Blockley clincher tyres are made in Viet Nam. However, they are made to Blockley's specification, and Blockley tyres have an enviable reputation for excellence in vintage racing tyres. Like everything, the quality depends on the specifications the marketeers give to the manufacturers.

Allan from down under.

[John kuehn]

Are T tires made in Vietnam because of labor costs?

[Allan]

The word I heard was Viet Nam was the only place available/willing to make beaded edge tyres. The carcases on the existing rubbish tyres were OK. It was the inconsistent wear/ cracking of the rubber components that let them down, literally.

Allan from down under.

[Fozz71]

Vietnam is one of the the rubber capitals of the world, couple that with cheap labor and Voila!

[cslandry]

A friend of mine heard directly from Blockley that their tyres are made in Indonesia. I put a couple on my car ~300 miles ago. We'll see how they hold up.

[ModelTWoods]

Just saw a FB ad for half a dozen 1986 NOS tires for $1500. I wouldn't take them if they were free. I was delighted by my NOS white Firestones. Coming out of the original wrappers they were beautiful. Country roads ate them up PDQ. When I see guys brag about running on tires that are decades old, I bet they don't drive hundreds of miles at a time.


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Steve are referring to any tires made over 25 years ago, or tires made in the 1940's. Remember, I bought a brand new Goodyear 21" tire from you at Chickasha, one year and you told me it should be used for display, only even though it had no age cracks or defects, The rubber was not soft and pliable but I think I could have got it on a split rim with no problem. I have about EIGHT 21" Firestone tires made in the 1950's and/or 60's that are still soft and pliable and have always been stored in a dark indoor area. With the cost of tires, today, I wouldn't have any problem using them, but i would make sure that I carried a spare.

[Allan]

This was on the last ser of Blockley 30 x3.5"
Clinchers I mounted.

Allan from down under

[Steve Jelf]

I wouldn't have any problem using them, but i would make sure that I carried a spare.

...and stay on paved roads, and drive very slowly.

[ModelTWoods]

I wouldn't have any problem using them, but i would make sure that I carried a spare.

...and stay on paved roads, and drive very slowly.

"Carry a spare", check
"Stay on paved roads", check
"Drive very slowly", Not until I have the first Blowout

[John Codman]

A couple of thoughts - I agree with Steve's first post; Michelin says ten years is replacement time, but most of our Ts live inside and probably don't see the temperature change and UV that our daily drivers do. T owners are probably better at checking tire pressure and looking at things in general, so stretching that 10 years a bit is probably OK. Some time ago I mentioned on this forum that I didn't like the look of the very low mileage whitewall tires on my T. They are Firestones made by Firestone - not repros. A member of this forum contacted me and said that he would trade me an equivalent set of blackwalls for the whites. I thanked him but said that the tires have enough age on them that I was uncomfortable having someone other then me drive on them. They are still on the T; no cracks or anything else that would cause me to worry about them. They will probably last longer then I will, but I hope that the next person who will be custodian of my T will put a new set of rubber on.
Random thought: If enough of us were to petition Firestone with a promise of the purchase of a set, do you think Firestone would do a special run?
Mine are really good.

[Steve Jelf]

If enough of us were to petition Firestone with a promise of the purchase of a set, do you think Firestone would do a special run?

Would they have to get permission from Coker?

[ModelTWoods]

I think the wholesale outlet for most antique and classic tires made under the brand names of Firestone, Goodyear, and B.F. Goodrich is Kelsey Tire Co. in Camden, MO. At least, I know that is where Snyder's gets their Goodyear's from. I don't know who makes the tires under the different brand names for Kelsey. It would be interesting to know each brand's origin.
The 21" Firestone blackwalls that I have, were all made by Firestone in the U.S.A.