Need help regarding tires

[connery 4]

Hey there, guys!
I have managed to finally save enough money (by skipping this summer's vacations and trips, but it's definitely worth it!) to get myself a 1970 Mustang. I can't even begin to describe how happy I am with it.
That being said, my new ride is in desperate need of some new tires. I'll be using my Mustang to ride around town now and then, to show off :P
I know next to nothing about tires, that's why I came to you guys. A friend of mine redirected me to this website HolmesTire. I can't say that I find it particularly useful, so I thought to myself that it's better to get some more opinions before I make a decision. Money is not really an issue, but I don't want to be spending too much on tires, too.
Any replies are welcome! Thank you!

[Hoover 12]

You shouldn't skimp on tires. What size wheels do you have? Buy tires with at least 40K warranty. Also when purchasing tires get a road hazard warranty. Visit some tire stores, and ask questions on tread wear, handling characteristics in rain and snow, as well as highway road speeds. Buy a name brand tire, BF Goodrich, Cooper, Michelin, Pirelli, Hankook, Kumho come to mind.

Also a good time for a wheel alignment, so that your tires will last longer.

[RPM 1,190]

Welcome to the forum and classic Mustang ownership Connery!  Tires is one area that size does matter. Wider tires gives more grip, but they must fit your car. Will driving around town and showing off your new pride and joy be the extent of your driving, or will there be some spirited driving involved? Which wheel you have plays a major role in tire selection. I find Tirerack.com useful to find actual tire size, pricing and customer reviews. Some tires make a ton of noise and should be avoided, imho. 

Again, welcome and how about some pics of the 70 and a bit about yourself. At least what part of the USA you call home :)

[stangnet33 88]

Yes, pics, pics and pics and welcome !

[barnett468 418]

also, do you want raised white letter tires.

 

bf goodrich ta radials are crap and are not good for any type of performance/spirited cornering but they have the "look" so if thats what you want then  you have to give up performance . its that simple.

 

 

[JayEstes 172]

I have a 69 coupe, restored 95% stock.  The suspension is all original design, but new parts.  I have new front springs, original leafs in back and KYB gas-adjust shocks all around.  I went with 7in wide rims, 4.125in backspacing.  I run 235 x 60 x R15 cragars (still love em).  White letter tires were a must for me.  I bought a set of the BF Goodrich Radial T/A's for my sons 71 coupe, and they look great, seem to have decent traction, but they are kinda expensive.

I settled on Cooper Tire's "cooper cobra" for my 69.  I really like these tires so far, they seem to grip well in turns, work well enough in rain (tho I have limited experience with this car in the rain).  I also feel they look as good as the Goodrich - maybe better, and can be as much as $50/tire less.

I was really worried about trying 235/60/15's up front, but with the stock suspension completely rebuilt, I have had literally zero issues.

Best of luck with selecting tires and wheels - only thing that affects overall perception of the car more, is paint.

Jay

 

[Guillaume69 150]

Mmmm...

I have been using the Cooper Cobras on my 69 for the past 12 years now (235/60R15). Because as Barnett says, I want the "look". And I must say that I find this look one of the finest, when combined with my AR Torque Thrust wheels.

But when it comes to performance, I would say that these tires are some of the worst I've ever had on a car: they do not grip well at all. They feel like pieces of hard soap. First of all, the rubber is hard as steel. So hard they never wear out! When it's cold or on wet roads, it's like having plastic instead of rubber. Dangerous. On a track, it's a lot of fun, as you are constantly drifting and squealing, but you just can't take a corner properly. I have Michelin Pilot Super Sports on my 2013 Boss, and man, what a difference... Especially on wet surfaces. Price as well, LOL !!

IMO, those Coopers are fairly unexpensive and good looking tires. But that's all. BFs Radial TAs are very similar, just a hair pricier if I remember correctly.

I am patiently waiting for someone to design performance tires with white letters some day.

G

[MAC390 327]

Down here we have a limited range in 15 inch but i am using Master Craft street avenger tires. 245 /60/15

On the 68 vert they worked very well but i did not use the raised white wall side as it looks crap.

Check em out.

[Mike65 475]

I stayed with 14" 68/69 Mustang styled steel wheels on my 69 Coupe.  I also have the Cooper Cobra tires, & love the "old school" RWL look. I have 215/70R-14's in the front, & 225/70R-14's in the rear. My suspension is somewhat stock with the Shelby/Arning UCA drop, OTR adjustable strut rods, & 1" lowering coil springs in front, & 4.5 leaf mid eye 1" lowering rear leaf springs in the rear.

[JayEstes 172]

On 5/21/2017 at 0:22 AM, Guillaume69 said:

...

IMO, those Coopers are fairly unexpensive and good looking tires. But that's all. BFs Radial TAs are very similar, just a hair pricier if I remember correctly.

That's a good point from a different perspective.  But I would add that I live on the freaking gulf coast of the united states, and so that "super hard" rubber down here gets a lot softer in the heat!  Hell some of the tires on the market might just melt down here!  LOL.  I also don't drive for performance much.  I like to spin the tires (they work for that!), and when I drive fast... i tend to try to keep it straight!  Good feedback from a different point of view though.

[Guillaume69 150]

3 hours ago, JayEstes said:

That's a good point from a different perspective.  But I would add that I live on the freaking gulf coast of the united states, and so that "super hard" rubber down here gets a lot softer in the heat!  Hell some of the tires on the market might just melt down here!  LOL.  I also don't drive for performance much.  I like to spin the tires (they work for that!), and when I drive fast... i tend to try to keep it straight!  Good feedback from a different point of view though.

And again, don't get me wrong, I've been using them for 12 years, so I like them too! They just don't grip well at all per today's standards.

On a side note, I too lived for a while (3 years +) on the Gulf Coast (Pensacola FL). And yes, it gets pretty hot in summer. It can rain pretty hard too. But when it does, there's way too much water on the roads to go drive a freshly restored Mustang. LOL

G

[connery 4]

On 5/19/2017 at 4:44 PM, Hoover said:

You shouldn't skimp on tires. What size wheels do you have? Buy tires with at least 40K warranty. Also when purchasing tires get a road hazard warranty. Visit some tire stores, and ask questions on tread wear, handling characteristics in rain and snow, as well as highway road speeds. Buy a name brand tire, BF Goodrich, Cooper, Michelin, Pirelli, Hankook, Kumho come to mind.

Also a good time for a wheel alignment, so that your tires will last longer.

Thank you for the advice, I'll definitely take it into consideration! Yeah, 40k warranty sounds like a lot to be honest. And thanks for telling me to go align my wheels, I hadn't even thought about that!

[connery 4]

On 5/21/2017 at 8:22 AM, Guillaume69 said:

Mmmm...

I have been using the Cooper Cobras on my 69 for the past 12 years now (235/60R15). Because as Barnett says, I want the "look". And I must say that I find this look one of the finest, when combined with my AR Torque Thrust wheels.

But when it comes to performance, I would say that these tires are some of the worst I've ever had on a car: they do not grip well at all. They feel like pieces of hard soap. First of all, the rubber is hard as steel. So hard they never wear out! When it's cold or on wet roads, it's like having plastic instead of rubber. Dangerous. On a track, it's a lot of fun, as you are constantly drifting and squealing, but you just can't take a corner properly. I have Michelin Pilot Super Sports on my 2013 Boss, and man, what a difference... Especially on wet surfaces. Price as well, LOL !!

IMO, those Coopers are fairly unexpensive and good looking tires. But that's all. BFs Radial TAs are very similar, just a hair pricier if I remember correctly.

I am patiently waiting for someone to design performance tires with white letters some day.

G

I have to say, they really look spectacular. I'll have to check out the price, because I'd definitely consider these. Thank you!

[connery 4]

On 5/19/2017 at 6:30 PM, RPM said:

Welcome to the forum and classic Mustang ownership Connery!  Tires is one area that size does matter. Wider tires gives more grip, but they must fit your car. Will driving around town and showing off your new pride and joy be the extent of your driving, or will there be some spirited driving involved? Which wheel you have plays a major role in tire selection. I find Tirerack.com useful to find actual tire size, pricing and customer reviews. Some tires make a ton of noise and should be avoided, imho. 

Again, welcome and how about some pics of the 70 and a bit about yourself. At least what part of the USA you call home :)

Hey there! Thanks for the reply. I'm from Lower Alabama. Also thanks for the info, I'll check out that website! 

I'll post some pics later, I don't have any on my phone right now, but next week hopefully I'll take some pics! :)

On 5/20/2017 at 6:42 AM, stangnet33 said:

Yes, pics, pics and pics and welcome !

Thank you for the warm welcome! This is definitely a great place. I'll post some pics as soon as I take some, probably next week :)

 

On 5/20/2017 at 8:00 AM, barnett468 said:

also, do you want raised white letter tires.

 

bf goodrich ta radials are crap and are not good for any type of performance/spirited cornering but they have the "look" so if thats what you want then  you have to give up performance . its that simple.

 

 

I want both the look and performance to be honest, but I'd probably go with performance in the end, because I don't afford to waste money like that. Thanks for the reply!

[grendi 16]

before we give any suggestions, we should first know some basics, like:

• what is the current size of your rims
• what is the current size of your tires
• how accurate is the speedometer with the current tire size
• are you planing to use the current rims or go with another size
• how is this car going to be driven (street, track, weather ...)

[cavboy78 28]

I'm going to echo guillaume69 on this one. I am a huge fan of the Michelin pilot super sports or the new version, 4s. I track these on my '12 boss 302 as well and are great all around tires. good on wet as well. They are all I will put on my 2 stangs and there is nothing that currently compares. 

[JayEstes 172]

12 hours ago, Guillaume69 said:

It can rain pretty hard too. But when it does, there's way too much water on the roads to go drive a freshly restored Mustang. LOL

Man... that's the truth!

[Max Power 74]

20 hours ago, cavboy78 said:

I'm going to echo guillaume69 on this one. I am a huge fan of the Michelin pilot super sports or the new version, 4s. I track these on my '12 boss 302 as well and are great all around tires. good on wet as well. They are all I will put on my 2 stangs and there is nothing that currently compares. 

The new technology in tires leaves old tires in the dust, but to use most of it on a car like ours, you would probably be looking at upgrading to 17" or 18" wheels. Shorter sidewalls are part of what makes them work, and our old 14" and 15" rims look pretty silly with low profile tires on them. Also, modern suspensions really get the most out of the tires and vice versa. So, I live with the inherent flaws of the BFG Radial TAs and soldier on.

[RogerC 136]

On 5/21/2017 at 1:22 AM, Guillaume69 said:

Mmmm...

I have been using the Cooper Cobras on my 69 for the past 12 years now (235/60R15). Because as Barnett says, I want the "look". And I must say that I find this look one of the finest, when combined with my AR Torque Thrust wheels.

But when it comes to performance, I would say that these tires are some of the worst I've ever had on a car: they do not grip well at all. They feel like pieces of hard soap. First of all, the rubber is hard as steel. So hard they never wear out! When it's cold or on wet roads, it's like having plastic instead of rubber. Dangerous. On a track, it's a lot of fun, as you are constantly drifting and squealing, but you just can't take a corner properly. I have Michelin Pilot Super Sports on my 2013 Boss, and man, what a difference... Especially on wet surfaces. Price as well, LOL !!

IMO, those Coopers are fairly unexpensive and good looking tires. But that's all. BFs Radial TAs are very similar, just a hair pricier if I remember correctly.

I am patiently waiting for someone to design performance tires with white letters some day.

G

Don't have any experience with the cobras but have run the Cooper Zeon RS3-A (all-season) on my 06. Not white letter but the tires seem to be a softer compound and perform well wet or dry. I have Yokohamas on it right now and plan on going back to the Coopers. I imagine the summer version (RS3-S) performs at least as good dry as the all-season tire.

http://us.coopertire.com/Tires/Performance.aspx

[cavboy78 28]

2 hours ago, Max Power said:

The new technology in tires leaves old tires in the dust, but to use most of it on a car like ours, you would probably be looking at upgrading to 17" or 18" wheels. Shorter sidewalls are part of what makes them work, and our old 14" and 15" rims look pretty silly with low profile tires on them. Also, modern suspensions really get the most out of the tires and vice versa. So, I live with the inherent flaws of the BFG Radial TAs and soldier on.

Max,

All valid points and everyone's build and intended use is different. I have coilovers, upgraded disc brakes, and 17s on mine so the PSSs work great for me. The one thing we all do have in common though, is generally romping on the gas and the potential for panic stops without abs. I would still want all the grip available, even if only for those two scenarios. I would not want to leave anything on the table to save a few bucks and potentially rear end someone or skid if/when I would need to.  That is just me though...to each their own.

FWIW, there are ways to make a non-white letter tire into one. Google search will provide method/means, like tredwear. I would rather do this on a performance oriented tire than to accept reduced performance in order to have the white letters.

[jholmes217 65]

I have the Cooper Cobra tires on my car also.  As others have said, they suck on wet pavement, but will last a long time as long as you don't roast them all the time (I have a hard time keeping my foot out of the carbs!).  Your tire choices are somewhat limited if you use original size style steel wheels if you want raised white letter radials.

[Max Power 74]

On 5/24/2017 at 11:43 AM, cavboy78 said:

Max,

All valid points and everyone's build and intended use is different. I have coilovers, upgraded disc brakes, and 17s on mine so the PSSs work great for me. The one thing we all do have in common though, is generally romping on the gas and the potential for panic stops without abs. I would still want all the grip available, even if only for those two scenarios. I would not want to leave anything on the table to save a few bucks and potentially rear end someone or skid if/when I would need to.  That is just me though...to each their own.

FWIW, there are ways to make a non-white letter tire into one. Google search will provide method/means, like tredwear. I would rather do this on a performance oriented tire than to accept reduced performance in order to have the white letters.

I had Specialty make me some custom GT wheels with the argent centers in 15x7 and 15x8, so I am sticking with them. I am actually waiting for Coker to make either the Redline Radials or the Firestone Wide Oval tires in the new radial design in sizes I want so I can go full retro.

[connery 4]

On 5/23/2017 at 8:47 PM, cavboy78 said:

I'm going to echo guillaume69 on this one. I am a huge fan of the Michelin pilot super sports or the new version, 4s. I track these on my '12 boss 302 as well and are great all around tires. good on wet as well. They are all I will put on my 2 stangs and there is nothing that currently compares. 

Thank you, I'll check out those tires! I really appreciate the suggestion. :)

[connery 4]

On 5/24/2017 at 7:53 PM, jholmes217 said:

I have the Cooper Cobra tires on my car also.  As others have said, they suck on wet pavement, but will last a long time as long as you don't roast them all the time (if have a hard time keeping my foot out of the carbs!).  Your tire choices are somewhat limited if you use original size style steel wheels if you want raised white letter radials.

Thank you for the suggestion, but I guess I'm gonna go with the Michelin pilot tires. Thanks for the help though!

[connery 4]

Sorry that I didn't get to reply to everyone! I want to thank you personally for the replies, I really apreciate the help!

I have decided to buy the Michelin pilot tires. I hope I'm not making a mistake! :)