Tires for sliding her around

[tdskip]

Guys - if I want to experience what my TR3 was like to drive in period I'm thinking I need to get her tires that will let the back end drift. Any ideas on which tires and what size?

 

[mrv8q]

Does anyone make new bias-ply tires anymore?

 

[Brosky]

Coker maybe? Or put some half worn tires on the rear with new up front. That will let the rear end slide more easily, but be careful in the rain.

 

[TomMull]

Does anyone make new bias-ply tires anymore?

Pretty easy to come by now. Coker for example. Note however that radials were available and commonly used since about 1960. My Tr3A had them (Michelin X) when I bought it in 1964. Not all of us were sliding around on bias tires. As I recall, we could slide around pretty well on radials.
Tom

 

[tdskip]

Thanks guys - anyone have experience with these on the car and some driving vigor?

Paul - what is this rain thing you speak of?

 

[tomshobby]

My late '64 TR4 also had radials, disk front brakes and a coolant reservoir. Features not yet on American cars at the time.

 

[FordFiesta]

Michelin X - the older and harder the better. Too bad I just sold my set of first-term/Richard Nixon-era ones. Even when they were new, a heavy dew will get you sideways at 32psi with Michelin X.

The other side of the coin is that old Michelin Xs were good for up to 100K miles, and would hold air for over 40 years. We New Englanders like to get our money's worth out of our purchases.

 

[drooartz]

Though not on a TR3, I've got some fairly generic radials (definitely non performance tires, given the wheel size they're probably for a minivan or econo hatchback) on my MGB and I can get the rear to kick out pretty easily. A basic modern non-performance radial would probably get you what you want.

 

[Brosky]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Paul - what is this rain thing you speak of?[/QUOTE]

Tom, it's rare in other parts of the country, with the exception of Boston area and Seattle.

 

[Andrew Mace]

In the early 1980s, I bought a one-owner '67 Volvo 144, a nice car that lasted me quite awhile. When I got it, it had maybe half-worn Dunlop GS4 radials (165R15, same size as typically used on TR3/4). Those tires might have been ok when brand-new, but first time I drove the car in a heavy rain I found out that those tires floated on water better than an Amphicar (with Herald engine, providing further required Triumph content for this post)! I bought a set of Michelin XZX tires soon after that, and they were actually quite good under most all conditions!

Meanwhile...I'm still trying to figure out why anyone would WANT to be able to easily slide a TR3 around...unless you're planning on going "drifting"? :laugh:

 

[tdskip]

Meanwhile...I'm still trying to figure out why anyone would WANT to be able to easily slide a TR3 around...unless you're planning on going "drifting"? :laugh:

Easy - more fun. As I've written before I ruined my Bugeye by putting fat modern tires on her and they were just Panasports, nothing crazy. Sure, she stuck like glue but was she more fun? No, a lot less actually.

I've been dumb lucky enough to be able to stuff a number of cars in the garage all of which are very capable now (either by factory design or with some additional love). They may be more competent but that doesn't necessarily equate to their being more fun.

I fell into the trap of trying to "update" an old car with unique driving experience to make it "better". Numerically it the Bugeye was better, but more fun? Nope. What I realized was that being able to slide her around at normal speeds without risk to others, the car and me (probably in that order) was much more fun than the numerical improvements.

It is a variation of the most fun being driving a slow car fast thing...

 

[Simon TR4a]

TR3s will slide the back end quite happily with any standard size tire.
The less grip you have the less braking power you have- just something to keep in mind!