Spitfire Two Spitfire questions

[simpzimmer]

Went to buy a set of tires today. The current tires, which I've had since I bought my Spit a few years ago, say 155R13. The guys at the store looked confused. They said there is usually an additional number. Need to know what size to get. 1979 Spit.

Also, always considered going chrome. I have the big plastic bumpers. See some occasionally on ebay, but not sure which years are compatible to mine. Don't want to get into welding braces, etc. Any feedback?

Haven't been on here in a while. Always got lots of good feedback.

 

[simpzimmer]

One site recommended size P175/70R13. Any thoughts?

 

[Andrew Mace]

Perhaps your tire guy was thinking 155/80R13, which is the typical modern designation? Beyond that, 175/70R13s are fine, especially if your '79 has the 5" wide wheels. But they'll work even on the 4.5" wheels...and don't let anyone tell you differently. (I do say that with some authority, as I put many, many miles on my 1970 GT6+, with 4.5" wide wheels and 175/70R13 tires on it, back in the day. And that was all kinds of driving, including quite a number of Solo II/autocross events.)

 

[simpzimmer]

Thanks Mr. Mace. Your help has always been greatly appreciated.

 

[Trevor Triumph]

Yes, 155/80R13 work well enough. I bought Kumho Solus 155/80R 13s at Sears. Be aware that the narrow tread can make the car feel unsteady on some road surfaces- the car seems to yaw on the rain grooves. Previously the car had Goodyear tires- same size but seemed to be much wider and didn't nibble at the rain grooves. I suppose it could be the tread pattern affecting the ride, too. I also have a set of Kumho 175/70R13 722. The circumference is a bit smaller than the 155, I think, but they seem to improve the car's handling.

T.T.

 

[dklawson]

We have the Khumo Solus tires (175/70R13) on our Spitfire. They have served us well for about 6 or so years (new on the car when we bought it as a project). After seeing this thread today I looked at the tires and it appears we are in the market for new tires as well. The sidewalls on our Khumos are starting to crack.

Are there particular brands that are particularly good or bad in 13" tires?

 

[dklawson]

I'm posting again to bump this to the top for comment.

After seeing that the sidewalls on the Spitfire Khumos are cracking I started looking at what was available in 175/70R13 tires. The Khumos are still there as are Michelins and Generals. I have never owned Generals but their AltiMax RT43 tires look promising. They are priced about the same as Khumos and the reviews at Tire Rack rank them way above the other available tires. Doing some digging I found that General is now owned by Continental. I always liked Continental tires in the past and this gives me more confidence in General.

So... has anyone had any experience with this fairly new General tire... the AltiMax RT43?