tin-man's SPF 2984 build pictures

[madmaxx]

Do as I did and buy the $199 SPF bra, had mine for 7 months? now, best protection in the world for the front. I take it off for shows etc.

Originally Posted by csx4910

Tin man, The avons are pricey, but I wish I would of done them in the beginning. HUGE difference in handling but I will warn you they pick up 3 times the rocks that the stock tires do. Do repeat my mistake of not putting the clear bra on when the car was new. I am now paying a lot of money to repaint the front of teh car because of all the rock cips and even a few cracks in the fberglass from rocks. It is well worth the $600 or so it costs.
Ron

[poisonsnake]

T-Man - Heard that Hillbank is selling Ron's pipes!!

[Stentor]

Originally Posted by csx4910

Tin man, The avons are pricey, but I wish I would of done them in the beginning. HUGE difference in handling but I will warn you they pick up 3 times the rocks that the stock tires do. Do repeat my mistake of not putting the clear bra on when the car was new. I am now paying a lot of money to repaint the front of teh car because of all the rock cips and even a few cracks in the fberglass from rocks. It is well worth the $600 or so it costs.
Ron

Ditto and ditto--thumbs up on the Avons and clear protectant.

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by Stentor

Tin-man,

That's going to be a sweet car. What kind of tires are you going to be running--Avons or GY Billboards? You need a decent set of "meats" to put down the power from your 511.

Thank you, Mickey Thompson's: Front 26.0 x 10.0 x 15.0, Rear 26.0x 12.0x 15.0

Not sure if these can be changed, I was under the impression for all round street driving MikyT's were ok. Was I wrong? John, AKA, tin-man

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by FredBMOC

Tin-man, Beautiful car!
Just a little note to say that Backdraft here in FL (Speed Fanatix) tries to deliver cars with 125 miles on the clock to catch some of the inevitable things that go wrong with these cars in their first miles: bolts that loosen, carbs and EFIs that go out of tune, exhaust manifolds that loosen up, light bulbs that fall out, etc. These cars are not mass produced and are all a little bit different so they take the time to find some of their unique niggles before the owner takes delivery. I'd suggest you try to get them to do the same for you as they know what these cars should feel like and will be better able to spot things that need tightening/readjusting.
I am sure they also love to flog someone else's car

Good luck with the beast!

btw: my brother and family have been leaving in Shanghai for the past year and are scheduled to spend one more before deciding if they come back stateside but they love their life in China: they are making a lot more $$$, get a nice signing bonus every time they renew their contract, get company paid driver, cook, maid and all living and children education expenses paid by their company. Not a bad deal at all...

Fred, I appreciate the kind words and thank you for the inside info on the 125 mile routine, I will push for this. Yep, doing business in China has its rewards ok but its not a normal life and we get to miss all the things that you guys take for granted, all in the quest for money. Is it worth it, well each to their own, I guess, but I have been away from "home" too long: 25 over years and its gettin' time. Cheers, John, AKA, tin-man

[Stentor]

Originally Posted by tin-man

Thank you, Mickey Thompson's: Front 26.0 x 10.0 x 15.0, Rear 26.0x 12.0x 15.0

Not sure if these can be changed, I was under the impression for all round street driving MikyT's were ok. Was I wrong? John, AKA, tin-man

Which Mickey Thompson tires--drag radials?

You haven't skimped on other areas of the car--tires can make a dramatic difference in the performance of the car (and the degree to which you can harness the power from your 511). I would imagine you should still be able to upgrade to the Avons at this time through your dealer. IMHO, this would be among the best invesments you could make in your car to improve the performance and handling.

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by Stentor

Which Mickey Thompson tires--drag radials?

You haven't skimped on other areas of the car--tires can make a dramatic difference in the performance of the car (and the degree to which you can harness the power from your 511). I would imagine you should still be able to upgrade to the Avons at this time through your dealer. IMHO, this would be among the best invesments you could make in your car to improve the performance and handling.

The tires suggested were MT Sportsman S/R with flamed tread. Rated up to 130MPH at US$215 front and US$237 rear. How does that compare to Avons?
Cheers, John, AKA, tin-man

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by tin-man

The tires suggested were MT Sportsman S/R with flamed tread. Rated up to 130MPH at US$215 front and US$237 rear. How does that compare to Avons?
Cheers, John, AKA, tin-man

About half the price of Avons. However the only tires I will go with at this time with what is available is either the Avons (first choice) or the Goodyear BB's.

Does not mean a better tire will be produced in the future, but those are my choices at this time.

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by Silverback51

About half the price of Avons. However the only tires I will go with at this time with what is available is either the Avons (first choice) or the Goodyear BB's.

Does not mean a better tire will be produced in the future, but those are my choices at this time.

Hi John, so seeing that this is not a done deal yet tell me what I can expect with the MT's vs the Avons. I am being told by the folks on the SCOF site that the MT's are well suited for this car and engine if used for general street driving and nobody ever mentioned Avons, but here at Club Cobra Avons are front and center along with Goodyear BB's.

While Goodyear BB without a doubt look cool do they provide equal or better performance than the Mickey T's?

Since I have never experienced driving a Cobra full time other than the test drive at Hillbank and those were Bridgestones, I cannot relate to what is being said here, so can you or any of the other guys on this thread provide some insight on expectations?

End of day I want what is best uh, well, hmm how to say, and safest for me and the Beast. If indeed anyone can be safe driving a Cobra.

Cheers, John, AKA, tin-man

[Stentor]

Originally Posted by tin-man

Hi John, so seeing that this is not a done deal yet tell me what I can expect with the MT's vs the Avons. I am being told by the folks on the SCOF site that the MT's are well suited for this car and engine if used for general street driving and nobody ever mentioned Avons, but here at Club Cobra Avons are front and center along with Goodyear BB's.

While Goodyear BB without a doubt look cool do they provide equal or better performance than the Mickey T's?

Since I have never experienced driving a Cobra full time other than the test drive at Hillbank and those were Bridgestones, I cannot relate to what is being said here, so can you or any of the other guys on this thread provide some insight on expectations?

End of day I want what is best uh, well, hmm how to say, and safest for me and the Beast. If indeed anyone can be safe driving a Cobra.

Cheers, John, AKA, tin-man

Then you should upgrade to the Avons. There are several threads on the forum that discuss guys' impressions of the Avons and GY Billboards--you should peruse these and make your own call.

I have a set of Avons and Billboards for my car, and wouldn't run anything else (given other choices in 15" tires). The Avons provide excellent overall performance; and the Billboards look awesome on the car--and deliver very good grip (with the slight negatives associated with a bias-ply tire).

[Stentor]

Originally Posted by tin-man

Since I have never experienced driving a Cobra full time other than the test drive at Hillbank and those were Bridgestones, I cannot relate to what is being said here, so can you or any of the other guys on this thread provide some insight on expectations?

You will need the extra grip provided by Avons, GY Billboards, or possibly drag radials to put all the torque that your 511 FE will be making to the ground.

If you put cheap tires on the car you will be frying the tires--from first through third gear; and the car could be downright dangerous to drive (if you want to stomp on the loud pedal).

Spending the extra money on better tires is an investment in the performance and safety of your car.

[Blas]

Remember, Drag radials = broken axles...Especially with the HP and Torque you will be entertainig....

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by tin-man

Hi John, so seeing that this is not a done deal yet tell me what I can expect with the MT's vs the Avons. I am being told by the folks on the SCOF site that the MT's are well suited for this car and engine if used for general street driving and nobody ever mentioned Avons, but here at Club Cobra Avons are front and center along with Goodyear BB's.

While Goodyear BB without a doubt look cool do they provide equal or better performance than the Mickey T's?

Since I have never experienced driving a Cobra full time other than the test drive at Hillbank and those were Bridgestones, I cannot relate to what is being said here, so can you or any of the other guys on this thread provide some insight on expectations?

End of day I want what is best uh, well, hmm how to say, and safest for me and the Beast. If indeed anyone can be safe driving a Cobra.

Cheers, John, AKA, tin-man

Sorry John, having never experienced the MT's I cannot compare them.

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by Silverback51

Sorry John, having never experienced the MT's I cannot compare them.

Hi John, since I have no experience of driving a Cobra with either MT's or Avons and if i understand the reasons why people choose the Avons for better "stickiness" and level of traction performance before breaking loose I am of the opinion I should take a lesser sticky tire and experience some form of "signal" before they break loose, allowing me a better degree of reaction time to get the car under control.

Once I have taken the 3 day Bondurant Performance Driver Training course, that includes autocross, slalom, accident avoidance and on track driving I figure I am going to have a whole lot more experience than I do now and will be able to better judge the merits of Mickey T's. That said, there is no doubt I will transition to Avons when I have more miles under my belt and a better judgement value and after the Mickey T's have worn out.

IMHO I believe this is the best approach for me at this time

Cheers, John, AKA, tin-man

.

[azfordman]

John, I will most likely take a lashing for saying this, but I agree with you. My car had very cheap (read hard) tires installed when I got it. The thing that limits me from pushing the car too hard is the tires let go before the car itself does. Basically, my car is limited by it's tires. When taking twisty roads at a "slightly " elevated speed the tires will start to squeal and slip long before the car will. Of course, I grew up driving dirt roads, so I am used to a car letting loose in the rear and it is something I am very comfortable with. The kids call it drifting....... As I am learning the cars handling characteristics I am getting to the point of wanting to get nicer tires, but I am glad for the learning curve. I think for me personally it is better to loose traction, get a little out of control, and get scared at a lower speed than to have sticky as glue tires and and loose it at a more dangerous high speed. Just my .02 cents worth. FWIW your car looks stunning!!!!! Mark

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by tin-man

Hi John, since I have no experience of driving a Cobra with either MT's or Avons and if i understand the reasons why people choose the Avons for better "stickiness" and level of traction performance before breaking loose I am of the opinion I should take a lesser sticky tire and experience some form of "signal" before they break loose, allowing me a better degree of reaction time to get the car under control.

Once I have taken the 3 day Bondurant Performance Driver Training course, that includes autocross, slalom, accident avoidance and on track driving I figure I am going to have a whole lot more experience than I do now and will be able to better judge the merits of Mickey T's. That said, there is no doubt I will transition to Avons when I have more miles under my belt and a better judgement value and after the Mickey T's have worn out.

IMHO I believe this is the best approach for me at this time

Cheers, John, AKA, tin-man

.

Wrong approach in my opinion.

When I bought my car it had Goodyear GTII's on it. Very little traction in a straight line, and in the corners you could be going along fat, dumb and happy one second, and the next you were sideways. They gave you absolutely no warning that you were approaching the limit. To me that is the most dangerous situation you can have with tires.

The Goodyear BB's were wonderful. Not only were the cornering limits higher, but they not only let you know you were approaching the limits, but the breakaway was gradual and very forgiving. In other words you could still control the car as long as you were not stupid with the throttle.

The Avons are less forgiving, but only slightly so. The advantages of radials verse the bias ply tires offset the better performance of the BB's verse the Avons.

Don't think for one minute that cheap slick tires will save your bacon. In my opinion it's the exact opposite.

[tin-man]

Originally Posted by Silverback51

Wrong approach in my opinion.

When I bought my car it had Goodyear GTII's on it. Very little traction in a straight line, and in the corners you could be going along fat, dumb and happy one second, and the next you were sideways. They gave you absolutely no warning that you were approaching the limit. To me that is the most dangerous situation you can have with tires.

The Goodyear BB's were wonderful. Not only were the cornering limits higher, but they not only let you know you were approaching the limits, but the breakaway was gradual and very forgiving. In other words you could still control the car as long as you were not stupid with the throttle.

The Avons are less forgiving, but only slightly so. The advantages of radials verse the bias ply tires offset the better performance of the BB's verse the Avons.

Don't think for one minute that cheap slick tires will save your bacon. In my opinion it's the exact opposite.

Hi John, I understand the M/T SR tires are made by AVON and distributed by Cooper to M/T. thus are we not getting the same type of original compound in the tires and the name is just a branding strategy? I don't know enough about the composition of tires but I do know marketing strategies and manufacturing. The conceptualization that Avons are the high end tires seems like this may be the case. Assuming there are different tire moulds that get exchanged when running the different "brands" it would mean the front end basic compound mix would be have to be re-mixed to provide a lesser "stickyness" compound but the original basic composition should remain the same. I can see that being the case however it would mean the entire front end would have to undergo cleaning during the set-up stage and that's a none value added operation. Conversly they could just transition to a new premixed compound without stopping the line, but that would be in violation of batch control principles as outined in ISO standards.

It would be interesting to hear from anyone in the industy who could shed like on this and how the different tire "brands" got made.

My two cents. John, AKA, tin-man

[tin-man]

Mark, thanks, I am glad to hear that somebody else agrees with my beginners logic. so now we will both get thrashed. That said, its each to their own and since I value the experience of the members advice, my gut tells me I should learn how to drive first, get to know the car and then transition to Avons. I just saw a dvd of a Cobra flip and the driver had very sticky tires on his car. I'll send it to you via pm since I do not know how to upload videos. Cheers, John, AKA, tin-man

[Silverback51]

For the life of me I cannot understand the logic of using sub-optimal traction tires and thinking it's safer.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Silverback51

For the life of me I cannot understand the logic of using sub-optimal traction tires and thinking it's safer.

Is the rumor that the Avons and MT/SR are actually made from the same material true?