Tire Sizes Question

[rsimoes]

It was suggested to me to use the following tire sizes on a A&C Replica for original look:

Front:
245/60/15

Rear:
295/50SR/15

The problem is that there are no high performance tires in those sizes.

If I got to 16 inch wheels, what sizes would be appropriate?

What are you guys using?

17 inch wheels would not look correct for the Cobra, but give you the best performace on corners?

Any suggestions on sizes?

[klayfish]

Rob,
You're right, the 15" tires won't have the same performance. But if you want a more original look, that's what you should go with. If you are only going to street cruise the car, it really won't be much of a problem. If you really want the performance, 17" is the only real choice. 16" tires are hard to find.
Did you really think the 17" on my car didn't look right? Honestly it is one of the things I get the MOST compliments on about the car. So many people love my rims. I think 17" wheels look great. They don't overwhelm the car, and the handling is awesome. The slight trade off of harder ride and slight wandering is well worth it. I have Firestone Firehawk SZ50 EP on mine. 245/45/17 up front, 275/40/17 in the rear.
A lot of it depends on how "real" you want the car to look. To me, the entire car isn't an original '60's Cobra, so I don't care if it doesn't look exactly the same.

Steve
Cobra Revolution June 7th, Valley Forge Park
www.legendarycobra.com

[rsimoes]

That was Tony's suggestion. He said that the 17 inch wheels don't give the "correct look" for the car. However, perhpas, I should give that up for performance. . .

Your rims do look great, they just don't look OEM, which is what I meant about not looking "correct" But with the 5 spokes, you weren't trying to look "correct"

I may have to go for 17's. . .

[klayfish]

That's exactly right. I respect Tony tremendously as a builder and refer everyone I know to him. But he does have his own ideas of how a Cobra should look and definitely lets it be known. But Tony won't be the one driving the car, you will.
Like you said, with the 5 spoke Centerline wheels on my car, I am definitely not going for the original look. I like a more modern, muscular, shiny look. And the pure performance. I actually prefer the 17" look to the 15" anyway.
Are you planning on making the rest of the car "original" looking? Interior, motor, etc? If not, why worry about the tires?

Steve

[Ron61]

Klayfish,

I am currently running the 15 inch rims too and have been wondering about switching to 17s. Right now my tire diameter measured from the floor to the top of the tire is 25 inches. Could you tell me what yours is as I would like to keep it close to that. Setting the speedometer is no problem as mine has a computer chip that does that for me. I like the looks of your wheels and another set nearly like them that I saw at a car show.

Thanks,

Ron

[Lew the taxman]

rsimoes

Steve is right. How many people other than cobra drivers can even tell what the originals looked like. And the difference in tire performance, between the two sizes is just too great to even think of going with the 15's(with all the hp that a cobra has). I’m using 315x35x17’s on front and 275x40x17’s on the rear. I have the Michelin Pilot Sports. They’re probably the best performance tires available. A little pricey though. There are a lot of other performance tires that are not so expensive.

Just me Butting In

Lew

[rsimoes]

All the feedback I can get will help! Thanks!

[Pete C]

rsimoes,
The question plagues us all. You will see that the topic resurfaces every few days. The crux boils down to authentic "look" v availability of performance tires for 15" rims. I like the look of the 15" rims but there is only one true performance tire (Goodyear Eagle) in the correct size. The link below is a place to start.

17's on FIA

Good luck, Pete C

[decooney]

Hey Pete,

it seems to me now the best option is to have "both". A set of 15s/Goodyears like we have for the nostalgic look as it were, and a second set of 17s with Michelin Pilots for those curvey road Viper standoff drives. Hey, what are pin drives for - easy on, easy off! I rode on a car with a set of 17" Pilots yesterday, and it was amazing. I still like the look of the 15s/Goodyears better though. I think its that fat sidewall that just makes it look right on a fat fendered 427 Cobra.

See Ya!

[klayfish]

As you can see, Rob, it's all about personal taste. As Lew said, most people (probably 99%) don't know the difference between if it is real or not. Hence why we get asked that question over and over and over... . Even with my 17" rims that clearly aren't spinners I get the question repeatedly. You should go with what your car needs. Decoony has the best solution, getting a set of both. But for those of us like me, who work for an insurance company and get paid nothing , I can't do that. If you want pure performance, 17" is the way to go. But if you really care about the "authentic" look, get a set of 15". They'll handle OK, but not great.
Ron, I'm not sure of my total diameter. I looked it once on a calculator I saw online, but can't recall that website. I think mine were about 26.25 if I remember.

Steve

[terry lee]

Rob,
My car came from SPF with 15" wheels with a choice of tires. I selected Dunlop GT Qualifiers 295/50/15 rear, and 255/50/15 front. These were the biggest I could get with what I considered to be the right compound for hot weather driving. I will eventually buy the 17" wheels, and the biggest and best upgraded tires I can get at that time. I agree with "Lew The Tax Man" in his selection of Michelin Pilot series for the best available at this time. I love the Bridgestone SO2's but they don't make them wide enough for me and the 17"wheels. Good luck, and keep us posted with your decision.
Happy Trails,

TL