Improve the Goodyear Billboards

[SPF1061]

FWIW, I sent an email. I am getting ready to buy my 4th set of Avons. There is presently NO alternative to this tire - I would love to see Billboards be a real competitor.

[Cobrafan1]

SPF1061,
THATS exactly what you should say to Greg Stucker!! Goodyear is missing a fantastic opportunity here to brand there tire as THE Cobra tire! My fear is that they just don't get it...

[Mark IV]

I too would love to see an alternate to the Avons that I could recommend to our customers, HOWEVER, you are asking the racing division of Goodyear to develop a "street" tire.

Short of the "DOT" legal "race" tires required for some race series, the responsibilty for a retail, high performance tires falls with another group at Goodyear. Now perhaps Greg can relay the information and demand to that group, but I truly doubt that the competition tire division will be granted budget and authority to produce and market a street tire.

I have had some prior contact with Goodyear on the OEM side back in the AC/Autokraft days and there is a LOT of interia to overcome. We had a Eagle GT destroyed just as Road & Track was ready to do a test and photography. Turns out when we called dealers they told us there was "no such tire in that size". "But I have them here I said!" Turns out they were a special run made in Belgium for Autokraft. My friend at Ford SVO called the Goodyear rep they dealt with for the SVO Mustang and he told me "Yeah, we got 'em on hand." "Great, says I, how much for one?" "Can't sell you one...at any price" he says. "Huh" I said with great surprise. "Yeah, they aren't in the price book and therefor we can't sell any, BUT, I can GIVE you all you need!"

[ALF]

Originally Posted by kevins2

And this wouldn't be limited to just the U.S. market.

I live in Switzerland and I've the same problem.
The only DOT solution seams to be the Avon's. Especialy as the Godyear Eagle GTII are not produced any more (which were the only Goodyear DOT solution for my Car)

-> MAIL SENT SUCCESSFULLY!
"... every day Cobra owners are forced to buy Avon’s instead of Goodyear’s...."

[Cobra #3170]

Perhaps GoodYear would allow Coker Tire to produce a street version replica with radial construction and modern compounds. The volume would be so low that Coker could live with it but GoodYear could not.

[ACademic]

Originally Posted by Cobra #3170

Perhaps GoodYear would allow Coker Tire to produce a street version replica with radial construction and modern compounds. The volume would be so low that Coker could live with it but GoodYear could not.

Great suggestion, but it might water down Coker's margins (due to royalties to GY) and not make it viable. Potentially lower volumes doesn't help that equation either.

There is a solution out there. It's going to take customer pressure (us) and Goodyear's acceptance of a changing marketplace to adopt it though.

[SPF1061]

Originally Posted by Cobrafan1

SPF1061,
THATS exactly what you should say to Greg Stucker!! Goodyear is missing a fantastic opportunity here to brand there tire as THE Cobra tire! My fear is that they just don't get it...

That IS exactly what I said.

[vatdevil]

Nitto makes a great DOT 15 inch sticky modern compound radial , NT555R. 275 and 325 sizes. I run the same compound in 18 inch tires......awesome.

[SPF1061]

Originally Posted by vatdevil

Nitto makes a great DOT 15 inch sticky modern compound radial , NT555R. 275 and 325 sizes. I run the same compound in 18 inch tires......awesome.

Just looked at this tire on Nitto's site. It is advertised as a drag radial. I know some folks run the M/T drag radials on all 4 corners, but I am not at all comfortable with that idea. Also, the NT555R is a modern low profile tire. Not the classic tall sidewall period correct look of the Billboard or Avon. Not saying the Nitto's don't work well for you, but not what I would be looking for in a "Cobra" high performance tire.

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by vatdevil

Nitto makes a great DOT 15 inch sticky modern compound radial , NT555R. 275 and 325 sizes. I run the same compound in 18 inch tires......awesome.

Perhaps they do, and here in lies the point...
They are NOT GoodYear Billboards!

GY year have an unfair advantage in that they own the look and have historic connection. If they made them DOT or a DOT equivalent they'd absolutely corner the market!

[Dimis]

Oh well... beaten to the point by SPF1061.
...and he put it so much more mildly too

[vatdevil]

Just trying to give some options..for what it's worth the Nittos are much higher sidewalls than the goodyears in that size, not shorter. Highly doubt Goodyear will make a special for our cars, way to small a market. Reality is, most of these cars rarely leave garages, let alone spend time on the track. Few of us really want race performance tires. From a business point, wouldn't make sense for Goodyear. For very high performance DOTs, you have Avon or go to a larger rim.

[lippy]

Curious if anyone received any feedback from Greg at Goodyear?

[601HP]

No response to mine.

David

[carmine]

No response to mine either.

[Snowsnake]

Count me in also...DOT approved Bill Boards to fit Cobras. Oh heck yeah !

[SPF1061]

Originally Posted by lippy

Curious if anyone received any feedback from Greg at Goodyear?

Nope.
Nada.

[fordracing65]

I'll run naked through the streets if they make this tire better, NEVER GONNA HAPPEN...

[carmine]

Maybe they already have the green light for this project and are in the middle stages of tooling up and maybe they want to keep it hush and surprise us all

[B.M.B.C]

You guys need to speak to this tire company , they are making vintage car tires and may be willing to look into sizes and tread patterns suitable for cobras.

Blockley Tyre - Old Car Tyres