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Lane: H or V speed rating?

I spoke with Stephanie at Apollo-Vredestein USA in Atlanta this morning. They have plenty of 195/60R15 in worldwide inventory. The problem is, we Spyder folks NEED 185/65R15 for the front unless we have wider wheels, which we don't. And there aren't any 185/65 or 205/60 in inventory anywhere. Quatracs no problem, Sportrac zero.

I spoke to a gentleman at Tirerack.com, he's going to talk to a purchasing agent about ordering some 185/65 in V speed rating for Chris, Lenny, and I. I'm going for 205/60VR15 for the rear as they fit the revised Vintage clamshell. I believe Lenny and Chris will get 195/60 rear tires.

Wish me luck, because I believe that the factory needs to make them first.

I'd be willing to bet that if the tires become available, the buyers will come, just like Field of Dreams. Maybe the Rack will carry them from now on.......

Last edited by DannyP

The speed rating isn't for the speed. V-rated tires usually have a somewhat stiffer sidewall than H-rated. I've never been over 125, and don't plan to become an airplane.

The stiffer sidewall is what I'm going for against all you H-rated slackers.

I'll take any advantage I can get, "handicapped" by my front beam, worm-gear steering, and swingaxle, not to mention my less-than-optimized 4 speed, including the extreme lack of 5th gear. My car is truly of "the great unwashed" and is clearly not worthy.

Maybe I'll slide a little less into, through, and out of the corners........

I do admit it was extreme, giggling fun trail-braking the car into rotation, getting about a foot off Stan's bumper mid-corner, then drifting out of the corners with a bit of opposite lock! North Carolina ROCKS!

@DannyP posted:

Lane: H or V speed rating?

I spoke with Stephanie at Apollo-Vredestein USA in Atlanta this morning. They have plenty of 195/60R15 in worldwide inventory. The problem is, we Spyder folks NEED 185/65R15 for the front unless we have wider wheels, which we don't. And there aren't any 185/65 or 205/60 in inventory anywhere. Quatracs no problem, Sportrac zero.

I spoke to a gentleman at Tirerack.com, he's going to talk to a purchasing agent about ordering some 185/65 in V speed rating for Chris, Lenny, and I. I'm going for 205/60VR15 for the rear as they fit the revised Vintage clamshell. I believe Lenny and Chris will get 195/60 rear tires.

Wish me luck, because I believe that the factory needs to make them first.

I'd be willing to bet that if the tires become available, the buyers will come, just like Field of Dreams. Maybe the Rack will carry them from now on.......

I'll pass on my Vredestein Sportrac5 experience once again for all you SOC knuckleheads:

Last year I spent MANY hours on the phone and computer speaking with EVERY tire dealer in the USA (actually + one in Canada) that advertised Vredestein, searching for these tires in both 185 & 190. I finally spoke with the US VP in charge of distribution for Vred USA (Atlanta) and he was the one that directed me to the ONLY tire dealer in the country with access to their tires in ALL sizes. So-o-o, if you're REALLY interested in putting Sportrac5's on your Speedster or Spyder, you should stop wasting your time doing over what I did last year. Call or email the gentleman and tell him what you want. Trust me, and other knuckleheads now riding on Vred rubber, He's the "Real Deal." He actually imports Vred's in his own ocean-containers from Denmark to Florida. To top it off, you can get a full set (4 tires) delivered for less than $400. That was cheap enough for me that I bought #5 as a spare (please Lord, never let me need it)! 

Michael Gromadzki, President of 305Tires.com in North Miami, FL.                                                        Cell: 561-260-7020                                                                                                                            michael@305tires.com 

 

@Napa Paul posted:

He actually imports Vred's in his own ocean-containers from Denmark to Florida.

 

Paul, you made the same mistake I did. Since the 1970's, I assumed Vredestein was a Scandanavian company, based on how great Sprints were in the snow. I actually looked it up the other day and Vredestein is a Dutch company. They've made tires in their factory in Holland since the 20's. After a brief stint in a merger with BF Goodrich (?) they were bought by an Indian company, who also owns Cooper, which explains why they are so good. 

When my $40 Walmart Solar 4XS* wear out, I'll definitely be giving Michael a call for some Sportracs. I just put some Quatracs on my Smart car and I love them.  

 

 * Did a lot of reading before I lowered my expectations and bought "no name" tires from Walmart. They were the only ones I could find with BOTH sizes Carey recommends.  Turns out they are made in the same factory in Indonesia that makes Dunlop SPs for Dunlop.  And they're winter tires, like I like.

Last edited by dlearl476
I was REALLY sold on Sportrac 5's because they're DRY tires. My speedie has never, and will NEVER, run in the rain...not even "damp," so that was the way I had to go. So far, after only 400 miles, I'm very pleased with their "grab", cornering, quietness, and, of course, looks! At $80 each, including delivery to me cross country, they WERE a deal I couldn't pass up! 

Just remember to have another set of tires if you get Sportracs. Or 4 jackstands. I already have another set so I'm covered. I'll store the Sportracs inside in the winter, in my semi-heated basement, it never gets below 45F.

You need to never let them get below 40F if you're using them. If below 40, they CANNOT support the weight of the vehicle as they will crack. They are SUMMER only tires. If the tires do go below 40, they need 24 hours above 40 degrees before they can support any weight or roll down the road.

To me, it's not a negative, just something to be aware of before purchase. If you live in Cali, you don't need to care. But in the Northeast, it's something you need to prepare for.

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