SUMMER TIRES ??

Yeah, since Vredestein killed the SportTrac 5, the best 15" tier seems to be their Sprint Classic, which is a distant second in terms of stickiness.

Thanks Lane.

Bruce I have the Sprint Classic's on my speedster and they work great !!

BTW sent you a PM

@Butcher Boy posted:

Bruce I have the Sprint Classic's on my speedster and they work great !!

BTW sent you a PM

What sizes did you use?

@Lane Anderson posted:

Yeah, since Vredestein killed the SportTrac 5, the best 15" tier seems to be their Sprint Classic, which is a distant second in terms of stickiness.

If your car can handle 195's They make these. Vredestein Sprint + | 195/60R15 | Tire Rack

Otherwise, be prepared to spend tall dollars On the Vintage molds with modern rubber. 185/70VR15 PIRELLI CINTURATO™ CN36 - Lucas Classic Tires

or Vredestein Sprint Classic | 185/70R15 | Tire Rack

In my speedster I used Vredestein Sprint Classic 165HR15 https://www.cokertire.com/tire...-blackwall-tire.html

@LI-Rick posted:

What sizes did you use?

I used 185x65R 15's

185/70R15 will rub on the front of a Spyder. 165/80R15 will not. 175/70R15 will not rub.

If you have sporting inclinations today, I'd do 175/70R15 F and 185/70R15 R in a Vred Sprint Classic. It's like the old Gillette slogan: "The best a man can get" but add "today" on the back side. They are probably the bargain here as I believe Avon, Dunlop, and Pirelli also make similar tires, but they ain't cheap. With a treadwear rating of 220, the Vred Sprint Classics are pretty sticky. The Sportrac 5 is also pretty sticky, and they are a 300 rating. Less means stickier, here.

IMHO any rim size bigger than 15" or 16" on a Spyder looks wrong. It's almost like the designers of the 50s incorporated the lines of the cars to complement the sizes of wheels and tires available at the time.

I'm going with Sprint Classics in 165/15 and 185/70/15 on my build. Got them for cost at TR. My son works there which is a perk.

@Butcher Boy posted:

I used 185x65R 15's

Dave, can you verify you have Sprint Classic’s in 185/65r15? I see no such tire available on either Vred’s website or Tire Rack.  Possibly a discontinued size?  Thanks.

@LI-Rick Vred and  Pirelli make them in a 185/70  I've had a batch of the Pirellis on backorder for the better part of a year now and they just keep pushing the expected date with no real answers.

Our stock tires change with availability, but currently we're using the Vreds.  Great tires.

****SPECIAL NOTE****

For everyone reading this who has a Spyder, the tire size information is specific to @aircooled 's build, or a later model Vintage (with narrowed beam), or a later model Beck that was special ordered with a narrow beam.  These size tires WILL rub on a stock Beck or earlier Vintage and that gets made even worse if you add aluminum wheels to the equation due to the offset differences compared to steel wheels.  Just FYI

I have the Vred sprint classics on my vintage Spyder. The 175/70HR-15 tires I have in the front will not rub with me in the car but with a passenger I get a little rub on the passenger front.
They are nice and sticky and look the part. Just be careful in cold weather. They take a while to warm up.

Thanks for that, Carey. I worked on an earlier Vintage Spyder with stock beam and early CSP discs(which push the wheels out 3/8" per side) and the 185/70R15 will rub slightly. The wheels were steel wide5 10 slots.

You're right, with the 2" narrowed beam I have now(the first Vintage to have it) I'd wager 185/70 would fit even though I'm running Airkewld discs(which are on the order of 3/4" wider per side). I'm running 185/65R15 with complete success in front and 195/60R15 in the back, on 4.5" and 5.5" Vintage 190s.

Dave @Butcher Boy appreciate your input but we're specifically talking Spyders here and the wheel/fender clearances are different than Speedsters. Things are a bit tighter up front on the 550.

@550 Phil posted:

I have the Vred sprint classics on my vintage Spyder. The 175/70HR-15 tires I have in the front will not rub with me in the car but with a passenger I get a little rub on the passenger front.
They are nice and sticky and look the part. Just be careful in cold weather. They take a while to warm up.

If you have a front anti-sway bar installed, that rubbing should disappear as you'll corner much flatter.

Does your car have a narrowed beam? I can't remember.

This is turning into somewhat of a dilemma for me.  I can't get ahead of Greg on this at this point.  He said that once the car is back from the paint shop is when he will fine-tune the suspension, brakes and wheels. I would like to use 5-130 5.5" Fuch's in 15" or 16" diameter. in the rear. He needs to know what I decide soon.  Like before he buys the brakes. (EMPI)

OK so Vred Sprint Classic's for me too !

I just can't wrap my head around the 5-205 stock wheels. To me, they are just butt-uugly.  (spelled with 2 "U's" for effect). The aluminum brake drum cover helps but they still look like artillery wheels from WW-1........I guess that means I'm doing Me ?

I really appreciate your comments.  From all of you,  Especially you Carey........Bruce

I do have an anti sway bar up front. I do not have a narrowed beam.
Personally I can’t imagine putting anything other than wide 5s on a Spyder. Like the Vreds they just look the part. Maybe try something different with the wide 5s. Some folks paint the drum covers black. On my second Spyder I had black powder coated wide 5s. I thought they looked bitchin.

I just remembered . I powder coated the wide 5s on my intermeccanica and placed caps.  I was wrong about the 2nd Spyder. I painted the drum brake covers black.

@LI-Rick posted:

Dave, can you verify you have Sprint Classic’s in 185/65r15? I see no such tire available on either Vred’s website or Tire Rack.  Possibly a discontinued size?  Thanks.

Sure can !! I bought them in 2023 from the Tire Rack. They might be history by now, but they are on my car.

@DannyP posted:

Thanks for that, Carey. I worked on an earlier Vintage Spyder with stock beam and early CSP discs(which push the wheels out 3/8" per side) and the 185/70R15 will rub slightly. The wheels were steel wide5 10 slots.

You're right, with the 2" narrowed beam I have now(the first Vintage to have it) I'd wager 185/70 would fit even though I'm running Airkewld discs(which are on the order of 3/4" wider per side). I'm running 185/65R15 with complete success in front and 195/60R15 in the back, on 4.5" and 5.5" Vintage 190s.

Dave @Butcher Boy appreciate your input but we're specifically talking Spyders here and the wheel/fender clearances are different than Speedsters. Things are a bit tighter up front on the 550.

Sorry Danny, I missed that........  I saw summer tires and went with it. I'll look closer at the subject next time.

Thanks

@Butcher Boy posted:

Sure can !! I bought them in 2023 from the Tire Rack. They might be history by now, but they are on my car.

Dave, I hate to be a pain, but those look like Sportrac tires, not Sprint Classics.  Can you take a picture of the sidewall so I can see the name on them.  I just spent a half hour looking for 185/65-15 Sprint Classics and I can find no source that shows that size was ever made. Thanks for indulging me.

@LI-Rick posted:

Dave, I hate to be a pain, but those look like Sportrac tires, not Sprint Classics.  Can you take a picture of the sidewall so I can see the name on them.  I just spent a half hour looking for 185/65-15 Sprint Classics and I can find no source that shows that size was ever made. Thanks for indulging me.

Well, I'll be dipped !! sorry Ric. I was sure I ordered Sprints when I ordered them. I never looked after they arrived. I took them to Greg's and he mounted them when my cars was ready. I am really happy with the was they perform, but good to know, so thanks for questioning my tires. Good eye ...........!!!

@Butcher Boy posted:

Well, I'll be dipped !! sorry Ric. I was sure I ordered Sprints when I ordered them. I never looked after they arrived. I took them to Greg's and he mounted them when my cars was ready. I am really happy with the was they perform, but good to know, so thanks for questioning my tires. Good eye ...........!!!

Unfortunately, those tires are NLA.  Everyone that has the Sportrac's raves about them.  Why Vredestein stopped producing them is a mystery.