All:
There's been some discussion lately regarding the
purchase of "modern" redline tires. Below is a review
I wrote in 1998 one year after I first purchased my
Diamondback redlines.
Seven years and 22K miles later I can now report that
the tread wore very well but the sidewalls have now
developed a fair amount of cracking due to their age.
They'd still be on the car today but I've just
replaced the tires with some 205-70 x 15 Yokohama
Avids, mostly because I purchased some new minilite
wheels and I didn't feel that the redlines went well
with them.
Their manufacturing process and tire options have
expanded since I bought them in 1997 - check with them
for details - but I thought that you might enjoy the
review.
Joe Merone
CF18928
Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 07:36:27 -0700 (PDT)
From: Joe Merone
Subject: The dead horse rides again!
Tire seekers:
Background: There's no doubt in my mind that nothing
looks better on a TR6 than a set of redline tires.
It's always been one of the most distinguishable and
unique features of the car. And when the redlines on
"Trevor" were about to completely wear out last year
there was never any chance that I'd consider having
anything else on the car. But there was a problem.
Problem: The rock hard, narrow profile, Michelins on
our cars rely on 35 year old technology and the
performance is not much better than the tires on my
bicycle. Cornering, stopping, and ride quality on dry
and wet (sometimes you're caught in it) roads is
greatly compromised when compared to a modern tire of
today.
Goal: Find a wider profile but same height, modern
tire with relatively good performance features. They
had to have a raised 3/8" wide, true rubber redline
built into the tire, not cut in and painted later. And
they had to be fairly reasonable in price.
Solution: Diamond Back. They remanufacture wide white,
redline, and even gold line tires for classic cars.
No, these are not brand new tires but they are not
your father's old "recaps" either. The technology has
progressed far beyond those days.
Depending on the size you order you'll get either
Michelin XW4s or Goodyear Eagles as the original
casing. With my stock rims I decided to go with size
205-70-15 tires (Michelins). They match up as close to
the original 185-15s as possible. The other close
fitting option is the 215-65-15 (Goodyears), but
they're a little too wide for my taste.
note: If you want brand new tires, they also carry a
minor brand name tire that goes through the same
process to add the redlines as the others. You get new
but you don't get Michelin or Goodyear underneath.
Price: $79/each plus shipping ($60 UPS to my door).
Results: They look and ride great. What a difference!
The performance improvements were evident immediately.
Stopping distance decreased, cornering was better, and
I no longer grab the wheel for dear life if I have to
drive on wet pavement. I put 3000 miles on my set last
year and can report no troubles at all. They're
wearing nicely and the redline looks good as new. And
they're a big hit at car shows, especially when people
see the original "Michelin" trademark on the sidewall
and wonder when the company started making that size
in a redline.
If you're faced with the prospect of buying new tires
and do not want to give up the redline look this
option may be for you.
Contact: Diamond Back; 707 North Murray Avenue,
Anderson, South Carolina 29625 for more information.
Telephone toll-free 888-922-1642. Their web page is
www.widewhitewalltires.com. It's pretty primitive but
worth a look.
I'm sure they can tell you more and answer any
questions you may have.
Joe Merone
South Burlington, VT
CF 18928
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