Things can't be that bad, can they? I would think you big city guys
would have lots of good tire garages. Yes, even back in the 70s, I did
have some problems finding a place that was skilled enough and brave
enough to take care of my wire wheels. Some places were convinced a wire
wheel would break on their machines although I had never seen it happen.
But anymore, if I have a need for tires or tire work, I always ask the
place if they do wire wheels, even if it is for another rim. Their
reaction and answer will always tell me if it is a place to be trusted
to do quality work. The place I go to now (Staley's in Billings,
Montana) shrugged me off when I asked about wire wheels - said they were
just another wheel and it was no big deal. But when I take my wire
wheels in, they always have the two senior guys there work on them. I
think, even in their line of work, they appreciate the challenge of
working on and balancing the wire wheels. And I gain an appreciation for
skilled tire work. Yes, there are such shops around here in the USA. How
common they are, I do not know.
David Councill
67 BGT
72 B
dcouncill@msubillings.edu
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-mgs@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-mgs@autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of ATWEDITOR@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 12:09 PM
To: mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: wire wheels
In a message dated 5/4/2005 1:32:35 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
mvheim@studiolimage.com writes:
> Are European tires garages dissimilar from USA ones?
Yes, apparently <g>.
American ones are generally big chains that make money selling
expensive
replacement tires for late-model cars and trucks. The employees are
usually
in their twenties and look at a wire wheel like an relic from
horse-and-buggy days.
Total agreement, except add more employee disdain and lack of care for
anything that slows them up and makes them think. They don't get paid
enough to
actually give a crap. There are exceptions, of course, but the big
chains
(e.g., Sears via NTB) rule the market.
Jay Donoghue
72B-GT
66 Mustang
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