[DeTomaso] Tire Sizes

[Julian Kift]

> Buying expensive tires for your existing wheels (which make the car look 
> proper) is a heck of a lot cheaper than buying new wheels and expensive tires 
> for those wheels (which make the car look weird).

I'm not so sure that is necessarily true, depending how you do the math.

If you can find the Pirelli 345/45/15's (Tire Rack has them occasionally) they now retail for ~$750 ea. then the challenge is till finding suitable fronts to halfway match. The Michelin TB's or Avons are well over $500 a corner and you might get 5,000 miles out of them, significantly less if you track your car at all.

Compare that to a Michelin 335/35/17 at $226 and 275/40/17 at $321, that equates to $1094 a set. Incidentally I have no idea why the rears have come down so much in price to the point they are cheaper than the narrower fronts, demand I guess. That leaves the difference of $1000 towards your new set of wheels, when you figure in you'll get at least double the mileage out of the Modern Michelins, then a new set of wheels is not that unattractive financially, I know you disagree aesthetically Mike :>) Go one step further and add in the fact you can sell a set of original wide body Campi's for north of $6K and you've got wheels and tires for a a few years to come.

On the GT5 I have the above quoted Michelins, the GP4 conversion I went for 18" rears and 17" front using a 335/30/18 and 275/40/17 with the Toyo, DOT competition R888's all round.

Cheers,
Julian