Tire companies often, for profit markup, decide a tire part number is done, obsolete.
Those are going to sell for less than the new (supposedly improved) version that replaces it
So, if you make friends with the nice people behind the counters, and maybe, oh, tip them a pizza or something like a 20, to look for the least expensive, but highest grade tire for what you are looking for (speed rating might be your priority, or softer compound for autocross or cornering)
If I order now, there are about 300 of the tires I was recommended, and they sell for 173 apiece. Once those are gone, the new version are 60 dollars more apiece.
So, buy now and store them, and save 240 dollars, or keep checking back closer to when I need them, and run the odds that every week that goes by, there will be fewer available, maybe none left if a bunch of racers buy them for the same Optima type event. I will see if week by week I find that there are still the same amount, I don't have to hurry and store them. But if the inventory drops to less than 50, it's time to buy, and then see how many can be fit into my little Veloster to get transported to my garage. 2 at a time? Probably.
Jesse, what about degradation of the "rubber"? As much as I learned, modern tires are ageing even if you did not use them, keep them in a dry, dark place and not forget to rotate them if they are not on a rim. The common standpoint amongst car enthusiast in my country is the maximum lifetime of a tire is 5-7 years. After that the ageing of the compounds changing so much that effects the grip badly because the "rubber" is getting firmer. That is why important to check of the manufacturing date on a tire. I saw 2-3 years old new stock sold at half the price because of that. (Sorry, I don't want to lecture you, just curious about what you think.)
ReplyDeleteyou are right, and I have posted how the last set of back tires fell apart on me. Time is not kind to tires. Here's another example https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2023/05/just-last-week-i-was-wondering-about.html? you can see the case cracking down the sidewall.
DeleteI expect that I'll use my car a LOT more and these tires I'm getting are softer compound and will wear off a LOT faster. I expect to take it to the track for autocross racing.
IF that type of event even happens anymore in Southern California... the AAA track in Fontana just sold, it may have been the last great track here. Chuckwalla and Buttonwillow are still around, but hours away
Jesse, if you make it to the track, please-please-please make photos, dashcam videos!!!
DeleteI sure will, but it's going to be at least many months before I get it to a track, as this upgrade is adding about 10 thousand dollars to my credit card (I had just paid it off last fall) and wiped out my savings (been working over time for 2 years to save money to pay off bills and upgrade car with new radiator (1300 dollars) and ignition (2200)) so, it's really a matter of money I need to earn to pay down the credit card so I can at least have a rescue solution when parts break at some track hours away and I have to flat bed the car back to San Diego. Parts will break, we know that. Plus, other improvements need to be made, like subframe connectors, rear suspension... I think I can install those myself though.
DeleteI recommend looking at the many incredible people already racing old muscle cars, and getting a look at their social media. USRA and Optima are two sanctioning organizations that put on these autocross events
I tell you what: I am curious about how YOU having fun, so I'll be patient. ;-)
DeleteOn a non-daily I would be concerned about the "born on" date of those almost obsolete tires that are in stock for a mega-seller (Discoutn Tire, Tire Rack, etc). Tires age out and if they are going to be used for enthusiastic driving, safetry concerns would mandate they be as new as possible for the longest life on my car.
ReplyDeleteI'm not concerned about tires I buy new. Sure, months have gone by since they were made in Asia, and transported to the USA, but I've got 20 year old tires on my car on each corner and am not worried about them on a grocery store run. I'm not going on the interstate with them of course... they are simply on my car to keep it off the ground through years of storage until it could get this upgrade
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