RE: Tires

["Simpson, Jr, Joe B." <jbs@rti.org>]

>...For a higher performance tire, you
>might consider 195/65-14 Yokohama AVS Intermediates.  It's an excellent
>Z-rated tire and in this size the diameter is the same as the stock
tires
>for your Spider.

Actually, the 195/65's are V-rated (the only 14"-rim Z-rated AVSi's I
have seen advertised appear to be the 205/55's, which would put you a
little more than an inch lower than stock).  The hard part turns out to
be finding them... the few Yokohama dealers around here* don't stock
AVSi's.  You can order them from www.tirerack.com ($85 plus about $7.50
S&H each for the 195/65's, $123+S&H each for the Z-rated 205/55's), but
then you need mounting and balancing equipment... I ended up having a
local tire store order a set for a total mounted, balanced,
lifetime-rotated-every-5K and taxed price of right at $108.50 per.
Looking forward to gaining that inch of ride height back, as the
previous owner had put 195/60's on it. Bang. Scrape.

 -joe


* Sears is an official Yokohama dealer, according to the toll-free
Yokohama find-a-dealer hotline.  Unfortunately for Yokohama and Sears,
the girl who answered the phone at the Sears Auto Center in Durham (NC),
when I called to ask about getting some (specifically) AVSi's - after
reading off a list I didn't ask for of Yokohamas they DO stock -
informed me that "they must not make them anymore" because she didn't
see it in her book.  And no, she said, they couldn't order them.  Well.
Thanks anyway, have a nice day.

* National Tire and Battery in Cary (though not on Yokohama's list of
local dealers) offered to order me some.  Total price including all
labor: "around $530, can't be sure because I don't have an actual price
available.  And I'll have to have a 25% deopsit."  This after an hour's
delay while he supposedly was calling to get an actual price for me.
Hmm. $132 per tire?  I don't THINK so.

* Ingold Tire, Durham - very sharp, helpful, friendly guy gave me a firm
price to the penny and ordered them for me without asking for a deposit.
Assuming no unpleasant surprises when they come in this week, sounds
like this may be the place to go in the RTP area.