New tires for my '91 ELAN M100

[bxs]

My current tires are beyond their DOT expiration date code, so need new tires.

My current ones are CONTINENTAL 205/45 ZR 16 SPORT PLUS

What should I consider ?

I'm considering these CONTINENTAL Extreme Contact Sport 02 205/45 R16 83W XL BSW for $196/ea with a mail in rebate of $110 by end of June (Discount Tire supplier).

[Tuga2112]

i cant offer advice in those tyres, but

i have recently (1 year) fitted the nangkang NS2 during the winter
my initial experience was terrifying, they defintily did not like cold weather (wet or dry roads didnt make much of a difference) but after a few months they grip very well when its warm
i havent had it much out this year during the winter so im not sure if its the initial wear of the conpound or they simply dont like the cold.

the point is. if you drive it in the winter. stay away from NS2 but if you drive it only in the summer. the NS2s are a pretty good budget alternative.

[dapinky]

As you state the current tires are 16", and spell 'tires' not 'tyres', I am assuming that you have a Fed car and are US based..... but I may be wrong as a fair few earlier Elans have been fitted with 16" wheels.

As such, I have no idea what tires are currently available in your market area, and climatic conditions.......

..... but, as Joao says, the "best" ty(i)res for you may well be different than those I would buy for myself - so my 'best' advice is to buy the best tire in your budget for your own conditions..... but if you stick to the main brands, you can't go too far wrong with most of the stuff out there.

I don't know if you can get Uniroyals - but the rainmaster range get good reviews on Elans in the UK, as do Avon tyres......

[bxs]

Yep: I'm in USA just north of Seattle in the Pacific North West (PNW). The weather here is much like it is for southern England.

Yea... My Calypso Red Elan with a mere 14,000 original miles is but one of the 550 imported to USA in the '91 era, and likely the only one left in the PNW area.

I picked it up in an auction with just 10,246 original miles on it, so it's essentially like new with only minor issues to be dealt with. I drive it as my daily driver, and after swapping out the original exhaust system in favor of a 2-1/4" Piper (cat less) the engine runs freely and delivers close to 200 HP for me. It's a dream to drive.

So yes, I need new tires.... even though the current tires have plenty of tread.

[rip]

So yes, I need new tires.... even though the current tires have plenty of tread.

I had a tour around Dunlop's old UK factory many years ago & they explained that the most expensive process is grinding down the 'carbon black' powder. The finer it is ground, the longer the tyre wears (or probably they just use more of it). But do you really want to pay a premium for a tire to last 25000 miles if you only do 2000 a year & they lose grip through age while there is still plenty of tread left. I am not sure there are cheaper alternatives which grip as well but wear out more quickly. They would be ideal for an Elan.

[FunElan]

+1 for the extreme contact!

[dapinky]

I am not sure there are cheaper alternatives which grip as well but wear out more quickly. They would be ideal for an Elan.

I also have been looking for these 'Holy Grail' tyres - I want something that grips like a Track tyre, but costs like a Chinese ditch-finder, and if they wear out after 6K miles, I don't care.....

..... I'm still looking! (maybe it's because I also want them to give me the economy of a Michelin).

That said, although I love my Yokohamas, I have Toyos on the blue car, and they are not so good - but good enough......... I'm still tempted to try a set of Accelera 651 Sports next time. Far cheaper than the equivalent Yoks, and the same numbers on the label..... I have used Accelera tyres on my daily drivers for a few years, and even fitted them to the last 2 cars to take down to Gambia, and they have impressed me.

[Tuga2112]

I'm still tempted to try a set of Accelera 651 Sports next time.

althought i dont have that specific model in the volvo.

i can tell you the volvo has an accelera set which was fitted less than 2 years ago and done barely any miles, the car has been used as a backup for when family members have their cars off the road (usually my brother)
those tires certainly have less than 15k on them. probably less than 10k. and are completly worn out by now. not to mention when brand new they didnt grip too well either.

i personally will not touch another accelera tyre unless theres overwelmingly good reviews from folk i trust.

[AJSGSE1990]

i have recently (1 year) fitted the nangkang NS2 during the winter

I use Nakang on various cars and different versions, they work exceptionally well on wife's electric skateboard but that is a very heavy car for its size. The Michelin e-Primacy are so awful if I had deeper pockets I would sue the company.

The M100 is so light that it may be a struggle to get a balance between durability and the speed to get some heat in them in the winter. Might be worth seeing what the club caterhams use for wet weather racing maybe Avon ZZS or Toyo T1R but they are expensive.

I'd be really interested to know conclusions. Currently have ancient Toyo directionals and to be honest in the summer I would struggle to see a reason for anything more even for busy'ish driving on UK roads. My Elan will never go on track with me driving.

[dapinky]

I'm still tempted to try a set of Accelera 651 Sports next time.

althought i dont have that specific model in the volvo.

i can tell you the volvo has an accelera set which was fitted less than 2 years ago and done barely any miles, the car has been used as a backup for when family members have their cars off the road (usually my brother)
those tires certainly have less than 15k on them. probably less than 10k. and are completly worn out by now. not to mention when brand new they didnt grip too well either.

i personally will not touch another accelera tyre unless theres overwelmingly good reviews from folk i trust.

Hmmmm, this is why I don't really like to give "comparisons" when everyone uses things differently..... all i can say is that i fitted a set of brand new Accelera phi-R (225/55r17) on the Freelander to take to Africa as I wasn't convinced that the things fitted would be good enough for the entire journey, and still keep going for the next owner. Total cost of those was just £230 fitted and balanced.
I did 4,500 miles on them, including 4 days across the Sahara, and at the end they still looked brand new. This was in a 2.5T vehicle used for all sorts of roads from Motorway to 'What road?'

I know they have a few different 'ranges' of tyres, but the ones I had (and now have on my own Freelander) - the "Phi-R" range have done me good service....... hence why I feel the Track Tyre range are worth a look.