A Rubber problem!

[Guest]

Hi there,

I wonder if you guys could help, I was enjoying the weather yesterday, and decided to go for a drive in the country with the roof off, it was lovely, however the standard sublime handing I feel is suffering a little due to the tyres, at present on the rear I have a goodyear and Michelin. I understand that these are pretty hard tyres, however they were on the car when I bought it, I am finding the back a little wayward, especiallu in the wet, what tyres are recomended, what are people using at the moment? I have the standard telephone dial wheels and not looking at changing them.

Kind regards
Chris

 

[John Sims]

what tyres are recomended,

Hi Chris,

Based on your current setup I would respectfully sugest that any make, provided they are both the same, would be better.

Another point is that tyres degrade with age and case harden so, as the tyres were on the car when you got it, they could be at a fair level of antiquity. Again, any new pair of tyres should be better.

Not necessarily a recommendation but I have been pleased with Continental Contisport Contacts in the past. They are a mid range tyre price wise, seem to last well and also seem to have a broader contact patch than some other manufactures - so they look wider. []

There is a tyre poll at the head of this forum, so that will give some indication of what others are using.

 

[sawood12]

I too can vouch for Continental Contisports (non Porsche spec). I've had them on a number of cars I've had in the past and have had no problems in terms of grip although I tend to tread carefully in the wet. As I direct comparison on my car I don't get the understeer I got with the previous Pirelli P Zero's I had when I fitted my current 17" wheels fitted.

When I bought the car mine had the 16" Teledials fitted with Toyo Proxes which in the short time I drove them seemed similarly competent. From what I can tell Toyo's are a pretty well respected non-main brand of tyre.

By the way you don't necessarily need the Porsche spec tyre on the 944 since they are specifically intended for the 911. However I don't think it harms anything to fit them.

 

[Guest]

Many thanks, I will have a hunt for it,

I totally understand that it is important to keep tyres matched, unfortunately the car previously was owned by somebody that was obviously trying to run a Porsche with Fiesta money, which has resulted in much work which has been and still needs to be complete. After my Cam Change, mega service, roller belts and rollers changed and calliper rebuild, the tyres are obviously next,

Also whilst thinking about the next point of the ongoing restoration, is going to be the seal, currently there is a bobbly plasic rubberised coating going from approximately 4 inches to under the seal, There are currently air bubbles in it, and chips in the paint where some one has painted it in Red Hammerite! where it has been replaced (poorly), with this underseal? can anyone tell me exactly what it is? ie, is a a type of waxol painted, or does it come in a kit? Also is a job that I would be able to do, or are we talking paint shop stuff? I want to basically replace it.

 

[sawood12]

Take a look at a thread with the subject 'Respray' on the next page (sorry I havn't yet sussed out how to link to other threads). I started the thread asking specifically about that bobbly layer. Apparently its an underseal-like product that is sprayed onto the metal then colour matched into the rest of the body.

 

[Fen]

It's a Wurth product I believe. It's suppsedly extremely difficult to match the same level of knobbliness so starting with the right product is half the battle.

 

[Diver944]

.......and if you have bubbly bits then this could well be the onset of rust once you scrape all they knobbly stuff off. Quite a few 944 are now getting to the stage that even the galvanising cannot hold off the dreaded tin worm in areas exposed to the elements - cills and wheel arches especially.

Back to tyres, I can thoroughly recommend Kumho Ecsta 712. They are a budget Korean brand but after 10k miles on my Turbo in all conditions I think they are a great road tyre and 16" sizes are approx £70-£80 fitted. I've had Bridgestone S02 and Continentals previously and these are just as good (though cost a bit nore). Any 944 with good condition suspension will handle sublimely on good tyres.