tyres for a 964 again!

[Keith Calder]

hi i,m just about to order a set of pirelli p zeros for trackdays. i want more front end grip (less understeer) my car has 225 45 17 fuldas on the front which is not a standard size, and 20mm spacers on the rear should i go back to 205 50 17 or maybe 215 45 17 as i can get a good price on these (£44 less directionale or assemetrico) and may give a stiffer sidewall ,but they are not n2 marked...basically are factory sizes best cheers keith

 

[oldtimer]

hi keith , assume its the carrera2 , you dont say what wheel sizes are or if suspension is standard.
Normal road tyres dont like trackdays much , the blocks squirm about ,get v hot , and go like pizza cheese. having said that I found that michelin pilot sport rubber stood up better than bridgestone SO2 rubber , both gave good grip.
If you are going to major on performance for track then you should consider road legal racing rubber....choose from Dunlop Formula R DO1J ( cheapest) , Michelin Pilot Sport Cup , Pirelli P Zero Corsa. You get no more than about 5mm tread depth when new and no ability to deal with puddles ( acquaplane) , but you will be rewarded by much better cornering and braking power.
I would not make money the deciding factor , a 911 is an expensive and heavy car for trackwork: brake pads ; brake disks ; tyres are all extremely consumable ......using inferior consumables can compromise safety.

 

[Keith Calder]

hi yes a c2 with 7s + 9s cargraphic springs,i suppose you are right you only get what you pay for, p zeros are £399 + vat p zero c are probably twice that with half the life and maybe not so good in the wet? ill get a price from bmtr on monday thanks for your reply, keith

 

[Keith Calder]

thought i'd let you know what i bought.....regarding sizes i decided to stick with standard widths although i was tempted to use 225s on the front i couldnt find any with n2 n3 n4 markings, which are meant to have a stiffer sidewall and are approved for porsche use, surprisingly 50% of owners i spoke to think these markings are only there to get extra money from porsche drivers but surely they must give you something extra as the same sizes are about £15 less without the n. i learnt the directionale is better in the wet but not so good fer the track but i couldnt find assemetrico for the fronts so ended up with a set of matching p zero rosso n3s. the only downside with these are the tread pattern looks like it was designed by a 10 year old! a few square blocks with a wavey line down the middle yuk. about £495 fitted with steel valves , i am using the car for the club sprint series, (see car in april 2004 porsche post) and won my class at three sisters because it was wet ,then second at croft in the dry but 5 secs a lap off the winner jeff archer,tyres did melt a bit in the middle after 4 fast laps but scuffed off on the drive home, i fancied p zero corsas but they were about £850 from silverline, and maybe not so good in the wet??? i dont want to take another car with me to carry spare wheels for the dry so will continue with these for the time being.(even though the experts are calling them town and country tyres!!!!! }

 

[oldtimer]

Hi Keith, good write up . If you are sticking with 'road' tyres, when it come up for newies, I've heard good things about the Toyo Proxes T1 S , price good too, probably not N rated but other 964 owners find they work well.
If you invest in a second set of wheels then you can get some road legals, either the corsa's you covet, or the dunlops I recommended, these will work in 'damp' but not too clever in real wet conditions. You then have to choose the right wheels to fit before the event , all part of the challenge.

 

[Keith Calder]

hi oldtimer john bailey uses toyo t1s on his 944 and says they are the best tyres he has found, cant be bad as he was only .03 seconds behind me at croft??!! many thanks for your replies though.....