stockpile 16" tires??

[911 tweaks]

I need some information on tires for o.e. fuchs on a 911 SC I am restoring for a guy.

In light of the upcoming 17" fuchs from Moses, I have a few questions:

1. his soon to be released fuchs are very nice and are very
tempting to buy, however, I need some "justification" to
buy them, thus the following q's.

2. can tires be bought now and stored away for those of
us who have 16" fuchs? (I have many pairs 16" fuchs
from 6" to 9" and different offsets)

3. is the "becoming more and more difficult to get" 16"
tires only for 1 or 2 brands of track tires or what?

4. if the recommendation is to buy xyz tire and stockpile
them, how do you prevent them from damage from u.v.,
dry rot, cracking...??

I am restoring a guys car and don't want to find myself 1 or 2 yrs from now with minimal or no tire options when this
project gets back on the road. It has been the premis that this car will see 90% agressive street use and he wants to "try" de/track day(s)...I know...slippery slope...which is why I post this question ***** should I buy a full set of abc regular street tires and a full set of xyz aggressive street/some track use tires, or what??

If you are willing to make suggestions, please provide specific brands, sizes and for what use and base your info on first hand or factual...not what you herd or read somewhere, info.

Thanks alot! I am very interested in what responses we all can help me out with and to inform others I am sure are on the edge to stock pile tires for fuchs they have or buy Moses fuchs...who knows...maybe both ways since tires for 16" fuchs will be for a while and my ppboard readings are "non factual" on 16's being discontinued.

Bob

[81 911 SC]

I don't think there is much you can do to prevent tires from dry rot etc. I am in the same dilema however there are still tire makers like Falken, Kumho etc that are selling 16 tires and probably will be for quite a while.

[911 tweaks]

Thanks Tyler! What would you do in my shoes: I don't want to get this guys project completed and then have to say to him, "ahhhh I can't get 16" tires for your car anymore...only track slicks. So I guess you are going to have to buy a 17" reproduction fuch wheel, that are a great wheel (we hope we can say in the future) but it wont be O.E.

I try to do everything possible to avoid possible future suprises that leave one "flat footed" as the expression goes...

What do you recommend??

Bob

[Rot 911]

I really see this as a non issue right now. Who knows what the situation will be in 5 years. But right now tirerack.com shows 154 different tires that fit the front of an SC and 83 for the back.

[81 911 SC]

I agree with Kurt, at this time it is not an issue and no way to really predict what will happen down the road. It does seem that the new "16" is becoming 17 inch rims but I think for the time being we should be able to find 16 inch tires for our cars.

[ventana]

These same comments were made a few years ago when the switch from 15" Fuchs took place. Yes, there are fewer choices when trying to replace 15" tires on a Porsche than there are 16" tires but 15" tires are still available. My prediction is that you will see the major manufactures dropping some sizes but the smaller manufacturers will continue to offer them because that's where their market is.
I would caution you against trying to stockpile 16" tires against any future shortage. You cannot stop the rubber in the tires from breaking down and deteriorating. You might slow that deterioration some with oxygen-free storage but at what price? Do a careful web search and I think you will find an above average supply of 16" tires that will work for Porsche applications.

Ventana

[911 tweaks]

thanks guys. I am sure I can find other places to "throw" the resto $$ at the present time.

Bob

[Porsche virgin]

IMO, you might have some trouble finding 245/45-16 tires, as these seem to be becoming rarer, but 205/55 and 225/50 are very popular sizes, and I don't see them going out of style anytime soon.