Orsom Weels wrote:My first +2 came shod with Cinturato's, & whilst I don't remember too many complaints about their handling, they did squeal loudly on roundabouts or tight corners. It once led to me being stopped by the police who couldn't work out whether I was just being a hooligan or if there was something wrong with the car, as they could clearly see I wasn't going too fast. It took a bit to convince them it was just a characteristic of that tyre on that particular car.
New compounds may eliminate that characteristic, & we would hope they'll have more grip,
Well i can't make the Squeal on my Elite. trust me i have been trying. I can nearly get the door handles scraping on the floor though. The handling is fabulous. (mind you i suppose not all the credit can go to the tyres. It is a lovely thing)
i don't think any tyres squeal like they used to. i can make the crossplies on my Model A Ford to do it, but not with all brands of tyre, and they are crossply. I wonder if it is a compound thing? I shall do some research. (that means i shall ask someone technical and cleverer than me in the tyre trade.)
Orsom Weels wrote: but surly the tread pattern contributes more to water dispersal ?
Yep the tread pattern also contributes, but we don't want to change that.
the clever modern compound will make them move water, much better than they did in period. If we put a modern directional tread pattern on as well that would move standing water even better, but the advantages of that wouldn't be so great on such a thin tyre. I don't think aquaplaning is much of an Elan issue.
Also the rounded shape of the CA67 helps move water.
Orsom Weels wrote:I don't know where you're based, but Dunlop, Kumho, Uniroyal, & several others offer 145/80x13 tyres in UK, not sure about other markets.
yeah, but they are modern tyres designed to be fitted on very different cars to an Elan. (it isn't just the look). a classic car will handle better on a period tyre that has a carcass designed to suit the geometry of your car rather than a more modern front wheel drive piece of numb blancmange. the easiest bit to describe that you will be able to see and i guess benefit the most from; is the rounded carcass, which helps make a little light rear wheel drive sports car be progressive in its handling
Horses for courses.
and they look cool