'New' Modern Redwall Tires

Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 07:36:27 -0700 (PDT)
From: Joe Merone
Subject: The dead horse rides again!

Tire seekers:

Just about a year ago I promised the list that I would write a review of the red-line radials being "re-manufactured" and sold by the Diamond Back Company of South Carolina. Forgive my tardiness but here goes:

Background: There's no doubt in my mind that nothing looks better on a TR6 than a set of redline tires. It's always been one of the most distinguishable and unique features of the car. And when the redlines on "Trevor" were about to completely wear out last year there was never any chance that I'd consider having anything else on the car. But there was a problem.

Problem: The rock hard, narrow profile, Michelins on our cars rely on 35 year old technology and the performance is not much better than the tires on my bicycle. Cornering, stopping, and ride quality on dry and wet (sometimes you're caught in it) roads is greatly compromised when compared to a modern tire of today.

Goal: Find a wider profile but same height, modern tire with relatively good performance features. They had to have a raised 3/8" wide, true rubber redline built into the tire, not cut in and painted later. And they had to be fairly reasonable in price.

Solution: Diamond Back. They remanufacture wide white, redline, and even gold line tires for classic cars. No, these are not brand new tires but they are not your father's old "recaps" either. The technology has progressed far beyond those days.

Depending on the size you order you'll get either Michelin XW4s or Goodyear Eagles as the original casing. With my stock rims I decided to go with size 205-70-15 tires (Michelins). They match up as close to the original 185-15s as possible. The other close fitting option is the 215-65-15 (Goodyears), but they're a little too wide for my taste.

note: If you want brand new tires, they also carry a minor brand name tire that goes through the same process to add the redlines as the others. You get new but you don't get Michelin or Goodyear underneath.

Price: $79/each plus shipping ($60 UPS to my door).

Results: They look and ride great. What a difference! The performance improvements were evident immediately. Stopping distance decreased, cornering was better, and I no longer grab the wheel for dear life if I have to drive on wet pavement. I put 3000 miles on my set last year and can report no troubles at all. They're wearing nicely and the redline looks good as new. And they're a big hit at car shows, especially when people see the original "Michelin" trademark on the sidewall and wonder when the company started making that size in a redline.

If you're faced with the prospect of buying new tires and do not want to give up the redline look this option may be for you.

Contact: Diamond Back; 707 North Murray Avenue, Anderson, South Carolina 29625 for more information. Telephone toll-free 888-922-1642. Their web page is www.widewhitewalltires.com. It's pretty primitive but worth a look.

I'm sure they can tell you more and answer any questions you may have.

Joe Merone
South Burlington, VT
CF 18928