Why do GoodYear billboards suck

[Bobcat]

Al ... I have a different slant on those tires than most here do . I used to race SCCA in E/P ( National competition license ) and ran the Goodyear Bluestreaks . First , they are horrible in the wet , don`t really stick all that well until they get up to temperature on the track and being bias ply tires , they will flat spot on you in a heartbeat . In the pits , we jacked the car up so the tires wouldn`t flat spot .
When I talked to a Goodyear engineer , he told me the tires won`t have the life of a street tire since they don`t have the plasticizers(sp? ) etc in the compounds the street tires do and will get hard as a rock . All Goodyear wanted them to do was last long enough to finish one or two races . The design parameters were/are all for the track and not the steet .
I personally knew a man that put Bluestreaks on his street car , went for a drive in the mountains , hit a slick spot on a blind curve , crashed and his wife was killed . I`m not going to take that chance .
Personally , I run Avons and would only run the Goodyears on the track .... period . My opinion .... do yourself a favor and run the Avons , leave the Goodyears for the track .

Bob

[Bill D]

Here is another option: you can get smooth sidewall radial tires from Diamond Back Tires (dbtires.com). Then get the tire stencils from Raceline Digital. The Look of the Goodyear Billboards on modern radial tires at a very reasonable price

[keezling]

Bill D, would like to see pics of your car. Sounds interesting.

[twobjshelbys]

Like was stated they are race tires with a life expectancy measured in one race or less. Can you imagine driving on those tires on the Mulsanne Straight at speeds of 200+MPH?

[Maricopa]

...and after the car sat for several months in the garage...

That may be the saddest thing I've ever heard.

[Detroit Bill]

Originally Posted by Maricopa

...and after the car sat for several months in the garage...

That may be the saddest thing I've ever heard.

Yea winter is a bummer.

[Mr Jody]

Originally Posted by RACERAL

You would think as many replicas is out there that Coker would step up and make a "Cobra" tire that would look like a Goodyear bill board and in radial. Yes, that's the ticket.

I have thought about contacting Coker to ask that very question, just haven't done it yet.

Just speculation on my part, but I wonder if part of the "cost" of Coker doing this would be licensing fees to Goodyear. Goodyear may have told Coker, “Sure, you can make a radial tire that looks like our billboards. Just send us a check for $ XXXXX……”

I know that Coker makes vintage Firestone radials, but I doubt it was something done out of the blue without some financial agreement or royalties. I haven’t checked the Coker site recently to see if they make other Goodyears, so like I say, I’m just speculating here. But I agree, that would be the ticket.

[joyridin']

Has anybody heard of BB's freezing? I know the Nascar Tires cannot go below 32 degrees as they will actually freeze. Last February or March, a truck driver parked a truck over night and GoodYear lost a very large load of tires because they froze which will cause them to crack.

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by joyridin'

Has anybody heard of BB's freezing? I know the Nascar Tires cannot go below 32 degrees as they will actually freeze. Last February or March, a truck driver parked a truck over night and GoodYear lost a very large load of tires because they froze which will cause them to crack.

Well, that certainly was not my issue as I live i sunny SoCal.

[fordracing65]

My bb drive fine in az, going on 2 years same tire, grip great drive fine, they do flat spot a little but they round themselves out in a block or 2, I drove on the goodyear slicks with the yellow writing, they grip great and in az with no rain they are amazing...any radial tires for these cars besides avons are pure crap, the BFG have a 95mph speed rating and they seem to be the most popular tire on here, give me a break, truck tires do not belong on these cars, only truck engines...

[fordracing65]

For radials on these cars there is AVONS, or step up to A 17 OR 18 inch tire, all other brand radial are crap and down right dangerous, no grip...

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by Bernica

Well, that certainly was not my issue as I live i sunny SoCal.

Because of "climate change" or "global warming," the entire West Coast is sunny. Heck, even Seattle is hitting 80+ , or even 90, these days.

[fordracing65]

I drove a Backdraft with 18 inch tires and rims, it was awesome, for a driving experience those are the way to go for performance, they do look different, but still good looking, the car did not hurt either, Backdraft does it right...

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Because of "climate change" or "global warming," the entire West Coast is sunny. Heck, even Seattle is hitting 80+ , or even 90, these days.

I watch Seattle all the time and about ready to head back up for my yearly trip to unwind. Going to find Brent this time at Redmond Town Center. Yes, Lake Washington was like bath water last year. Not that any of this has to do with tyres!

[fordracing65]

I for one am glad goodyear still makes the BB tire, they cant sell that many of them to make it a profitable reason to keep doing it...

[RACERAL]

BobCat, Bill D.. thanks for the info..

I did contact Coker today. They told me that Goodyear would not sale them the rites to the molds.
I did suggest to them that if they could make a 15" "Cobra" style tire with smooth sidewalls where we could paint with the stencils
, I felt they would sale the hell out of them

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RACERAL

BobCat, Bill D.. thanks for the info..

I did contact Coker today. They told me that Goodyear would not sale them the rites to the molds.
I did suggest to them that if they could make a 15" "Cobra" style tire with smooth sidewalls where we could paint with the stencils
, I felt they would sale the hell out of them

...ain't never gonna happen.

[RACERAL]

I don't know why one of these companies could not make a smooth wall tire in a modern radial design in the Cobra sizes... blackwall, then we could stencil spray the Goodyear..
I think they would sale the hell out of them

Any by the way... if you bad mouth this guy Jamo one more time , I will report you to the moderator...I understand he is very timid and shy... so don't yall bang on him.

[Jamo]

So Al, what's wrong with Avons?

The Billboard's faults are everything the folks say. Flatspotting is the least of your worries...gone in half a mile or so. They are not made to put up with Ozone and other evile stuff...so they crack (instant patina if you will), they are crap in the rain, they are crap in the cold...rock hard...and they don't last that long. Honestly, Avons are not all that much more when you factor in some mileage.

Are they pretty? Yes. Loved they way they looked on the tin can, and they did well on the track. The modern version of the tires that should be on a Cobra (Bluestreaks) are prettier and better on the track, and are even worse on the street.

Avons, once you learn them, do great on the track and do everything else just fine. The lack of a top will limit your driving instead of your tires, not the other way around.

[Ron61]

This isn't a good picture and they aren't the same as the Bill Boards, but these tires have been on my 69 NASCAR Cobra since 1969 when I took delivery of it and have no cracks or anything. I have treated them since I got the car new and the lettering is turning yellow, but they are still good. I wouldn't trust them for any 100 MPH runs now, but I do drive the car some. I think the tires get as much attention as the car as most people can't belive they are the old bias ply tires.



Ron