Anyone running Excelsior or Dunlop speed rated vintage tires?

Looking for input. The ones Coker have are way cool. But I would like to know driving impressions, lifespan, treadlife, rain characteristics etc....
Anyone my huckleberry?

 

If Posie is on here he runs excelsors on his cars.

 

I was running Excelsiors on my deuce roadster. I got them from Coker. Nice tires, look good, ride good for bias plys. I got 3700 miles out of the fronts before I took them off because I was going on a 2000 mile trip. I still have some tread on the front and I think you could expect to get 5,000 miles out of the fronts. The rears are still pretty good. If you are going to run them, get your front end aligned before you put em on to get max milage out of them because they are expensive.

 

I've got Dunlop racing tires on my race car. They're pretty hard compound. I'm on my second set. In two seasons, I didn't wear the first set out. They're real expensive, my 17"X7 cost about $415.00 EACH! I get them from Rodger Krause in Castro Valley, California.

 

Wow, the mileage doesnt sond so hot

 

Yup, owned white Onzas, the were a bitch to mount on 19mm Mt Aeros!!!

I figure they would have a shorter lifespan..........

 

Anyone else with experience with these? How sticky are they?

 

I've got Competition V's (750-16 rear, 550-16 front) Haven't had the car anywhere but in and out of the trailer, and a short trip around the yard. Next Spring!

 

We have run both on the back of our race car. Dunlops cost more and don't seam any better but they are rated for higher speed. They are both good tires.--TV

 

I thought I'd bump this to see if there were any other first hand experiences...

 

Thanks Kilroy, I am closer than ever on just pulling the trigger for these tires. They are killer looking.

 

If you can get em over there you might consider Blockley's, really good tyres (tires!)

http://www.blockleytyre.com/page2.htm

 

Gasser, those in a 16" look awesome! How is that exchange rate working?

 

Excelsiors on the front of Hotrod Nash. I like them. Look great, easy to balance, absoultely no problems, drive a lot of short trips around, two-three times a week, will take years before I have an opinion on durability/mileage expected.

 

Gaser, a quick search shows that Lucas tire and Rodger Kraus stock them in the states.

 

They do look bitchin...

But it sure is a lot of extra green for 'the look'...

I'm not sure I can justify it right now... Maybe for the SECOND set of tires.

I think the dunlops are the best looking but the Excelsiors are pretty cool too.

But $1200+ for tires in a car with a FLATHEAD seems like a bit of overkill.

 

I'm running Dunlop Vintage "L" Series bias ply race tires on this Victress, 6:50X15 rear and 6:00X15 front. 7" wide wheels. 500 miles on the car so far and zero problems. I like their look. They're fairly hard compound so don't pick up much gravel like soft race tires. And they last pretty well.

 

A friend of my ran them on a roadster. He had to have them trued and ran some type of balancing ball bearings in the tubes. He ended up selling them on e bay for $75 to $100 a piece.

He put a couple hundred miles on them. Ended up buying radials.

 

The 32 that Chevygirlrox, Megan and Matt took to CA this year has the Excelsiors. I asked her if they were the big buck ones. She said yes and also said they are a great tire and had no problems. And a great ride.

 

I have the Dunlop 5:50-18 tires and the 6:00-18 tires on my Bonneville cars. Seem good for that. The BRM roadster went 249 at El Mirage with them, so they should do fine for me.

 

Thanks for the extra input. I may have a line on some take off tires to try cheaper to buy and experiment!

 

They are great tires. We had 13,000 miles or so on them before they needed replaced, at least the fronts anyways. Like them so much the '32 got a new set at the Nats!

 

But aren't those Coker 16" radials?

 

This may sound crazy, but check out Longstone Tyres. They're in the UK, but the carry all sorts of vintage tires including Excelsior and Dunlop.

I was looking for Michelin 165-15 XZX's for the front of my Tudor. Coker said 3 months - Longstone had them in stock and air freighted them to me. The bill, including air freight, was less than Coker and I had them in 4 days from the time I ordered them.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the tip.

 

No silly! If we ran radials then we'd have to run a small block too!

I still giggle when I think about our initial conversation about Flatheads and small blocks when Steve introduced us..."those old flatheads aren't very reliable!"

 

I'm really sorry but Matt's '32 had 16" Coker radials in June and I can find evidence. Just because you're a girl doesn't always make you right....I had you going didn't I?

 

Sorry for dragging this back up but I only just saw your reply, They are stocked in the USA

http://www.lucasclassictires.com/FallBiasPrices070909_1730.htm

They are a really good tyre, round and no balancing problems. Lots of very valuble machinery being raced hard over here on them in VSCC etc.

I have 18"s on my roadster...

 

I went through two front pairs of the Firestone 16" dirt track tires before replacing them with the Excelsiors on my Zipper. Sorry I didn't buy them in the first place.