<VV> The End of 13 Inch Tires

[Ken Maxwell]

Hi Guys,

 

Well, it's finally happened. I can no longer get the P185/80R13 tires for my
Corvairs. I work for a large tire company with a huge warehouse and we are
direct with all major manufacturers. Firestone informed us yesterday that
their FR380 tire is on national backorder and "there are no plans for future
production". Hankook has discontinued its H714 tire and Kumho had
discontinued its 795 tire. Cooper has discontinued its Alpha 365 tire. Tire
Rack and Tire Discounters don't list any 13 inch tires except for trailer
tires (don't use those). I searched all over the internet and was able to
find a leftover set of five FR380's in Oregon which I ordered. If you think
that you will have a need for 13 inch tires for your Corvair any time soon,
I would recommend you check with your local tire supplier as soon as
possible to see if they have some stashed away. The only alternative that we
will soon have are classic reproductions like the BFG "Silverstone" tire
with a very wide whitewall that runs $173 each! I just paid $47each, plus
shipping, for the Firestones.

 

The future isn't much better for those of us that have 14 inch tires either.
Tire makers are dropping those sizes as fast as they can. There simply isn't
enough of a market to make it worth their while to manufacture them. The 13
inch tire used to be the entry level size but now the 16 inch tire has that
position. 

 

If anyone can find a reliable source of reasonably priced 13 inch tires,
please let the list know.

 

Ken Maxwell

Louisville, KY

65 Spyder

67 Monza