So A friend of mine found what I think is a really good deal I found a original set of gator back tires 245/50/16 which I believe are the correct original tires for the car for $200 good tread sidewalls are mint and no dry rot and two towns over should I pick them up because I’m looking at getting my car back to original what do y’all think?

 

Unless it's going to be an all original show car that's barely ever driven, I'd pass on them. Why put the old terrible gatorbacks back on when modern tires are so much better? At the same time, for $200 you could just chuck them in a corner for a few years and might be able to turn a decent profit on them.

 

If you have the room and money, why not pick them up? As said above, wouldn't drive on them but good for shows for sure.

 

Goodyear has never made a tire worth owning. If it weren't for the cool Gatorback name, no one would be remotely interested in them.

 

No..................just............no.

 

I agree with the others -- only pick these up if you want to put them on at shows, which would require getting a second set of wheels to mount them on. I wouldn't drive on those tires for longer than a few miles at a time, and that's still taking a risk.

 

Not sure where the OP is at, but where I am, you wont be able to find anyone willing to mount those tires due to their age. I had an opportunity to buy some a while ago, but decided against it because knew I would not be able to get mounted and would only sit in my basement until eventually tossing them since I could not do anything with them. Neat to have, but not much use for them.

 

I bought a set just to have an original set of tires to "complete" my car as original. They are on a spare set of rims ... and I doubt I will drive on them. But for the price ... I figured I'd buy them. I think I paid $200ish for the set.

I run a set of Hawks 17x9 repros (two line iroc rims) and they are gorgeous! They fit the wheel opening better and no one realizes they aren't stock. Plus better tire choices ... a 275/40/17 fills it up nice.

When someone buys my car and if they want to put in a collection .. then they have the wheels and OEM tires. That was my thinking.

Mark.

 

I know Discount Tire won't mount tires that are more than 10 years old per the date code on the tire. When my Iroc wheels were getting refinished, I had some rollers on my car and one of them had a slow leak. I took it to Discount Tire to have it fixed and they wouldn't touch it because the tire was dated 2005 and there is a risk of the sidewall belts breaking on the tire machine. Probably going to be hard to find someone to mount tires dated 1989.

 

.....as would just trying to mount and then inflate ancient tires, regardless of how they 'looked.'

As above, prob wouldn't be able to find a tire dealer willing to mess with them.

 

I doubt anyone would know how to read tire codes from 1989 ... I installed my own "old" gatorbacks ... no real issues. They weren't easy to install back in 1989 ... stiff like hockey puck.

I sold a set of "new" gatorbacks I had for decades ... still had stickers on them, stored in my basement. They never saw the light of day. The Sun is what deteriorates tires more than anything else. If you see the small cracking ... then age has set in.

If we use what everyone is saying ... then all these LOW miles cars with original tires should not be driving on the tires, nor should they hold air.

Goodyear tires ... well ... they were good for the first year and then you needed new ones! :-) Usually for traction.

Mark.

 

I picked these up a couple years ago for my 89 formula 350 vert (if I ever paint it). Stupid low miles on the original tires and have never been off the original wheels, still hold air and no cracking. They won't ever be put on for anything more than shows. Now stored in the dark and climate controlled to help prolong my stupidity.
Always ran the ole gatorback tires on my formula until they were disc then went to the GSCs. Liked to look of both and never really had problems with either tires and drove them year around. Could they have been better tire, for sure but I never had issues with them until the tread got thin. I'd go through 6 rear tires a summer. Left lots and lots of goodyear snotty 11s on the pavement back then

 

I just wish they'd reproduce them. I still think they have the coolest tread pattern EVER.

 

How much? 😂

 

Yes get them. That is cheap all else re sell for profit.