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Old Mar 2, 2003 | 02:25 PM
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83TransAmGirl's Avatar
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From: SCV/Leona Valley, CA
Car: '83 T/A WS6
Engine: carbed 305
Transmission: 700R4 w/ shift kit
Tires(again!)

Ok, Im tired of waiting for my dad to figure this out! I am looking at getting 2 tires for the front of my car 245/50/R16...I checked out TireRack.com's Kumho ECSTA 711 for $56 each($131.85 total for both shipped) and I have heard good reviews for the Kumho ECSTA 712 but not much on the 711's? Anyone have any experience with them? I also have heard good things about Chatsworth Tire as far as tire price and sevice, anyone done business with them and have there phone #?

I also need to find a place to have them mounted... or we may just have to find a place to balance my tires for cheap cause Rod has a tire mounter for the racecar so we may ask him to do it instead...

Last edited by 83TransAmGirl; Mar 2, 2003 at 02:27 PM.
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Old Mar 2, 2003 | 04:22 PM
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From: Orange, SoCal
Car: 1990 Pontiac Trans Am
Engine: 355 TPI siamesed runners
Transmission: Tremec T56
Axle/Gears: 12-Bolt 3.73
Go to http://yp.yahoo.com/ and type in Chatsworth Tire. You'll find "their" phone number and address.

21803 Devonshire St, Chatsworth, CA 91311
Phone: (818) 341-8631
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Old Mar 2, 2003 | 08:40 PM
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I'm pretty sure that Costco is still carrying BF Goodrich. You have to order and it takes around 7-10 days, but the mounting and balancing and road hazard to me are worth the difference. Yes you can get the tires cheaper,but down the road when you have that not repairable flat, You can check out the tires at Goodrich site. By the way the regular old TA Radials,Have a tread wear of 400. I have them on my TA as we speak,and have no complaints.Just my .02
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Old Mar 2, 2003 | 09:05 PM
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From: Riverside, CA
Car: 1991 Firebird
Engine: 3.1LV6
Transmission: 700R4
I decided instead of just getting new tires to just get new wheels and tires. Bigger wheels of course. 18" Eagle alloys series 216 with 235/45/ZR18's on them. I got them cuz I had the money for them. If you don't have money to buy a whole new set of wheels and tires I'd go with some nice BFG's Radial T/A's
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Old Mar 3, 2003 | 02:36 AM
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From: Mostly in water off So. Cal
Car: '87 Chev
Engine: 60*V6
Transmission: DY T700
Originally posted by 91FIREBIRDGT
I decided instead of just getting new tires to just get new wheels and tires. Bigger wheels of course. 18" Eagle alloys series 216 with 235/45/ZR18's on them. I got them cuz I had the money for them. If you don't have money to buy a whole new set of wheels and tires I'd go with some nice BFG's Radial T/A's
I have owned two sets of BFG RADIAL t/a's on two different cars in my life and will never buy them again. They are like driving on an iceskating rink. I have owned at least 20-30 sets of BFG tires in my life- but mostly COMP t/a's. I would be running G-FORCE t/a's on my Camaro right now if BFG made them in a 16"- so I have opted for Firestone Firehawk SZ50's. I'm on my 2nd set of SZ50's on this car and will be buying a third set as of now unless someone comes out with a better tire in the mean time.

I have heard good things about Kumho tires and will be putting them on my truck next (275/60/15's) because BFG has discontinued their Comp t/a H4's in this size. I need to run at least an H-rated tire to feel safe, and there are only two companies that make an H-rated tire at best in that size- Kumho being one of them and Dunlop the other and I don't care for the Dunlop design in that size.
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Old Mar 3, 2003 | 08:46 PM
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From: Riverside, CA
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well I'm just guessing she has 14" or 15" stock wheels. I dunno but when I had the BFG's Radial T/A's they felt good on the car. And I don't think they make 14" or 15" COMP T/A's. Kumho Tires are excellant tires too.
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Old Mar 3, 2003 | 10:10 PM
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From: Orange, SoCal
Car: 1990 Pontiac Trans Am
Engine: 355 TPI siamesed runners
Transmission: Tremec T56
Axle/Gears: 12-Bolt 3.73
Originally posted by 91FIREBIRDGT
well I'm just guessing she has 14" or 15" stock wheels. I dunno but when I had the BFG's Radial T/A's they felt good on the car. And I don't think they make 14" or 15" COMP T/A's. Kumho Tires are excellant tires too.
She said she was getting 245/50-16's for the front, I dont think she has 14 or 15" rims.
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Old Mar 3, 2003 | 10:14 PM
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From: Riverside, CA
Car: 1991 Firebird
Engine: 3.1LV6
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My bad, I didn't realize she had the 16" formula wheels. Always thought she had stock wheels
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Old Mar 4, 2003 | 01:48 AM
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Yes BFG does make the size she is looking for in the TA Radial.I personally have had the TA's on my Trans Am now through two winters and I drive the 405 every day 26 miles each way.I have had no problem driving like I normally do even in the rain.Sure I slow down for turns,and no I dont hit the gas at every stop light.But traction has never been a problem in my car. Just my .02
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Old Mar 4, 2003 | 07:14 PM
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Originally posted by AGood2.8
I would be running G-FORCE t/a's on my Camaro right now if BFG made them in a 16"- so I have opted for Firestone Firehawk SZ50's.
Didn't you check out the BFG G-Force KD or KDW's? Nice tires. I'm running the KDWS's currently on my GTA and love them. Prior to the BFG's I ran thru two sets of Yokohama's – very good tires as well.
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Old Mar 5, 2003 | 12:18 AM
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From: Mostly in water off So. Cal
Car: '87 Chev
Engine: 60*V6
Transmission: DY T700
Originally posted by BretD 88GTA
Didn't you check out the BFG G-Force KD or KDW's? Nice tires. I'm running the KDWS's currently on my GTA and love them. Prior to the BFG's I ran thru two sets of Yokohama's – very good tires as well.
I'm diehard for BFG tires (Always have been). I have a friend that put G-force KDW tires on his Vette. They are a very good tire but I like the feel of the Firehawks better. I have yet to drive on some G-Force KD tires so I can't tell you an opinion on them other than I hear they are great - but only in a 17" or larger dia. I have also owned and raced many sets of BFG R1 roadrace & autocross tires ( Roadrace version not quite as grippy as the autocross version- but whith 500+ hp, they last longer)
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Old Mar 5, 2003 | 02:54 PM
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From: Oklahoma city
Car: 90 irocz
Engine: 350tip
Transmission: 700r4
i have firehawks sz50ep's 245/50/zr16's on the 90 (black one) and kuhmo ecsta 712's (had a hole in old set needed to repalce quick and cheap to move the car). I can honestly say i hate that tire. too much tread squirm. the old 245/45/16 comp ta zr's they repalced handeld better (the kuhmos are the same size) and those tires handled liek crap compared to the firehawks.

I liek the bg6 kd's but i think that the sz50 ep's are a better deal since thier wet traction is impeccable..........
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Old Mar 5, 2003 | 06:43 PM
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From: SCV/Leona Valley, CA
Car: '83 T/A WS6
Engine: carbed 305
Transmission: 700R4 w/ shift kit
Thanks for all the replies...I would love to put some comp T/As or and BFGs on the car but Im a broke college student(even though my dad is supposed to pay for these saftey related things!!) and so Im stuck looking at anything under $70 each...Right now its looks like its going to cost $157-161 from what Ive been quoted

Chatsworth Tire- $157 out the door is what the owner quoted me for 2 Visa tires-some brand from Japan thats supposed to be one step better than Kumhos- anyone ever heard anything about this brand of tire?
or
Grand American Tire(out here in Newhall)- $161 out the door for the same Visa brand tires-he told me the same thing, better then Kumhos, japan-whatever
or
TireRack.com- $131.58 for the tire to be shipped out here, have them moutned on the tire mounter for the racecar($0) and find some place to have them balanced

But my dad is going to call both places again and see what they quote him, the guy on the phone at Grand American tires did the typical condecending **** cause I was a girl ...My dad insists that I call around for parts for my car then gets mad at me when he calls these places back and gets quoted a cheaper price! Like its my fault these A-holes are trying to ream females!!! Sucks that they still cant be equally fair to women and that I have to bring my dad with me everywhere(which makes me really look like I dont know whats going on cause I need Daddy with me)! One day Ill open a shop owned and run by women, and when the guys come in Ill add extra charges for oogling at the women!

So is it worth the drive to Chatsworth to save $4? Or do I stay local and deal with Mr. Condecending whos going to try to talk me into something else...
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Old Mar 5, 2003 | 09:33 PM
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From: Huntington beach, CA
Car: Camaro
Engine: 5.slow
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that really sux good luck on finding tires thou
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Old Mar 5, 2003 | 10:52 PM
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From: Orange, SoCal
Car: 1990 Pontiac Trans Am
Engine: 355 TPI siamesed runners
Transmission: Tremec T56
Axle/Gears: 12-Bolt 3.73
How many female mechanics are you going to find? Let see, there is you... and... Uhh... and... Good luck.

You know if they quote your dad a cheaper price you can sue them for sex discrimination, I think.
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Old Mar 5, 2003 | 11:12 PM
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83TransAmGirl's Avatar
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From: SCV/Leona Valley, CA
Car: '83 T/A WS6
Engine: carbed 305
Transmission: 700R4 w/ shift kit
I know, it would be hard to find females...I could hire all the girls from GirlRacing.org but there all back east...I could probably find some at a drag race, there seems to be alot more females in drag racing than Stock car racing, maybe cause Stock car racing takes more skill...j/k !

Well my dad called Grand American Tire back and they quoted him a differEnt price but thats cause my dad came home and told me that he said that he told me Im buying 4 Tires! WTF!?! News to me! NE ways I still need info on these Visa or Vesa brand of tires...no one I know has ever heard of them

Edit: just found some info on this Visa tire...there made by Falken and sound pretty good according to this website http://www.truckxpressions.com/truck...falkenvisa.htm
dont know if I like the tread pattern yet though...

Last edited by 83TransAmGirl; Mar 5, 2003 at 11:22 PM.
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