I said I'd post pics and info, sorry I'm late! About 6 months ago I took off the stock Good Year ZR "Gatorbacks" with about 14-15k miles on them. I wanted Good Year Eagle F1 GS-D3s, but they were nationally out of stock with no projected availability dates, so I looked elsewhere.

I tried Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval Indy 500s because they worked well on my truck and they were available at a local dealer. The "Indy 500s" were on sale over the regular Firehawks. The dealer installed, mounted, balanced, and aligned the setup for about $620, which is less than what the entire set of Good Year Eagle F1s go for uninstalled.

So how are they?

Name: Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval Indy 500 - F: What a terrible name for a tire, haha. Not that this matters, just making fun of it.

Appearance - C+: This was my biggest disappointment. They seem to run a hair smaller than the Goodyear Gatorbacks. The sidewalls stick out just as much, but they tuck in at the tread for a slightly smaller footprint. I like a more square-shouldered tire. The tread appearance is aggressive and somewhat modern, though. The sidewall itself has a lot of small logos and writing embossed in it; I prefer a clean sidewall but it's hard to find these days. If these were available in 255/45/16 they'd look perfect.

Performance Wet - A+: I don't drive my car in the rain if I can avoid it, but I was recently caught in a massive rainstorm. The tires performed excellently and were easily some of the best ultra high performance tires I've experienced in the rain. Keep in mind that I don't push the car if it's wet out, and the expectations of a summer high performance tire should be lower in wet conditions.

Performance Dry - A-: These tires grip, and they grip well. The reason I give them a "minus" is because they have a very slight sidewall flex on turn-in. Once they set, though, the car grips predictably. If your car is bone stock, you'll have trouble breaking them loose.

Ride quality - A: The few rattles my car had were really just because of the brittle and dried out Goodyears; once these Firestones went on, the car was a whole new experience. Quiet, smooth, and comfortable. No rattles. It was pretty amazing.

Overall - B: The performance of these tires outweigh the ding I gave them on aesthetics. They're a solid tire and a great value for money; I think a set of four is going for about $480 on Tirerack right now. For comparison, Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3s are now available (6 tires left on Tirerack) and they're over $900 a set!!!

And the pictures...

Off with the originals!


Looking dry and brittle, but such a nice looking tire:


You can see the non-squared shoulder; the older Goodyears were a little more "vertical" from sidewall down to tread and didn't look pinched at the contact patch.


Good view of the tread here... 255 width would make the tire:


Sidewall etchings disappear from more than 5 feet away. They have a nice flat sidewall where the original Goodyears had more of a bulge.

 

i will agree with you on this.. I have had these on my 92 for about a year now and they are a good all round tire, not a hardcore street tire by any means, but for the money, they are quite nice. They are in little shorter than the advertised height.

I would buy them again.

 

Im with you on the sidewall vs tread apperance.. I like the gatorback look and even the GSCs.We call it the flattop haircut look.
I really do not like the F1 or new F1 replacement GSD 3576 FYS or whatever its called. the tread is just to narrow on the sidewall..
Im also kinda liking the Nitto NT555 look these days

 

I agree with everything above, that is a very good review. Only I got my tires for less than $450 installed on my GTA, I got buy three get one free and I got a 50 gift card. I felt like I stole them lol. I would buy them again for sure, and I replaced my GS-D3s with these!

 

I was going to say your car looks great btw, I love white maros.

 

About a year or so ago, I replaced my 21 year old, 10K mile, Gatorbacks with F1s. They really weren't my first choice, since I'm not thrilled with the look of the tread pattern. What I wanted was BFG G- Force KDW's. I've had those previously and really liked the handling and the look. Unfortunately, those were discontinued the year before. Damn!

I did a nation wide search, and found a warehouse in Texas which supposedly had a set in our size in stock. As it turned out the were the newer (lower performance) G- Force Sport. Damn again!

In the end, it came down to the F1s or the Firehawks. I was undecided until I saw a 3rd gen Camaro with the Firehawks parked next to a 3rd gen T/A with the F1s parked next to each other at a cruise night. You are right, the Firehawks are oddly sized. The F1s are EXACTLY the same dimensions as the Gatorbacks in every way.

Too bad Coker or someone doesn't make Gatorbacks, I would have bought them.

 

Yup, I wish they did too, so I could toss my originals and free up garage space!

I would have gone for the Goodyear Eagle F1s, but at the time they were out of stock. Hard tire to find!

 

I put them on my Bird this spring as well. Them seem pretty noisy but the grip is good.

 

Don't toss them. I'm being told that low miles original ones are starting to be worth some money!


I'll make Corky Coker a deal. He can use my Gatorbacks as patterns for his molds in exchange for a new set.

 

These tires are fantastic!! Great wet/dry traction, comfortable, quiet, smooth, predictable. I have tested them moderately in the wet (only 2 times I got caught in the rain in the past year and a bit that i've had these tires..) but i've tested them like a madman in the dry and they're VERY predictable. I'm able to break them loose by turning a very sharp turn without braking before going into the turn but easily regaining grip, or if I turn the wheel and floor it, it will spin slightly but to get the grip back is instantaneous and actually too much that it's difficult to slide around now.. I guess that is a good thing!

Straight line traction is very good as well.. I gained 2-3 tenths in the 1/4 mile with these tires (my old ones weren't that great though.. but they stick well nonetheless).

There are pictures on the site in my sig down below:

 

Buddy of mine has em on his 89 GTA. No complaints from what I can tell. Its my route of tire if I stick with my crosslaces.

 

Those G-Force Sports are excellent tires. They're not top of the line but they grip very well. I've put mine through hell and they always hang on. (Check my vbGarage page to see all my suspension mods - this is a corner carver car) I dont drive in the rain though...

Tread pattern isnt nearly as wild and fun to look at as the KDWs, but I like the look/fit of them:





My next set of tires will also be G-Force Sports, I dont think there's a better tire available for the money these cost. However if you got the money for Goodyear F1's and so forth, then by all means get 'em. If I could afford em I'd have some $250/each 245/50/16 tires myself.

 

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Attachment 227416i would agree 100 percent, also i find to much writing on the side wall. great tire. they are loud when ever i hit second gear hard (bark). most other tires ive run are quiet when im spinning, es100's. i would recomend this tire.

 

Thanks to those that posted with responses and the OP. I will be having these installed on mine Thursday and just in dire need of replacing the old, dry-totted Futura's that are on there now.

 

Reviving an old thread. I just had a set installed on my TTA. I like the performance of these tires. They grip well. You can hear how sticky they are because they pick up little rocks and gravel and sling them into the wheel well. The car hooks well now and is a night and day difference over the GS-C's I had on the car. I was hoping for some Gatorback repops, but these will have to do. Just a heads up - there is a 70 dollar rebate on a set of 4 until 7/15. If you were looking to purchase a set, now is the time to get them.

 

Looks good! What made you get those vs the BFGs?

 

Charlie - I went by the reviews on Tire Rack. The tires got good reviews from Corvette guys using them as replacements. The 70 dollar rebate helped as well. The deciding factor, although really stupid was this little wing on the tire. and the name of the tire. It was kind of appropriate for the old Pace car. I still need to do a better job with the tire dressing, but you get the idea.

 

OH, NOW THAT'S COOL! I need to get some for mine now. Thanks 82tarecaro

245's or 255's?

 

 

I wouldn't call them sticky, but they are a good tire and price is excellent.
Tread has a flame imbedded in the pattern.

 

Maybe it's because they are new but they seem to kick up a lot of dirt and gravel. Hopefully it's not a permanent thing because the dirt on the quarter panels and wheel wells is annoying. Really, the only complaint though.

 

Put these on my Audi Quattro In Janurary in place of contis. Not too bad So Im thinking of putting a set on my 92 bird now I see a good review of them!!

Thanks