DeTomaso Mailing List: January 00, Message #9

Dear Mike and Brockster,

	I have the maligned 305s.  I have them on the "street" Pantera.  I have found them to be perfectly adequate for street and highway.  I find they do have more traction than teflon and they seem to have pretty good progressive release when cookin' around a corner.  I did get only 20,000 miles out of the rear 305s with the fronts showing very little wear (same pattern seen on the BFG Comp TA Z rated 17 inch tires on the other car).  They are certainly not adequate for the track or for spirited driving, but, in their favor: (a) they are available (b) they do fit nicely (c) they do have a modicum of softness and traction (d) they are easily affordable and (e) ain't too many other options for  8x15 and 10x15 wheels.
	I was told a couple of years ago by a techmeister at the Tire Rack that the "early" euro TAs had a stickier and softer compound than the "improved" version that Brock may be referring to.  My first set was of the early recipe.  The current set doesn't seem to be notably different.

	For what its worth,  Chuck Engles

-----Original Message-----
From:	Mike Dailey [SMTP:mdailey.tectel@home.com]
Sent:	Saturday, January 01, 2000 8:58 AM
To:	Multiple recipients of list
Subject:	RE: Justification for larger tires?

Brock,
The way I drive they could last 70,000!!! 
Mike

-----Original Message-----
From:	brockctella@juno.com [mailto:brockctella@juno.com]
Sent:	Saturday, January 01, 2000 9:30 AM
To:	mdailey.tectel@home.com
Cc:	detomaso@realbig.com
Subject:	Re: Justification for larger tires?

Mike, the real problem with the BFG 305's is they stink as a handling
tire. Huge sidewall flex and the traction of Teflon. Probably will get
50,000 miles off of them.

On Fri, 31 Dec 1999 17:13:58 -0500 "Mike Dailey"
<mdailey.tectel@home.com> writes:
>Cal,
>
>While I was out checking on the progress on my car today I had my 
>first
>chance to see my front and back wheels setting side-by-side.  When I 
>had my
>new BFG Euro T/A treads installed last year I took the front wheels in 
>to
>have them installed then the back ones in separately, so I never saw 
>them
>side-by-side.  I'm running 225/50/15 on the front and 305/50/15 on the 
>back.
>They are mounted on 7" rims on the front and 10" on the back.  I knew 
>the
>back wheels were big but to see them side-by-side, wow!
>
>To make a long story short the big 15" Euro T/A treads are cheep and 
>look
>great!!!  And they are speed rated to 130!!
>
>This post is most likely going to start a debate about only having H 
>rated
>treads on a Pantera but my car will probably not see 130 with me in it 
>any
>time soon!!!
>
>Does anyone know what the rating was on the original 1971 Pantera 
>treads?
>Did we even have speed ratings in 1971?
>
>
>Mike
>(#1887, looks cool with big treads)
>www.TecTelSolutions.com/pantera/
>
>T  e  c  T  e  l    S  o  l  u  t  i  o  n  s
>"An Information Technology and Telecommunications Consulting Group"
>mdailey@TecTelSolutions.com                      
>www.TecTelSolutions.com
>
>
>

______________________1:14:49 -0500


>Good ol' Major T.J. "King" Kong. :)  The bomber crew also featured a
>young James Earl Jones as the flight engineer.

Really James Earl Jones. I never noticed, I'll have to look next time
it's on.

>Actually, it wasn't General Jack D. Ripper who had the thing about
>"deviated preverts."  That was General Bat Guano (Keenan Wynn), whose
>troops finally recaptured Burpleson AFB from Ripper's people.  

This was in Dr. Strangelove? Funny I don't recall Keenan Wynn in it.
It's been a while tho.

Steve Bernard
Red '99 Miata Sport Package
B-Stock Autocrosser - Got Cones?
mailto:Solo-2@Worldnet.att.net