Hello all,

Well after purchasing that nice 82 GLT a week ago, i realized the car is in bad need of Tires(BAD!).. It currently has a set of Michelin "X" 195-60-15's on them.. Does anybody have a particular preference of tire that seems to look/fit/perform well on the Turbo's? I am especially looking for quiet ride and good combination of handling and wear, but would perfer a tire thats NOT too stiff (unless the stiffness really makes a difference in handling)...and hopefully not too much $$$ (!) any suggestions? (i know, everybody has their own preference, im just seeking suggestions)... also- is there a particular Size of tire that hugs the Virgo Turbo rims well? the 195-60-15's on there now look okay i guess but i wonder if there is a taller/fatter combo that seems to work well?? any info is greatly appreciated..thanks guys!

miles

82 244 GLT

The things that you look for in a tire are different from what I look for, so I don't really have any recommendations on a brand/model to use. I'm currently using 205/55/15 Bridgestone Potenza RE71 tires (Z rated, 140 wear rating) because I wanted a performance tire and I didn't care about treadwear or noise because I don't drive a lot of miles. So far they've been great for 3K miles over about 3 1/2 months. The dry grip is amazing, and wet grip was greatly improved over my previous 185/70/14 tires. I'd have to say that the tire makes more difference in wet handling than the width (yes, width makes a difference, but a good tire goes a long way). The ride quality is a little bit stiffer with the 205/55's, but it's not bad at all and I usually use high tire pressure and I've got worn out shocks. Consider using 205/60/15 to get the handling benefits of the wider contact patch while maintaining a comfortable ride. Check the reviews at tirerack.com to find what you're looking for in a tire.

Good luck.

Oops, alex here again I forgot to tell you about other sizes

I think the rim you have is a 15"x5"

If you do, you can go to a P205/55/15 and this will be 1/2" wider

a 215/50/15 will be a total of an inch and give you great handling.

I do need to know is this a southern car or will it see snow???

get back to me if you want

Alex Pieper

The 240 Turbo (Virgo) wheels are 15x6. If they were only 5" wide, 215 tires probably wouldn't fit very well, and I would have doubts about whether the handling would be any better because the sidewalls would roll under easily.

Yokahama AVS dB 205/60/15 VR $69.00 @ Victoriatires.com

I really like these tires.

...

CHECK THE TIRERACK.COM

THERE IS A NEW TIRE TO THE U.S. CALLED THE KUHMO SUPRA 712, HIGH SPEED RATING AND GREAT IN THE CORNERS, WET OR DRY. BUT BE WARNED THESE ARE SPRING-FALL TIRES AND SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN IN THE SNOW, UNLESS YOU REALLY WANT TO SEE HOW SAFE THE VOLVO IS. ANOTHER GOOD PERFORMANCE TIRE IS A BF GOODRICH COMP T/A VR4 4 SEASON GREAT HANDLING. IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT TIRES, I AM A DEALER.

I currently run 205/50R16 Continental CH95, which I like and would buy again. But I'm thinking about going back to the original size of 195/60R15 or 205/55R15s. I seem to have it stuck in my mind that wider is better. But acutally the 195's may do better in rain and snow. Plus the 195s were designed to be use on the car. I would like to hear from anyone running 205/55R15s. Whereas they are shorter than the 195s, do they give a harsher ride? How hav the tires been wearing. Also the speedo difference would be a consideration.

Jack, Alex here,

I'm sorry, I forgot the Virgo were 16", on my wifes car I have a set of ATP 5 Razza 16"x71/2" and she runs Continental Contisportcontact p225/50/16

and it does not affect the speedo from the old p195/65/15 that the car came with, on my 764TI I have the 940SE alloys, 15"x6" and I have Michlein Pilot XGT V4 205/50/15 the car came w/ 195/60/15 so my speedo is off by 5%

@ 60mph I am really going only 57mph, @ 30, I'm going 28 1/2 mph etc.

If you know this every thing is cool. If you do not run the tires in winter, I really like the Conti's, for all season, the Michelins

let me know what you decide

Alex Pieper, '91 940 SE, '88 760 TI

Stick with the 195 – 60 versions of any good tire, The wider tires may look more aggressive (get the big letters) and are better griping on a dry surfaces. But they ain’t s..t on wet or snow, the larger contact surface just gives better lift, AKA hydroplane.. .’ ( do you want to drive in the sand dunes), they will not last as long, and will provide less fuel economy etc. Have you maxed out the rest of your handling options, struts, springs, braces, why not start with the foundation and when the tires are squealing then you may want some more traction in the wider tireThe 55's and the 50 will let you feel all of the bumps and pavement surfaces, good and bad.. , A Volvo Turbo is not a GTO /Mustang / Trans am …..and that’s a good thing.

"The wider tires... ...will not last as long..."

Are you saying that wider tires won't last as long just because they're wider? eg, a Dunlop D60A2, 195-60-15 will last longer than a Dunlop D60A2 205-60-15?

"...and will provide less fuel economy etc."

Hmmm... a 205-60-15 will provide GREATER fuel economy than a 195-60-15, because the overall diameter is greater... the car will travel farther on one engine revolution.