Tire choice

[Gretchen1602]

Hi everyone. New to the group and new to a 1970 1602 I recently purchased. For now I plan on keeping the 13” steel wheels w/ caps. The rims are pretty beat up and need to be rolled and powder coated. Would love a bit of advice on tire choice and sizes for these wheels. Need a replacement for older current Solus 185/70 R13.

Will this rim take a wider tire? 205? Lower profile tire? Willing to purchase lighty used if anyone has a set.

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

[tech71]

Hi, welcome to the group and nice looking car!

I like the wheel set up as it is.

Pretty sure a wider 13' tire can be fitted, someone will chime in on that

Just bear in mind a wider tire means more surface contact with the ground, that equals  more force/strength required to turn the steering wheel when trying to park ect.

Thats why I like 185 70 13s, granted, not a lot of choices but still a few.

[Mike Self]

Love your Nevada car...I have a Nevada '69, and really like the color--nothing like dirt color when you're lazy about washing!

 

As for tires/wheels.  If those are the original wheels--and they probably are, the rims are 4 1/2 inches wide, and a 185 is about as wide a tire as you'd want to fit on that width rim.

 

For 205s, you'll need at least a 5" wide rim.  Used to be easy to find in the style that will fit your wheel covers, but not so much any more.  If you can find a salvage yard out there in nice, dry AZ that has some 60s/70s Opels, their station wagons used the exact 5" rim you want...the BMW wheel cover even snaps right on.   The styled wheels (with slots) used on 74-76 2002s don't accept your original wheel covers; neither will Chevette (don't laugh--same wheel manufacturer)--and I suspect you want to keep your very original looking car original.

 

And truth be told, 185s are good exercise turning the steering wheel, especially if you have a smaller than stock steering wheel.  205s will be somewhat more difficult.  I would not use a 175/70 x 13 tire (even though they're more readily available) as it will affect your speedometer and odometer readings.  

 

As for brand...dunno if Maxxis makes a 185/70 x 13 tire, but I've been very happy with my 195/65 x14s on my E30...

 

mike

[Conserv]

Re-paint or powdercoat the rims and install a set of Pirelli CN36’s in 185/70VR13.

 

You’re done! Great combo, great performance, and period appropriate!

 

By the by, 165/80 was the factory size for ‘02’s. Virtually all U.S.-spec ‘02’s were delivered with Michelin XAS’s in 165/80HR13. Still available new, still good tires, and perfectly suited for the ‘02. But more expensive than the Pirelli’s and probably offering less performance.

 

Don’t drive on old tires. Don’t drive on junk tires.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[Mark92131]

I also have a 1970 BMW 1602 in Nevada.  Conserv is correct, people love the CN36's.  Order them from Longstone Tyres in the UK, take 3 or 4 days to arrive.

 

Mark92131

 

185/70 R 13 Tyres - Set of 4 Classic PIRELLI CINTURATO ™ CN36

WWW.LONGSTONETYRES.CO.UK

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The PIRELLI CINTURATO CN36 185/70 R13 is a great value tyre considering its quality, this set of 4 tyres makes them extra good value. We also have: Single 185/70 VR 13 PIRELLI CINTURATO CN36, Set of 5 off 185/70R13 PIRELLI CINTURATO CN36. 185/70 R13 From the 1960’s through the...

 

[Gretchen1602]

Thanks for the great feedback Mike and a Steve! 

[layers]

Hello Gretchen1602--

I concur with the suggestion that Pirelli CN36 tires are about the best choice.  I understand they are made in Pirelli's factory in Brazil.  I replaced the stock tires on my late '73 with 185/70-13 tires and would do that again.  I think all of the 205/60-13 tires I have seen on '02's require the fenders to be rolled.  Another consideration is that any tire wider than 165mm will raise the spare tire cover if you keep it in your trunk.  I accepted this on my '73 since most of the time my 165R13 spare lay in waiting.  And the single time I had hundreds of miles to drive on the spare there was plenty of stuff in my trunk to keep the cover panel from rattling around.  By the way, 165R-13 tires are available from Pirelli in the CN36 style.

 

You should also consider Lucas Classic Tires [Lucastires]in Long Beach as a possible vendor.  While Longstone Tyres has outstanding reviews on this site, their shipping charges may be much higher than buying them with only about 400 miles  to ship.

Good luck!

 

 

[Conserv]

1 hour ago, layers said:

 

… While Longstone Tyres has outstanding reviews on this site, their shipping charges may be much higher than buying them with only about 400 miles  to ship.…

 

Longstone Tyre offered free tire shipping to the U.S., the U.K., and the E.U., for years — making their Michelin XAS’s much cheaper than the same tires from Coker, the U.S. distributor. Check if their free shipping still applies!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[JohnS]

My latest batch of CN36's were made in Argentina, prior ones in Turkey.  Both sets have been great

Edited June 3, 2023 by JohnS

[Jimmy]

4 hours ago, Conserv said:

Re-paint or powdercoat the rims and install a set of Pirelli CN36’s in 185/70VR13.

 

You’re done! Great combo, great performance, and period appropriate!

 

By the by, 165/80 was the factory size for ‘02’s. Virtually all U.S.-spec ‘02’s were delivered with Michelin XAS’s in 165/80HR13. Still available new, still good tires, and perfectly suited for the ‘02. But more expensive than the Pirelli’s and probably offering less performance.

 

Don’t drive on old tires. Don’t drive on junk tires.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

I'm running Falken Sincera SN832s in 165/80/13. I love them. At the time they cost just more than half what a set of Cinturatos would have. They're well-liked tires, too, not your typical "well we have one tire in that size from a no-name brand in Asia" stuff. 

 

FALKEN SINCERA SN832 HIGHEST RANKING IN THE ADAC SUMMER TYRE TEST

WWW.FALKENTYRE.COM

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The Falken Sincera SN832 was chosen as overall winner in the latest summer tyre tests conducted by the...

 

[Gretchen1602]

I have the Falken tires on my 73’ 240z. Didn’t realize they had that size.