Antique cars, this year and beyond, what will happen ?

[padgett]

Sorry but I have taken the cure and no longer have English cars (last was a flat-floor E-type in 1972 that embarrassed A Lot of Corvettes in autocrosses (once at IRP I was going through the pylons and the chase Corvette (to count pylons) could not keep up. Was hard to find A60x15 DOT tires). Do have a special place for DOHC-6s, have two now.

 

ps Just bought a nice 64k 1989 Allante (best year) with hardtop for less.

[Buick35]

1 hour ago, padgett said:

Sorry but I have taken the cure and no longer have English cars (last was a flat-floor E-type in 1972 that embarrassed A Lot of Corvettes in autocrosses (once at IRP I was going through the pylons and the chase Corvette (to count pylons) could not keep up. Was hard to find A60x15 DOT tires). Do have a special place for DOHC-6s, have two now.

 

ps Just bought a nice 64k 1989 Allante (best year) with hardtop for less.

 

[Buick35]

no problem,Thanks.

[1912Staver]

Michelin makes { possibly made , not sure if they are still in production } the XWX. For years I used  E type and 6 series BMW take offs on my MGA { TR-6 wheels }. A friend at a high end downtown 

tire store set them aside for me when 1/2 decent ones came in. Made my MG grip like it was almost on race rubber. I still have a few but they are old enough I would not trust them on the Highway.

The last 30 % of tread life is the best as long as the road is dry. Not sure if they were on the market as early as 1972, you are older than me.

 Not sure if I will ever reach the level of maturity where I would resort to Cadillac shopping. A Wolseley 6 - 90 or Jag MK 2 ...perhaps.

 

Greg

[John_Mereness]

1 hour ago, 1912Staver said:

Michelin makes { possibly made , not sure if they are still in production } the XWX. For years I used  E type and 6 series BMW take offs on my MGA { TR-6 wheels }. A friend at a high end downtown 

tire store set them aside for me when 1/2 decent ones came in. Made my MG grip like it was almost on race rubber. I still have a few but they are old enough I would not trust them on the Highway.

The last 30 % of tread life is the best as long as the road is dry. Not sure if they were on the market as early as 1972, you are older than me.

 Not sure if I will ever reach the level of maturity where I would resort to Cadillac shopping. A Wolseley 6 - 90 or Jag MK 2 ...perhaps.

 

Greg

 

1 hour ago, 1912Staver said:

Michelin makes { possibly made , not sure if they are still in production } the XWX. For years I used  E type and 6 series BMW take offs on my MGA { TR-6 wheels }. A friend at a high end downtown 

tire store set them aside for me when 1/2 decent ones came in. Made my MG grip like it was almost on race rubber. I still have a few but they are old enough I would not trust them on the Highway.

The last 30 % of tread life is the best as long as the road is dry. Not sure if they were on the market as early as 1972, you are older than me.

 Not sure if I will ever reach the level of maturity where I would resort to Cadillac shopping. A Wolseley 6 - 90 or Jag MK 2 ...perhaps.

 

Greg

 

My Austin Healey has had a sets of Michelin XZX's on it since the day it left the showroom floor 

 

 

[1912Staver]

I found a big difference between the grip of a XZX and a XWX.  Very stiff casing on a XWX compared to a XZX, and less tread squirm. They were OEM on most of the fastest  1970's cars. Overkill on a MGA, but I did push it a bit in my youth. Lowered, hot 3 main MGB engine.

Gear box life was a bit short. Toyota conversions were still far in the future.

All the greasy kid stuff that was important in those days. Blew a head gasket out in the California desert on my way to the Historics, 100 MPH for a couple of hours perhaps wasn't prudent so far away from home. MGA's don't have overdrive.

.Bought a head gasket in Salinas, limped up to the track. Luckily  a MGB engine so they had one in stock at the local parts store. Had everything but a torque wrench with me, borrowed one from one of the Vancouver area MG racers we were camped next to. Had a great

time and motored back to home without further trouble. Not quite so high speed on the return trip, didn't want to push our luck.

John, your Healey looks grand ! Way shinier than  99 % of the cars I have owned. Mine tend to be road warriors . Almost all the attention is focused on what the bodywork covers up. But I do enjoy looking at the mint ones, as long as someone else is paying the bills.

The only really clean , near mint car I own is the Lola.But it has been stored for over 1/2 of its life.

 Greg

Edited July 29, 2020 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[Matt Harwood]

2 hours ago, 1912Staver said:

Michelin makes { possibly made , not sure if they are still in production } the XWX. For years I used  E type and 6 series BMW take offs on my MGA { TR-6 wheels }. A friend at a high end downtown 

tire store set them aside for me when 1/2 decent ones came in. Made my MG grip like it was almost on race rubber. I still have a few but they are old enough I would not trust them on the Highway.

The last 30 % of tread life is the best as long as the road is dry. Not sure if they were on the market as early as 1972, you are older than me.

 Not sure if I will ever reach the level of maturity where I would resort to Cadillac shopping. A Wolseley 6 - 90 or Jag MK 2 ...perhaps.

 

Greg

 

The MK 2 is sublime to drive. Prices going up, but you can still get a slightly scruffy one for a very reasonable price. Even this one, which is among the best in the world, is reasonable compared to almost anything else Jaguar.

 

[1912Staver]

Decent ones are indeed getting pricy. A good friend was a MK 2 nut until a few years ago. He sold both of his to fund the restoration of his S1 E type. Both the MK 2's went a new owner in Germany. He got very good $ for them but a further reduction of the local car stock.

Our area is bleeding collector cars. Rather sad if you are a impecunious enthusiast like my self and so many others in this area.

 

Greg

[padgett]

Agree but not the 2.4.