https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2019/04/03/mazda-and-bridgestone-original-spec-tires?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Daily_News_Monday_April_8&fbclid=IwAR1MPL9Cpmfxmh_BZnSs_a9UTRxKS3ZWn-9F8p3EZ535WtzLW0WDhM5AnHo
Super good read, I really want to drive a NA miata on the correct tires.
Well, sorta. You'll also want to drive it on the correct springs and fresh shocks and fresh bushings. And then you'll discover that they weren't an awesome time when new and the new ones aren't really the same tire anyhow :)
You have to admire Mazda's commitment to this restoration project. They're putting all sorts of little weird bits back into production.
If nothing else this speaks to dedication. The statement from the Tire Rack employee about gaps in 15 and 16 inch sizes is more relevant to my personal interests, but unless I decide I'm interested in museum pieces it may still be irrelevant at 1k/set or more if those options ever come into existence.
There are a bunch of cars that really should be experienced at grip levels close to their development. Miata is one, Fox body Mustang is another. One of the most controllable cars I've ever driven was a bone stock super low mileage 5.0 notchback on regular tires. It was brilliant.
I had the chance to drive a fully restored (gold standard, chalkmark, date code resto) tri power 4 speed 66 gto convertible. On brand new repop redline bias ply tires.
The amazing lack of grip in the back at anything over half throttle was how that car was meant to be enjoyed. I cant say it was fast, as there was no grip to test it. However, the thing FELT like a fire breathing monster due to the tires.
Ive also had it go the other way: cars that felt slower and less fun due to too much grip. My miatas always were more fun with crappier tires. On the street.
My 400 hp MGB has 195-section tires. Everyone's convinced I will die immediately when they find out. But hey, it's fun 
Letting cars move around a bit on the road lets you play with them without the risk of a massive accident. Slow car fast.
On the street low grip and lots of predictability can be fun, but at the same time, I'd much rather have more grip than I could ever imagine using in a street car. Grippy tires have saved my bacon more than once when someone did something really dumb in front of me like pulling out of a side street without looking. That bit of extra stopping or direction changing ability can be enough to make a difference.
My old Golf was like that. It didn't handle. It just gripped. There wasn't enough power in the engine to wake the chassis up. It was pretty boring. Capable enough, but boring.
But we're talking about low-grip vintage sports cars here, so street survivability is not the #1 priority.
Keith Tanner said:My 400 hp MGB has 195-section tires. Everyone's convinced I will die immediately when they find out. But hey, it's fun
I'm not sure that thing qualifies as a "slow car" any more...
Well, maybe not THAT one 
Although it all depends on what you do with the throttle. It's got the chassis of a slow car...
Meh, I like grip. Good tires on my Miatas makes me happy and purposefully handicapping the car by putting period correct retro-antique tires on it doesn’t appeal in the slightest.
Gotta say, my NA STS autocross car was much more fun on stock wheels and tires on the street. The amount of grip with 200tw tires with big wheels for an off ramp it pretty silly and irresponsible for civilian life.
mazdeuce - Seth said:There are a bunch of cars that really should be experienced at grip levels close to their development. Miata is one, Fox body Mustang is another. One of the most controllable cars I've ever driven was a bone stock super low mileage 5.0 notchback on regular tires. It was brilliant.
Guessing the tires on the 5.0 weren't the stock Goodyear "Gatorbacks"? Those were some of the scariest 'performance' tires I ever driven. Lots of grip until they broke loose, and then you were a projectile...
OK, I'll bite. There's a big difference in the driving experience between driving a stock NA on 200TW autocross tires vs all-seasons, even if they're both in the stock size.
But how much different could the driving experience be in a stock NA on 185/60R14 Bridgestone SF-325 tires vs. a stock NA on 185/60R14 General Altimax RT43 or Kumho Sense?
Probably a big difference. Tires have come a long way in the last 30 years. Remember, the idea of a street car pulling 1G (let alone on street tires) was just crazy in the late 80s / early 90s. And now it's a reasonably easy to achieve thing.
I just took the shops NA out on stock size all seasons and its a riot on the street.
You'll need to log in to post.
