De Lorean EuroTec

It's got to the stage where I'm considering the need to change my tyres, not through wear but age. My fronts were made in 2009 and the rears in 2008.

Where's everyone else at on this front? Surely there's no-one still running original NCTs

Typically, tyres have about 10yrs of road use life in them to remain safe if the physical condition (grips) look ok. The reason is down to the rubber hardening, meaning not as much grip and more tendency to "slip" on the road rather than "bite in".

If i were you, i'd change them. It's the only point of contact you have to the road and it's not worth the life of the car if they let you down (especially on a wet or greasy road)

im still on the same tyres i put on it 2008, still ok

The way I understand it, it’s the sunlight that effects the rubber more than anything else, so given that most D’s spend 99% of their life in a garage the lifespan will be considerably longer

bandit wrote:The way I understand it, it’s the sunlight that effects the rubber more than anything else, so given that most D’s spend 99% of their life in a garage the lifespan will be considerably longer

Yeah absolutely. I did say "road use", but perhaps I should have really conditioned my post with "regular use" instead. I suppose if you take the number of average miles someone does over 10yrs of regular use, and living outside, then adjust that mileage out across the number of years it takes a D' to do the same, you'll probably find that you never need to change your tyres ever again in your lifetime! Seriously though, there will still be an ageing factor in their despite the lack of UV, but it will be a lot slower. In most cases, i'd expect that tread will be the reason most of us have to change our tyres.

I put new Rear Pirelli 600's on my car in 2015. That was the first time i'd changed them under my ownership. I bought my car in 2009 with those tyres on already. I'm fairly certain they showed a date of 2002 on them! It was the tread coming up on the MOT that forced my hand. During my time between 2009 and 2015, according to my records, i only put 8764 miles on them in 13 yrs. My new sets i fitted in 2015 currently have 2025 miles on them in 5.5yrs!

I've bitten the bullet and ordered a new set of tyres. Rears weren't too far off the marker and whilst I'm at it I might as well change the fronts too.

2 x 235/60/15 General Grabbers for the rear, £104 each from 4x4 Tyres

2 x 195/60/14 Continental Premium Contact 2 for the fronts, £75 each from Camskill.

I have General Grabbers on the back, imo they look awful on the car - cant wait to change them, will probably go back to a normal road tyre even if its 225.

Fronts have been on since 2004 (pushing it a bit here) and they look it now. Plenty of treat but showing cracks so they'll be changed before it hits the road again

Still got the original Goodyears on mine!

dmc4087 wrote:I have General Grabbers on the back, imo they look awful on the car - cant wait to change them, will probably go back to a normal road tyre even if its 225.

Fronts have been on since 2004 (pushing it a bit here) and they look it now. Plenty of treat but showing cracks so they'll be changed before it hits the road again

I think the tread on the Grabbers looks great! Guess it's all a matter of opinion

Very true