Part worn

[DVee8]

Yesterday i put tyres on the Astra 2xContinental conti premium contact. Part worn that still had the yellow and red rings around the tyres and stickers on the side at £25 each Kwik fit price £89 each.

Or i could have had budget chinese black rubber for £40.

Now i know i could have put other tyres on and it may not be the bargain it seems but so far the so good.

 

 

What do you lot use? New and a better make,Budget unknown make or part worn.

 

 

[vulgalour]

I know what I don't use, I don't use the Kingpin remoulds that were fitted when I bought the car.  At the moment I have reasonable part worns, I think two are a matching brand and they're probably on the front.  There's a Kelly and a Roadmaster and I've got a brand spanking new Arrowspeed spare.  My spare Lotus alloys have a full matching set of Avons which look very nice, I'll probably pay for suitable nuts to fit those wheels rather than buying another couple of part worns.

[wuvvum]

I always buy part worns - only time I've ever bought a brand new tyre was for the Innocenti, and that's because I couldn't find any part worn 145/60x12s.  I do usually go for a half-decent make though - there seems to be a lot less price difference between makes in the part worn world.  Last week I scored a 215/50ZR17 Continental Conti Sport for the Vectra for £14 delivered - has about 3mm of tread left, but it's gone on the back so should still last for a while.

[dugong]

I normally buy new stuff, provided my wallet can take the beating. I know what works well on each car. Michelin Energy Savers for the C4, Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD 3s for the 460. 

Because of my super skinted state, I bought a part-worn Energy for the Citroen a couple of weeks ago to save some pennies. 

[barefoot]

I try to mix the two for best performance and put new tyres on part worn cars.

[beko1987]

I always try to go for new tyres, but can never afford them when I need them. So generally the missus car gets new tyres (well, did have last year) and I get part worns for the waft-mobile.

 

Need to pay a visit this weekend actually due to a slow puncture on one wheel. Hoping they have some shit worn winter tyres in so I can be sorted for OMGSNOWKHAOS, 

[Junkman]

I never gave a fiddlers fart about tyres. They are round and black, that's it for me.

However, the nanny state tells me what I can use and what not, which I find annoying on a general priciple.

I never noticed any difference between a 'good' and a 'bad' tyre, even in motorsport.

For the Rover, I use part-worns, because new tyres for it cost a bloody fortune.

For anything with a more commonly available size, I simply buy what is on sale down at the tyre dealer's

on the day I'm there to get new ones mounted.

[rml2345]

I always bought new but could only afford budget so wound up skiting about on WingWong Ditchfinders or something. Upgraded* to Barums for the Volvo to replace the nondescript tyres on it and so far so good. Did try looking for part worms but 185/70R14s are an odd size nowadays.

[Volksy]

The Pugrot has Yoko's on the front and Continentals on the back, which so far hasn't resultedin OMGLIFTOFFOVERSTEER. But I think the chassis flex calms that down.

No idea whats on the Audi, apart from one of them being flat.

[Lord Sterling]

Part worns. I usually try to match a pair of the same brand on the driving axle as different tyres on the same axle give more noise and uneveness as both tyres will be differently made despite being the same size. Brands I usually go for would be top-line stuff like Goodyear/Dunlop, Avon, Michelin, Continental etc.... as they can be had for around £20/25 corner including fitting/balancing, it would be rude not to.

 

The place I go to show me the tyres before fitting, which means I can check if they are still within the 10 year date which they always are, I was once sold some incorrect part worns for the Micra which were all passed the 10 year date of manufacture and looked it too, so I went back to my old usual place.

 

I don't know what I've got on the both cars at the moment. I seem to remember the Mk1 Sterling got Goodyear all weathers on the front and normal Goodyears on the back. A bit useless at the moment seeing as the car is no longer running.

 

Oh, and I also get a trade discount as I worked for the garage a couple of doors up some years back.

[trigger]

I needed a pair of tyres recently for the Focus, I went to my local part worn specialists but they was out of stock of 225/40/18's but offered me a good deal on some new Infinity branded tyres, and to be frank, they are shit, as soon as the road gets wets I'm wheel spinning everywhere.

 

I'm now on the hunt part a good deal on some 185/70/13's. 

[Sigmund Fraud]

New tyres of a reputable brand are obviously best, but I often find it hard to justify spending 2/3rds of the car's value on tyres.

 

In my experience, budget tyres are a gamble. Some brands are surprisingly good while others are simply lethal. The near-new Chinese Arrowspeeds at the back of my Megane have been the cause of quite a few impromptu DRIFT_KING moments.

 

So given the choice between Ditchfinders and decent part-worns, the latter would win every time.

[vulgalour]

Oh hey, that's one of the tyres I have on, an Infinity.  It's noisy as anything and seems to do very little bar keep the wheel rim off the tarmac.  Hopeless, and very squealy in the dry.

[wackywacerwill]

If there's a modern with the same PCD then snagging a set of steels from ebay complete with tyres can often work out cheaper. Many upgrade* to halfords alloys so bargains can be had.

[Cavcraft]

Mixture, mostly part worn but occasionally new. There is a huge part worn place not too far away but they don't half have some low treaded crap in now and 'big name' tyres are far more expensive second hand than new budget ones.

 

I very, very rarely keep a car long enough about tyre replacement and I very, very have a car fast enough to worry about expensive tyres. I think I've only had one bad experience in the last few years with budget tyres. If they have legal tread and are not damaged or punctured they can stay on.

[Grundig]

Four new Michelin's on my daily shite, as costco had an offer on recently £55 each (inc valve, balance & nitrogen filled), they had to order them in as it's not a size thats normally stocked - the tyres that were on it were well & truly shagged, one of them was an ESSO ???  

[dugong]

Halfords texted me with some AMAZING OFFERS on tyres. 

I started laughing when they wanted £89 for an Evergreen in 205 55 16. 'Well, it's an A for economy so they're great.'

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. 

[Split_Pin]

Ebay is ace for Part worns in my own experience. But now with just a 1 litre Corsa to tool about in, a Wanli wall sclaffer on the osf, Barum on the nsf and 2 ageing Yoko S drives on the back my car doesnt go fast enough to even get dirty, let alone lose tractiin.

[chaseracer]

The Blingo's always had Michelins, apart from a pair of Continental EcoContacts on the front a while ago which were surprisingly shit. The Dyane wears 135 Michelin ZX, which grip and ride nicely but are cripplingly expensive. The Mercedes was transformed by a set of BOGOF Avons.

 

I don't want to think about the 17" rubber bands on the boss's C3...

[Disco Fever]

Four new Michelin's on my daily shite, as costco had an offer on recently £55 each (inc valve, balance & nitrogen filled), they had to order them in as it's not a size thats normally stocked - the tyres that were on it were well & truly shagged, one of them was an ESSO ???  

 

Yep, Costco Michelins too. Having he same brand at each corner improved the road manners plenty over a toxic mixture of Nexen Nev-R-Wear and Señor Skidalots. Pardon my naivety but Dvee8 mentioned that his part-worns were almost new - how does that happen? I run tyres to borderline illegality and then start again how come there's so many about? 

[dollywobbler]

I never gave a fiddlers fart about tyres. They are round and black, that's it for me.

However, the nanny state tells me what I can use and what not, which I find annoying on a general priciple.

I never noticed any difference between a 'good' and a 'bad' tyre, even in motorsport.

For the Rover, I use part-worns, because new tyres for it cost a bloody fortune.

For anything with a more commonly available size, I simply buy what is on sale down at the tyre dealer's

on the day I'm there to get new ones mounted.

 

I've been trying to decide if you really mean this. I can't see how anyone could say you've never noticed the difference! I've changed tyres with plenty of tread before now because they've displayed all the grip of teflon gloves. I was blasé about tyres right up until the point I needed to stop my Peugeot 306 quickly on a damp day. It didn't seem much interested. I binned the hard Goodyears and fitted Avons. Utterly transformed in every possible tyre-related way. No longer wheelspan in second in the wet, understeer was banished and it stopped much more quickly. Don't know about you, but I consider stopping quickly as quite important.

 

Example two is a Citroen BX (that stripey one). I bought that with Michelin Energy tyres fitted. Again, quite old and hard. Even 71bhp was enough to have it scoffing at the idea of circling a roundabout with any speed in the wet. Went Hankook on that, utterly transformed again.

 

Examples three and four. Subaru Legacy and Honda Civic. Stupidly went for budget brand both times and utterly ruined both cars. More scrabbling than the January sales. Tyres are important. Which is why I've just forked out £140 for new boots on my £370 Daihatsu. Not averse to part worns though - Disco has a pair of part-worn Avons, and a pair of brand new ones. If the rubber is soft and the tread is good, then that's fine with me. If the tyres aren't working, they get replaced.

[beko1987]

That's my argument in the office with part worns. If I had an omgnewcar or something fast I may be more picky but the xm will fall over before I run out of tyre talent so there's no point bothering. If I can't find a decent set of tyres at an ok price for the meriva when it needs them in a year or 2 I'll go part worn on it too

[Shep Shepherd]

I've always bought brand new mid-range tyres, invariably from an online discounter. The Volvo currently has Barums, TV2 has Dunlops. They seem happy enough. However, both cars have good quality part worn spare tyres, as I can't justify having brand new tyres doing nothing for years on end in their spare wheel wells

[chaseracer]

As a wise man once said, "never fuck about with tyres or brakes."

[Cavcraft]

Yep, Costco Michelins too. Having he same brand at each corner improved the road manners plenty over a toxic mixture of Nexen Nev-R-Wear and Señor Skidalots. Pardon my naivety but Dvee8 mentioned that his part-worns were almost new - how does that happen? I run tyres to borderline illegality and then start again how come there's so many about? 

 

 

A lot are, or were, imported from countries where repairs to tyres are not allowed.

[Wilko220]

I recently bought some "Matador" tyres, which I've not come across before. They were fairly cheap (not the cheapest but close) and I'm very impressed by them.

[Honey Badger]

£ 320 for some Falken AS200s 205/55 R16 for the Accord coupe today, exactly 40% of the purchase price of the car.

 

It is expensive but there's no trustworthy part worn place near here and with winter coming and Mrs Badger driving it more and more I'd rather not take a risk with cheaper tires or try and make the 4 mismatched premium tyres on there last through winter.

 

I have used part worn tires before with no issues, but the guy i used to get them from closed years ago.

 

Another question, why does everywhere stock winter tyres now, but I've spent a month trying to get hold of a decent set of all season tyres as nowhere stocks them as there is no demand.

 

Well there wont be will there, if you dont ever have any in feckin stock

[jbz2079]

I'm fussy about tyres, I used to drive coaches and worked for a small independant operator, if it was in good enough codition to pass the test it was fitted.

I had endless blowouts, punctures and braking in the wet was always a fight between friction and steerage.

Also you should see the mess one of those big tyres makes when it goes bang!

 

I like my cars to be shod on somthing decent, recent and with a name you have heard of.

I've driven car with cheap crap fitted and they won't accelerate in the wet, so what chance do you have of making an emergency stop on them.

Decent tyres change a bit before the legal limit might cost a bit more, but if you ever need them in a dodgy situation I'm sure you'll find the cost well worth it.

Modern cars with ABS are a pain in the arse in ice/snow, they just refuse to stop, the car sees the wheel begining to lock and releases the brake, so it takes ages and I mean ages, especially when your heading for something or someone you are trying to avoid, untill the car slows enough for the ABS to drop out, by then you are scuppered.

 

This is great for someone who hasen't a clue and just claps the anchors on, the car will do it's best to let them steer out of trouble, great if you have the room to do that, not so good if you need to stop.

[Cavcraft]

Definately eBay for the odd bargain tyre. Get good at it and you can get sets of alloys for a couple of quid, take the tyres off and weigh the wheels in.

 

I took it to another level (albeit inadvertently) recently when I bought that Corsa auto. It had two brand new tyres and a good one on the back, so I swapped them with our other Corsa and saved a right load of money.

Oddly enough the ZX had Kingpin remoulds on the front when I got it, probably didn't help the skittish/scrabbly handling I suppose. If still put remoulds on if I had to though on a car I just used for short journeys.

[nigel bickle]

I tend to buy shedloads of 'nearly news'. By that I mean part worn, but good brands in excellent condition  -put aside for me.

 

When Matt first opened his Rubber Emporium a few years back , I helped him out by adding his Renault Trafic advertising hoarding (parked unobtrusively at the roadside) to my Trade Cover. I was one of his first customers when 2 bolshy Traffic Feds drove in ,and tried to bully him (he's quite a small chap).

 

I took umbrage. I-asked him to sell it to me for £1 then immediately added it to my Cover whilst standing 6 inchs from them -staring them out. I detest that kind of behaviour, and will not accept bullying, of any kind.

 

Suffice to say -the 'favour' has never been forgotten  -and I benefit splendidly.