Author Topic: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES  (Read 8545 times)

Alex D

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #25 on: January 21, 2022, 13:07:33 »
I put Vredestein Sprint Classics on my car 3 years ago and only have 2,000 miles on them, they are great as far as ride, handling goes huge improvement over the Uniroyal Tire Paws. They are very industrial looking, almost like they belong on a small tractor IMO.  I do miss the white wall look and will be looking at getting the Blockley white walls for the spring. 

Like Mike Salemi said we are looking at possibly doing a group buy from Blockley for the group.  More info to come soon.   
Alex D
1967 250 SL
Original 140K mi
181 Light Beige, with  112 Turquoise Interior

Merc_Girl

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #26 on: January 22, 2022, 00:37:58 »
. . . understood, noting that it was explained to me once (by a friend at the British Embassy here in Washington D.C.) that "kerb" is a noun describing the edge of a roadway, while "curb" is a verb expressing the action necessary to keep one's hound from chasing the neighbor's cat.

Tee hee

Isn’t the English language great!?! Good thing is because the words are pronounced the same no one would know about the spelling differentiation 😁
230SL

biffabeau

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #27 on: January 22, 2022, 12:50:21 »
I put Vredestein Sprint Classics on my car 3 years ago and only have 2,000 miles on them, they are great as far as ride, handling goes huge improvement over the Uniroyal Tire Paws. They are very industrial looking, almost like they belong on a small tractor IMO.  I do miss the white wall look and will be looking at getting the Blockley white walls for the spring. 

Like Mike Salemi said we are looking at possibly doing a group buy from Blockley for the group.  More info to come soon.

Sooner the better if we can, I need some now :-)

Jowe

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #28 on: January 22, 2022, 17:18:13 »
A shortcut to white walls could be these: https://www.hansen-styling-parts.de/epages/63246837.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/63246837/Products/887M

I have them myself on my Vredesteins. Very hard to reveal the ”fake” strip unless looking very close.

Regarding different tyre makes, have a look at this test, although a few years old: https://www.cinturato.net/images/test-classic-tyres-0716.pdf
Johan
04/1964 230SL, European, manual 4-sp, power steering, 050/050 white, black leather, Blaupunkt (SOLD)

66andBlue

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #29 on: January 22, 2022, 20:02:29 »
Thank you Johan.
The tyre/tire test most likely will not make the Blockley fans very happy: "not recommended".  :o
Have the tires improved since then (2016)?
Alfred
1964 230SL manual 4-speed 568H signal red
1966 230SL automatic 334G light blue (sold)
1968 280SL automatic (now 904G midnight blue)

Alex D

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #30 on: January 22, 2022, 23:00:48 »
So let me understand this. We should not put Blockely tires on Pagodas because of a 7 year old report based on Porsche's test drive on a wet track?  I would venture to guess the vast majority of Pagoda owners (99% +) are probably not driving their cars on wet pavement around curves at high speeds as part of their normal driving experience.  We need to preserve Pagodas not pull them out of a ditch wrecked.
Alex D
1967 250 SL
Original 140K mi
181 Light Beige, with  112 Turquoise Interior

66andBlue

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #31 on: January 23, 2022, 01:03:04 »
 ??? Alex, did you read the complete article? What about braking on a dry surface?
Driving on the freeways around here I sure want to have the shortest braking distance in an emergency.
🤔 Perhaps not so important in rural N.C.  ;)

How about starting a request to USA-based testing sites to do a repeat?
Alfred
1964 230SL manual 4-speed 568H signal red
1966 230SL automatic 334G light blue (sold)
1968 280SL automatic (now 904G midnight blue)

mdsalemi

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #32 on: January 23, 2022, 17:00:43 »
That test report posted from the Pirelli website Cinturato.net, if used to make any kind of judgement on tires for a Pagoda, can lead to very erroneous conclusions...such as all Michelin tires are the same, or all Blockley tires are the same because I read it in a test report on ONE tire model/size...

It is a test of tires on a performance car, a Porsche 911, for performance cars. The Pagoda is not, and was not ever, a performance car. The Porsche was designed from the ground up for performance; if it used any part or designs "from the parts bin", it was from earlier performance cars. The Pagoda was not designed as such, and used parts from common sedans. Cars like the W111 and W108.

One of the tires in the test, the Pirelli CN36 is quite specifically, a summer performance tire. You cannot even STORE the tire in cold temperatures, much less use it at those temperatures. Other tires in that test such as the Vredestein Sprint Classic and the Michelin XWX are also performance tires. The Blockley makes no such claim, though all the tires in that older test are V-rated. Here's more information on that "summer tire" thing about Pirelli:

Note: Tires exposed to temperatures of 20 degrees F (-7 degrees C) or lower must be permitted to gradually return to temperatures of at least 40 degrees F (5 degrees C) for at least 24 hours before they are flexed in any manner, such as by adjusting inflation pressures, mounting them on wheels, or using them to support, roll or drive a vehicle.

Flexing of the specialized rubber compounds used in High Performance Summer tires during cold weather use can result in irreversible compound cracking. Pirelli's warranty does not cover tires that develop compound cracking due to use in ambient temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) because it occurs as a result of improper use or storage.


The tires in that test were 205/70VR15. Not for our car. Not the correct size, not the correct profile. The Pirelli CN36 is NOT available in a 185HR14.  Michelin's tire in our size is the MXV, not the XWX. The Sprint Classic of course, comes in our size. Blockley also makes both a BW and WW tire in our size, but it is NOT the same tire as in the test.

If you want good information on any tire applicable for our car, ask someone who owns or has owned them. Don't rely on an older test report on a Porsche, about tires you cannot get for our cars, in sizes that are not appropriate. A number of our members here have the Vredestein Sprint Classics. A smaller number, including myself have had the Coker Phoenix. I retired those from age and now have the Blockley. Not long after I had the car restored, I got rid of the Pirellis I had in the 205/70-14 size and went with the appropriate Coker Phoenix.

Both the Coker Phoenix and the Blockley in our appropriate size were developed for or with a German Mercedes club(s). Coker told us that many years ago when they first developed that tire. Blockley says today, "...being produced by Blockley Tyre Co. at the express request of one of the German Mercedes Clubs, who needed something better than the Michelin they all had, and at a price that was basically not a rip off, and the end result was the list price of the Michelin being lowered after the Blockley was available...

When the first Coker Phoenix came out, I believe they neglected to add the rub strip; that oversight was corrected and by the time I got my tires more than 15 years ago, they had them. The tires looked great and performed exactly as I would expect them to. They aged out, and were replaced with Blockley. I have nothing but great things to say about the Blockley. One of my caveats was that I wanted WW. That's how the car was delivered and I think in my opinion it looks best with them. That made a limited choice set even smaller. I have dismissed adding a vulcanized WW band onto and existing BW tire, since that would immediately remove the manufacturer of the tire from any kind of warranty or liability. I've had tread separation and tire failures in the past, and wouldn't look forward to trying to explain that I modified a tire to the manufacturer and expect them to replace it if it failed...

When I first reported on my happiness with the Coker Phoenix here, years ago, it was met with a number of snarky comments. Almost all of those comments were made by people who didn't have Coker Phoenix tires, thus were in no real position to make a comment. What they were really upset about was the cost; and now its about 50% higher than it was when I bought them.

If you want opinions on any specific tire for our car ask someone who has them.

I should also mention something about my own experience with what are called "performance tires". One of the things that makes a tire a performance tire is its stickiness or grip. When you make a tire perform, and make it sticky, what you give up on is tread life. The original tires on my 1979 BMW 320i were Continental TS771, in the 185/70HR13 size. After four years and 40,000 miles, it was time for a change, and I wanted "more performance"; so I read the test reports at that time, and bought a set of BF Goodrich Comp T/A, same size. I cannot tell you if they "performed" any better than the Conti, but at 12,000 miles they started to get a bit unbalanced due to excessive tread wear. By 15,000 they were useless. I replaced with Michelin XVX since Conti no longer made the TS771. I had those when the car hit 100K.

More recently, my aunt (who used to own my Pagoda) had two SLKs. A 2011, and a 2016 SLK350. The former was a two year lease, the latter a three year lease. When it came time to turn in the 2016, the OEM tires, which were 225/45ZR17 MO Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. MO=Mercedes Only, had worn out in the front. Couldn't turn the car in w/o replacement. Less than 15,000 miles on the car, quite literally driven by a little old lady to church on Sundays. She was 90 years old at the time of turn in. $700 to replace the pair of tires to turn in. Had we turned it in w/o replacement it would have been at the dealer price which was over $1,000 for the same two.

So, be careful when selecting "summer only" or performance tires, if you are expecting any kind of life out of the tires.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2022, 17:29:29 by mdsalemi »
Michael Salemi
Davidson, North Carolina (Charlotte Area) USA
1969 280SL (USA-Spec)
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
2023 Ford Maverick Lariat Hybrid "Area 51"
2022 Ford Escape Hybrid
2023 Ford Escape Hybrid

biffabeau

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #33 on: January 25, 2022, 19:04:01 »
So let me understand this. We should not put Blockely tires on Pagodas because of a 7 year old report based on Porsche's test drive on a wet track?  I would venture to guess the vast majority of Pagoda owners (99% +) are probably not driving their cars on wet pavement around curves at high speeds as part of their normal driving experience.  We need to preserve Pagodas not pull them out of a ditch wrecked.
[Hahahaha]

djack

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #34 on: January 25, 2022, 20:25:35 »
I’m looking forward to the group buy information.  Any idea of the timeframe for availability?
1969 280SL automatic
US spec

mdsalemi

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #35 on: January 25, 2022, 22:46:47 »
Timing is imminent. I’ve been in discussion with Blockley this week and waiting for a plan from them.
Michael Salemi
Davidson, North Carolina (Charlotte Area) USA
1969 280SL (USA-Spec)
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
2023 Ford Maverick Lariat Hybrid "Area 51"
2022 Ford Escape Hybrid
2023 Ford Escape Hybrid

biffabeau

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #36 on: January 26, 2022, 13:12:00 »
great stuff. I am ready to order x4 in the UK.

johnk

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #37 on: January 26, 2022, 13:14:31 »
I need new tires as well.
John Krystowski
Avon Ohio
1968 Euro 280sl under restoration
2016 Jag F-Type R sold june 2021
1950 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS For sale
2008 E350
2007 GL 450
2019 BMW 540

mdsalemi

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #38 on: January 26, 2022, 14:30:25 »
I expect an answer any day on the group buy from Blockley...
Michael Salemi
Davidson, North Carolina (Charlotte Area) USA
1969 280SL (USA-Spec)
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
2023 Ford Maverick Lariat Hybrid "Area 51"
2022 Ford Escape Hybrid
2023 Ford Escape Hybrid

mdsalemi

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #39 on: February 09, 2022, 21:34:51 »
Just heard back from Blockley. I think we shall have a good program together. Ironing out a couple of details now, so stay tuned!
Michael Salemi
Davidson, North Carolina (Charlotte Area) USA
1969 280SL (USA-Spec)
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
2023 Ford Maverick Lariat Hybrid "Area 51"
2022 Ford Escape Hybrid
2023 Ford Escape Hybrid

lreppond

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #40 on: February 10, 2022, 00:08:59 »
Thank you Michael for all the footwork on this project. Dang, where do you find the time and energy??! 

I’ve read a fair amount about Blockley tires.  Everything, including testimonials by those who have them on their cars, has been very positive: handling, wear, appearance and build quality.  AlexD makes a very valid point about when most Pagoda owners take their cars out on the road. I want a tire than can perform under wet conditions, of course. (Living in all-too-dry California and not taking out my car in the rain, makes it a somewhat moot point.)  Apart from the referenced article, I’ve heard nothing negative about their ability to navigate in the rain.
~Len

1971 280 SL
576G red/251 Beige
4 speed manual
Family owned since new (father —> son)

djack

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #41 on: February 15, 2022, 16:10:33 »
Happy to report that I now have 5 tires (tyres?) on order with Blockley.  Email communications including quote and invoice have been quick and seamless.  Once again, thank you Michael for putting this together for the full members.   :)
1969 280SL automatic
US spec

biffabeau

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #42 on: February 15, 2022, 16:43:52 »
ME to.  Happy to report, I have ordered 4 x Blockleys, signed and paid for. Just waiting for the delivery. 
Thank you for your hard work.

mdsalemi

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #43 on: February 15, 2022, 22:49:19 »
Nice to hear that my efforts have paid off, and at least two of you have ordered tires...er tyres.
I suspect that there are some silent about it...and hoping more take advantage of the offer.
Michael Salemi
Davidson, North Carolina (Charlotte Area) USA
1969 280SL (USA-Spec)
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
2023 Ford Maverick Lariat Hybrid "Area 51"
2022 Ford Escape Hybrid
2023 Ford Escape Hybrid

cospinner

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #44 on: March 31, 2023, 16:05:45 »
Michael, how do we notify Blockley of the group buy to get advantageous pricing?
Chip in Dallas
1970 280SL Euro

mdsalemi

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Re: 1970 280 SL WHITE BAND TIRES
« Reply #45 on: April 05, 2023, 14:27:12 »
Michael, how do we notify Blockley of the group buy to get advantageous pricing?

Hi Chip,

WHOA...did you read the dates on these posts and this project? To you and any others that may be reading this...

...the project of getting a "group buy" discount for our members from Blockley Tires began in 2021, and I was finally able to pull it all together over a year ago in early 2022. So, this project has been completed.

To the best of my knowledge, there was enough takers here (many lurkers who don't ever post included, as well as those that do) to clean out the inventory of this tire in both BW and WW. As these are specialty tires, they are ordered in "batches" as opposed to a tire for daily drivers that are sort of made "continuously" if that makes sense. It's probably back in stock, albeit at a higher price from Blockley.

If you are interested in tires of this nature from Blockley, call them/contact them and ask if they'll still honor a discount for our club members. They may very well do that. They were quite pleasant to deal with. I have a set, some others I know have a set, and I've heard nothing but good things about them. Like the Coker Phoenix before them, the only naysayers or complainers about these tires are those that don't have them. I had the Coker Phoenix for nearly 15 years before getting the Blockley WW on my car last year.

Periodically, the club will offer "projects" and "programs" that are always of a limited nature. For example, this tire discount program. Pagoda World Book Volume I. Pagoda World Book Volume II. The grill badges. The embroidered patches that were sent out to full members with the last issue #32 of Pagoda World magazine. If you don't act on these offerings AT THE TIME THEY ARE MADE, it's likely you will lose out on them. Many times we plan things based upon pre-orders. So during the offer process we can accommodate ANY and ALL members. Once the project is concluded however, we're only left with a few items and sometimes we cannot fulfill a request. To that end, we have no grill badges left, until we do perhaps another run next year.
Michael Salemi
Davidson, North Carolina (Charlotte Area) USA
1969 280SL (USA-Spec)
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
2023 Ford Maverick Lariat Hybrid "Area 51"
2022 Ford Escape Hybrid
2023 Ford Escape Hybrid