Tires for 1969 280 SL

[kelseytara]

I need to have the tires replaced on my newly acquired 280 SL before a long drive in a few weeks. I'm really new to the car world and had poked around on a number of threads, but there seem to be a lot of different opinions on sizes. I know that 185 is the original size but harder to find now. The car currently has Goodyears that are 195/70R14. My local tire place that comes reccommended by the mechanic that is working on the car appears to mostly have Hankook tires. I've seen mention of the Hankook Kinergy and I'm wondering if that's going to be my best bet. The car will have a 4-5 hour drive with at least a portion on freeways, then after that will mostly be used on city streets with occasional freeway trips. I don't plan on driving it much (if at all) in the rain. Advice is welcome!

[kelseytara]

Other options (195s) appear to be:
Hankook Optimo
Michelin Defender
Firestone All-Season

[JamesL]

Can you get Vredestein Sprint Classics? They seem to be well regarded

[Cees Klumper]

x2 on the Vredesteins, not only do I like them on my 280 SL (since around 2009) but it's also a Dutch brand ...

[lowpad]

I'm not a fan of modern tires with huge logos all over the sidewalls -- seems in conflict with the subtlety of our cars. I'm prefer the Michelin MXV-P. They aren't cheap ($270 for BW), but they are the closest thing out there to a true original appearance. Vredesteins are a good alternative, and also come in larger profiles if you want a beefier look.

[BobH]

There's a list of recommended tyres (why does everyone keep spelling this incorrectly?) on here, with some brief reviews and links to websites

You may need to register as a full member to access it

https://www.sl113.org/wiki/WheelsTires/Tires

[kelseytara]

Thank you for this, Bob! I went ahead and registered as a full member, and I'm enjoying wading through all of the information.

[roymil]

I can recommend Michelin Defender 195/70R14 blackwalls.    Michelin has always been ranked well above most other brands.  Continental or Goodyear are good choices too for this size range.   Just stay away from Firestone/Bridgestone.

[rwmastel]

I need to have the tires replaced on my newly acquired 280 SL before a long drive in a few weeks.

To Pagoda Fest in Knoxville?

[Duncan200]

There's a list of recommended tyres (why does everyone keep spelling this incorrectly?)

I’m with you Bob, it’s tiring seeing tyre spelt incorrectly 😁

Doug

[mdsalemi]

Well, in most places, the majority rules. There are significantly more American English speakers than British English speakers. The United States has around 239 million native English speakers, while the UK has about 62 million. So tires it is on my Pagoda with a hood and a trunk. 😉

Two additional tires that have not been mentioned in this thread are the Coker Phoenix https://cokertire.com/tires/phoenix-3-4-inch-whitewall-185r14.html, as well as the Blockley https://www.blockleytyre.com/make/mercedes/mercedes-280sl. I had the Coker Phoenix until they expired a few years ago, so to speak, and I replaced them with the Blockley. These are two that are available in both black wall and white wall.

Like the Michelin mentioned, they are not inexpensive, but they are one of the few tires available in the correct and proper size: 185HR14. But inexpensive is a relative thing. I have had to purchase tires for a daily driver, and the set of four was nearly $1000 after discounts.

A few years ago, when assisting my elderly aunt with her SLK, I had to purchase two Michelin tires with the – MO suffix. By creating a proprietary tire with Michelin, giving it the Mercedes only designation, they created a tire that handles exceedingly well, but doesn’t last very long (was less than 20K miles over three years). My aunt was quite literally the old lady who goes to church on Sundays, and the tires did not last the length of the lease. Those replacement tires were a few hundred dollars each.

Good tires are not inexpensive and that’s all there is to it. Like many others I may not drive my car as often as a daily driver, but I do want good tires on it as you never know what can happen or when. At least several times a year, I am on the highway at speed and I want good rubber. Going to PagodaFest next week I will probably be on the highway at 70 to 80 miles an hour for four hours.

The current tariff situation in the USA may induce price havoc on the tire situation. The Michelin’s mentioned are made in Mexico. The Cokers are made in Mexico. The Blockleys are made in Malaysia, but come through UK. These tariffs seem to be whimsical and may change at any time.

[JamesL]

I never tire of spelling tyre tire

[BobH]

.... Pagoda with a hood and a trunk. 😉

Only thing i can think of with a hood and a trunk!

[kelseytara]

To Pagoda Fest in Knoxville?

Ah, if only! I'm actually moving the Pagoda from my parents' house to mine (both in California), about a 4-5 hour drive depending on what route I end up taking.

[mdsalemi]

Only thing i can think of with a hood and a trunk!

Hmmm… I asked for a picture of a Mercedes with a boot and a bonnet. This is what came up.! LOL

But I digress. Anyone looking for tires should also add Coker and Blockley into the mix as they are some of the few available in the proper size. Particularly if you’re looking for white wall, they are I believe the only ones in the proper size with white walls available.

[mdsalemi]

Ah, if only! I'm actually moving the Pagoda from my parents' house to mine (both in California), about a 4-5 hour drive depending on what route I end up taking.

And your profile indicates Arkansas…

[kelseytara]

And your profile indicates Arkansas…

Oh you're right. How odd. Well, it's fixed now!

[rwmastel]

Michael,
AK is Alaska!  Kelsey's in Santa Cruz, Alaska.    I'm surprised you missed that after all your mailing address "rants" (words of wisdom?).

Kelsey,
Post your general route (maybe a new thread) and maybe some fellow California members will invite you to a favorite restaurant, coffee house, or bar for some social time and Pagoda sharing.  You might end up creating a little Pagoda get together mid way to break up your driving!

[mdsalemi]

Michael,
AK is Alaska!  Kelsey's in Santa Cruz, Alaska.    I'm surprised you missed that after all your mailing address "rants" (words of wisdom?).

No, Santa Cruz CA and he fixed it. It was wrong.

Interesting you brought that up. A quick check of "USA, AK" (which would be Alaska) members shows 12. Of those 12, just ONE is Anchorage. Then we have Cheyenne, Los Angeles, San Diego, Tucson, Mechanicsburg, Yorktown, District of Columbia, Fort Worth, Rogersville, Hanover...in fact of the 12, only ONE looks appropriately correct! As suspected we really don't have any members in Alaska...one associate with no posts. Why so many wrong assignments for Alaska? Los Angeles, Alaska? Seriously? A search of "USA, AR" shows 8 members all in towns that are all indeed Arkansas.

Some of these errors for full members can be corrected when our address list gets CASS certified for mailings but that does NOT automatically self correct our own database. We're not that savvy. Also, not all addresses will correct. It's incumbent upon the member to simply get it right. Even if you get our magazine without problem, it does not mean we have your address correct. It means the address was either correct, or correctible. That's it.

[DavidAPease]

Why so many wrong assignments for Alaska?

It's been MANY years since I registered, but I'll bet there's a drop-down for state, and that the first (and therefore default) value is AK.

       -David

[lreppond]

There’s been numerous threads about different brand and size tires.  To the best of my knowledge, there is only a handful of manufacturers who produce the correct size for our cars, namely 185R14. Those are: Vredestein (b/w only), Blockley (b/w & w/w), Michelin (b/w & w/w) and Coker Phoenix (w/w only).  The Vredestein tires are certainly not cheap but are the most reasonably priced of this group.  Michelins in w/w are the priciest.  Several months ago, I purchased the Coker Phoenix tires when the company offered them at half price:$138.50/tire.  It was the first time I’d ever seen them on sale and although my Hankooks didn’t need replacing, I had always wanted either the Michelin or the Phoenix tires on my car, so I bit the bullet and ordered 5.  These tires provide a superior ride and handling experience compared to my older tires.  They also have a rub strip like the original Phoenix or Continentals that were OEM.  Mine are mounted on aluminum steelies and I also had the car completely aligned fore and aft.  I’m sure the alignment contributes to the better handling as well.  These tires are also far quieter.   

[rwmastel]

No, Santa Cruz CA and he fixed it. It was wrong.

Of course it was an error, have you no sense of humor?

[mdsalemi]

…I purchased the Coker Phoenix tires when the company offered them at half price:$138.50/tire.  It was the first time I’d ever seen them on sale…

Wow, Len. That’s a fantastic price and takes the price close to the “cheap tire” category but as you discovered they are anything but. I had Coker’s and loved them…then our Blockley deal came along. (Coker’s about 15 years old at the time) Equally as pleased, but not the difference noticed as when I changed from the Pirelli P6000, a tire NLA, to the Cokers.

I guess we should stay on the Coker mailing list!

Anyone seeing any fantastic deals like this on anything, remember to post!