13's ?

[kurokoma-kun]

You finally got em! I thought reznunt had beat you to it.

They look fantastic! also interested in your impressions of handling.

[reznunt]

Originally Posted by kurokoma-kun

You finally got em! I thought reznunt had beat you to it.

They look fantastic! also interested in your impressions of handling.

nope, he was the pioneer! that's why i gave credit where credit is due, in the first line of my pic post.

[Thirty-Nine]

Originally Posted by Imagine

Can't wait to hear how they perform with some aggressive cornering.

x2.

I wish someone made a tire in this size that was a little more agressive (e.g. Yokohama AVS ES100s or such).

[brickhardmeat]

all I can find is Toyo, Federal and Cooper

[reznunt]

Originally Posted by brickhardmeat

all I can find is Toyo, Federal and Cooper

dunlop, nankang, sumitomo also have 205-60-13.

[Thirty-Nine]

Originally Posted by reznunt

dunlop, nankang, sumitomo also have 205-60-13.

I can't find any Dunlops in 205/60/13. I found the Sumitomos. I wouldn't put a set of Nankangs on any wheel I owned. I owned a set of them and they were horrible.

[reznunt]

Originally Posted by Thirty-Nine

x2.

I wish someone made a tire in this size that was a little more agressive (e.g. Yokohama AVS ES100s or such).

x3. like i said, it's either really cheap shit or race rubber, not a lot of selection in between.

[brickhardmeat]

well, if I end up with a set of 13's I'll probably get the federals 'cuz that's how i roll

don't want to destroy my white trash image

[reznunt]

Originally Posted by brickhardmeat

well, if I end up with a set of 13's I'll probably get the federals 'cuz that's how i roll

don't want to destroy my white trash image

i'll do you one better and get some tire pens and make that federal logo really stand out!

[Thirty-Nine]

FYI:

VPDs on special at Honda-Tech: http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=2070757

VPDs in multiple colors: http://www.exospeed.com/category.php?id=427

[reznunt]

Originally Posted by Thirty-Nine

FYI:

VPDs on special at Honda-Tech: http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=2070757

VPDs in multiple colors: http://www.exospeed.com/category.php?id=427

they're $20 cheaper here , plus no tax!

[Thirty-Nine]

Originally Posted by reznunt

they're $20 cheaper here , plus no tax!

Trust me -- if I had the cash now, I'd buy them at your "store."

They only thing I'd worry about is sidewall flex. With a nice, sticky, street tire, the sidewalls are still pretty stiff. On the currently available 205-60-13s, I'm afraid they're not high performance enough (minus the R compounds) for my liking. I've got Yokohama AVS ES100s in a 205-50-16 now and they're great. I don't mind our 205-50-15 Falken Ziex 15s either.

BTW, they don't seem to make the G/T Qualifier in that size anymore. http://dunloptires.com/dunlop/displa...ea=Performance

EDIT: Falken Ziex 502 in 205-60-13. I wonder if they're available in the US?:
http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.p...=m4b0s375p2243

[reznunt]

Originally Posted by Thirty-Nine

Trust me -- if I had the cash now, I'd buy them at your "store."

They only thing I'd worry about is sidewall flex. With a nice, sticky, street tire, the sidewalls are still pretty stiff. On the currently available 205-60-13s, I'm afraid they're not high performance enough (minus the R compounds) for my liking. I've got Yokohama AVS ES100s in a 205-50-16 now and they're great. I don't mind our 205-50-15 Falken Ziex 15s either.

BTW, they don't seem to make the G/T Qualifier in that size anymore. http://dunloptires.com/dunlop/displa...ea=Performance

EDIT: Falken Ziex 502 in 205-60-13. I wonder if they're available in the US?:
http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.p...=m4b0s375p2243

for the cooper cobras, the sidewall flex isn't much of an issue compared to the stickiness... or lack of stickiness. these tires weren't meant for anything but getting groceries. i wonder what's less sticky, these cobras or cold ra1's.

i saw those 502's also but i couldn't find them online.

[03Z33]

Handling is really nice with the RA1's and for me they are cheap enough and last long enough to use daily. If I was going to track these I'd probably get some Hoosiers or Kumho R-Compounds or some Yokohama race slicks. The nice thing about 13's is you can always find slightly used race tires for cheap since a lot of the pro racers and autocrossers run this sizing and they change tires after every few track days.

[Thirty-Nine]

Unfortunately, I don't think it'd be practical for me to run the RA1s up here in Oregon due to the cool temps (especially in the morning).

[Thirty-Nine]

Not at all. But the RA1s have an Operating Temperature range from 140°F to 220°F, optimum around 200°F. This means you have to get them pretty warm to have any good grip. I want tires that are going to handle well without having to warm them up. For me, RA1s are not great daily driver tires. Yet, the Cooper Cobras don't provide enough grip for the occational autocross or "spirited driving" run.

[Imagine]

I guess that's probably why most people have spare wheels for AutoX. It's hard to find a good mix of long lasting/sporty tires.

[Thirty-Nine]

I don't know if I'd say most people have take-offs for autocross. I think it's fair to say some people do, especially people that are really into it. I'm not a hard-core autocrosser, though. I do like to take my daily driver around the track a few times, but don't want to invest the money into dedicated wheels and tires, which is why I look for a good balence. Plus, i don't want to run "marshmellows" on the street, either. I want something that'll be okay for everyday use and spirited driving plus the occational autocross. I'm rambling.

I will say this: Cooper Cobra G/Ts are by far NOT the worst tire I've ever owned. Ditto with Sumitomos (granted, I had the HTRZII which was a z-rated compound, and not an all-season tire).