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Actually only paid $ 1000 for it. Not objectionable to putting a few $ into it, but not going to kill it just yet. As of now it is running fine as I swapped the fuel filter, EGR valve, plugs, pcv valve, and something else that is not coming to me.
I hear you GTO. Not investing thousands, just looking for the cheaper options to get the most life out of it.
I bought used tires for my car. I have 15" wheels, tires were $25/piece, I put two on and put them on the front. My experiene was good I'll probably do it again. I drive <3000 miles per year so used tires work just fine for me, plus I wasn't sure how long the car would last. No way was I going to drop $500+ in tires on my car when the tranny could go out at any time.
I've gone the used tire route many times with complete success. I look for takeoffs, name brand tires, 5/32 tread or more, no patches, andhave the tire place inflate them and look for bubbles in the sidewall or tread (to see if there's belt separation).
I upgraded my E38 BMW 740iL with 19" wheels, and tires are typically $250-350 each for new name brand examples. I can get take-offs off of newer 7 Series Sports, 911 Carreras, or even new Mustangs, for $25-50 each with over half tread remaining. Michelin Pilots, Pirelli P Zeros, etc can be had and effectively it's like I had already been driving on them for a couple thousand miles. Big deal. the car isn't new, and even new tires won't be new very long. But saving over $200-250 per corner is a big deal, and aprt of what keeps ownership costs down on the car so I can put money into more important things, while still having something nice.
Those were P Zero Rossos that were $350 each, new, and I paid $25 each at over half tread. The current set of tires are Sumitomo HTRZIII, that had 9/32nds of tread on them, and cost $100 per pair plus shipping (and cost $25 each for mounting and balancing, which it still would have cost even had they been bought new from Tire Rack). That's a savings of over $150 per corner. Yes, $600 in savings for tires that will last almost as long as new ones.
Have you checked out tirerack.com? It might be worth it to buy some cheap tires and avoid the used tire hassle.
Used tires are not the deal you think they are.
50% tread? Even if you paid a 75% discount from new price I wouldnt touch them.
-You say 50% tread. From what? did you measure depth to the indicators or the groove? Do you also know that tread depth is commonly understated by mfg's? That 50% wear may really be 65% compared to a new tire.
-Rubber degrades with time, environmental and uv exposure, even when not driven.
-Used tires are more likely to be older models, and tires are under rapid development recently, with better stability, better manufacturing and improved rolling resistance.
-You don't know the usage. A tire may have been abused on potholes and you may not be able to see the damage. More likely to have a blowout.
-You're missing out on the best part of a tire's life. Tires perform best in passenger cars when they are new with 50%+ tread. The ride is smoother, easier on the car. They perform better in the wet with full deep grooves.
-Labor. Buying used tires simply means you need to mount/unmount and balance more often. This is already a significant expense when considering new tires, and it doubles when you think about used tires.
Used tires are false savings unless you need to get a car on the road to sell it or something.
Last edited by Shoaibshaikh; 11-25-2014 at 02:45 AM..
So you're basically saying you're foolish with your money. Again, you obviously have no direct expereince and are going from theory. I have years of direct experience to say you're wrong. See the BMW posted above you.
And cheap new tires are often made in China and could easily be counterfeit. I've seen cheap new tires that were unable to be balanced, had tread or sidewall separateion and bubbling. Again, if you buy used takeoffs with name brand tires, youre usually going to get something god. Why? Because you're getting tires FROM people like you who think that the only good tire is a new one and get rid of them as soon as there's any sign of use (like they are down to 3/4 tread depth or some such nonsense).
I have never had any luck with used tires (they don't last long). I recently bought one & its leaking air. The tire shop said they will patch the tire for free but it may be the old valve stem which would cost me $5.00-$10.00 to fix. Consumer reports suggests to not buy used tires for many reasons. If anyone does buy used tires it would be a good idea to replace the valve stem which costs around 5 dollars. I wish I had done it.
I have never had any luck with used tires (they don't last long). I recently bought one & its leaking air. The tire shop said they will patch the tire for free but it may be the old valve stem which would cost me $5.00-$10.00 to fix. Consumer reports suggests to not buy used tires for many reasons. If anyone does buy used tires it would be a good idea to replace the valve stem which costs around 5 dollars. I wish I had done it.
Good advice, Steel . . .
Also, be certain to check the tire's "build date" very carefully.
Regardless of the tread wear, if it is 6 years or older . . . KEEP LOOKING.
Also, be certain to check the tire's "build date" very carefully.
Regardless of the tread wear, if it is 6 years or older . . . KEEP LOOKING.
I failed to check the build date on the tire but I will check it this sat. The valve stems on my car are about 15 yrs old. I hate having to put air in the tires every week. I did buy one of those air pressure pumps you plug in the cigarette lighter. What a waste of money. It takes forever & ever to pump air into the tire. The temporary donut spare in my trunk is 11 yrs old & leaks air. The tire shop who is putting new tires on my car in the front said they will replace the valve stem on the donut if that is what is causing the leak.
One thing I just found out this week is that tire dealers (at least in this area) are "not allowed" to repair a tire that's over 10 years old.
I know, it's "not safe" to use a tire that old, and that's the reason for this new 10-year-old limit on repairs. But my wife drives the car to work and back (4 miles r/t) at 30 mph about 200 days per year. The tires are originals on her '96. Tread looks very good, and the sidewall cracks are minimal. Two different guys at the tire store told me that they wouldn't replace them. Except that they couldn't fix the slow leak in one of them because of this new law(?). I got one new tire installed. The rest may wait another 20 years or until they get a leak.
I mention this only because it could come into play if you don't drive much. Check the manufacturing date, ESPECIALLY if buying used.
On edit:
Oh yeah, and if you actually drive the car at highway speeds for any distance, the 6-year-old age limit is a good one.
Last edited by WyoNewk; 09-16-2015 at 11:04 PM..
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