12" tire options?

[pdp8]

I know it's hard to get performance 13" but I just bought a 1200 with factory wheels and am now challenged to find tires.

I know there are several options out there from manufacturers I've never heard of and pretty much all 155/80.  I'd love to know of some just ever so slightly wider tires from a company I'd have some trust in.  Otherwise, how have people been fairing with their Nanking, Federal, Americus, etc. tires?

Are they actually decent or is it just time to steal some 13s from my 210 pile?

[Draker]

Federal seem like a decent option if you want to stay stock.

 

I chose to upgrade to 14's on my sedan. 

[pdp8]

The 12" wheels are just so darn light  and the 1200 suspension so marginal, it's hard to give up on them.

I did find some Vitour 175/70R12 and though I never herd of the brand I picked one up just to see how it looked on the wheel and car.

The wheel is under 11Lbs but the tire is a hefty 15.3 lbs.  The stock 13" wheels are 15Lbs and while there are some 12lb 155/80r13s out there, the 175/70r13s I've weighed all come in ate 15-17lbs

[KELMO]

Currently running 165/60/12 Falken Ziez ZE912 on my '72 1200 coupe. Got them at least 3 years ago off of a Mini site. I am afraid now they may be made of unobtainium.

Possibly find a Japan connection?

 

[datsunfreak]

On 9/22/2019 at 5:26 PM, KELMO said:

Currently running 165/60/12 Falken Ziez ZE912 on my '72 1200 coupe. Got them at least 3 years ago off of a Mini site. I am afraid now they may be made of unobtainium.

 

https://www.minimania.com/part/FALKEN-12/Classic-Austin-Mini-165-60-12-Falken-Tire

[datsunfreak]

Also, they sell loads of others...

 

https://www.minimania.com/Search_Inventory.cfm?subtype=SearchText&Search=12 tire

[KELMO]

Wow, those chokeyermama tires are sexy. I should buy a set just to have 'em.

 

That site looks alot like the one I got the tires from way back when. Their website had 7's in it somewhere.

[pdp8]

OK, good to have some options on the Mini site.  None of the are the right diameter for stock but it's something.

I've been running 12s in front and 13s in back for the mini-musclecar look and to pick up a few MPH on the freeway and have been really happy with that arrangement overall butstill would like to find some actual quality 155/80r12 or 165/70R12.  I notice MiniMania does sell the Nankang 165/70 but at just under 2x the price of getting them off Eaby. 😞

[datsunfreak]

On 9/15/2020 at 10:18 PM, pdp8 said:

None of the are the right diameter for stock 

 

Good.  😃

[vicdat]

Hey PDP8,

As far as manufactures go, I've just (about a year ago) installed my third set of Nankangs on my Celica GTS (i know, that's a dirty word). They handle and wear well. The first two sets (TourSports) lasted about 40-45 thousand miles each. My current set of 'kangs are CrossSports which  I think are a slight upgrade.

They were one of the few brands that I trusted for the hard to find 205-60-14 size.

I'm sure 12's or 13's are even harder to source, especially any wider than 185's ...

 

Vicdat

[pdp8]

16 minutes ago, vicdat said:

Hey PDP8,

As far as manufactures go, I've just (about a year ago) installed my third set of Nankangs on my Celica GTS (i know, that's a dirty word). They handle and wear well. The first two sets (TourSports) lasted about 40-45 thousand miles each. My current set of 'kangs are CrossSports which  I think are a slight upgrade.

They were one of the few brands that I trusted for the hard to find 205-60-14 size.

I'm sure 12's or 13's are even harder to source, especially any wider than 185's ...

 

Vicdat

It's good to hear they will go some distance and handle OK.  Gives one some hope.

It does seem like cheaper tires suffer from UV damage worse than at least old quality tires.  Makes one wonder what that's about.

 

12" tires are hard, but actually I've been finding that it seems comparatively easy after shopping for tyres for my Ferret.  The ones on it are likely from 1980 or perhaps well before...

 

I like to think of it as the Datsun 210 of armored vehicles. 🙂

Edited September 24, 2020 by pdp8

[vicdat]

Good job of spelling tires with the preferred Limey "y" application since the Ferret is British....hahahajaha

[datsunfreak]

On 9/24/2020 at 2:13 PM, vicdat said:

installed my third set of Nankangs on my Celica GTS (i know, that's a dirty word). They handle and wear well. The first two sets (TourSports) lasted about 40-45 thousand miles each.

 

I could never get more than 20k from a set, but I am kinda rough on them.  😁

 

On 9/24/2020 at 2:29 PM, pdp8 said:

It does seem like cheaper tires suffer from UV damage worse than at least old quality tires.  Makes one wonder what that's about.

 

I'd have to imagine certain chemical compounds are added to tires to combat UV degradation. I'd also have to imagine that the cheaper the tire is, they have to cut corners somewhere? 

[Lockleaf]

Anybody have the cojones to run DOT certified golf cart tires?  215/35/12.  I bet they are rated to like, ohhhhh, a solid 55 mph.

 

https://www.golfcarttiresupply.com/arisun-215-35-12-dot-golf-cart-tires-low-profile/

[datsunfreak]

On 10/16/2020 at 5:06 PM, Lockleaf said:

Anybody have the cojones to run DOT certified golf cart tires?  215/35/12.  I bet they are rated to like, ohhhhh, a solid 55 mph.

 

https://www.golfcarttiresupply.com/arisun-215-35-12-dot-golf-cart-tires-low-profile/

 

 

 

Well, you'd never find wheels that fit, and at 18" they'd be ridiculously small even for a 1200...  😁

[pdp8]

On 10/16/2020 at 6:06 PM, Lockleaf said:

Anybody have the cojones to run DOT certified golf cart tires?  215/35/12.  I bet they are rated to like, ohhhhh, a solid 55 mph.

 

https://www.golfcarttiresupply.com/arisun-215-35-12-dot-golf-cart-tires-low-profile/

 

Not golf cart tires but close,  At work we have a little electric utility truck that is scarcely more than a golf cart and I was amused to find it riding on the same 155/80R12s that are factory spec for the 1200.