Re: Tires (Mail Order) (fwd)

[smarinel@Flint.Mines.Colorado.edu (Steve Marinello)]

> Tom Leveckis adds to Bart's comments:
>
>> > I have been *very* happy with BFG Comp T/As, in all their evolutionary 
>> > iterations, over a *long* period of time, and over three cars, including
>> > the Syncro (currently wearing 195-60 HR-4 14 Comp T/As).  These are the 
>> > tires I've ever gotten 20K miles from (others commonly report 40K), and I 
>> > think they're fantastic in the wet as well as the dry!
>> 
>> I have my 2nd set of Comp T/A 's on my 80Q, but I should be on my 1st set.
>> on 3 of the tires on my 1st set, I developed splits on the sidewalls. I
>> bought them at NTW, they gave me an 88% refund towards another set (after 
>> 20K). Good tires, but I don't know how you would deal with defects after
>>20K. 
>> The price for the 195/60 HR 14's at NTW was 70$/tire, while the magazines 
>> had them for 62-64$/tire. Personally I don't think mail order is worth it 
>> for 25-30$.
>
>No flame intended here, but I think that there might be a connection among
>the factors cited: Major defects in tires purchased from major discounter.
>
>Personally, I always buy my tires from a local dealer and pay the freight.
>Just 
>FWIW, I don't buy parts and expect my mechanic to install them at his regular 
>rates either.  The reason is simply that I like to support the small 
>businessman. Also, just FWIW, I've never had problems with BFG tires this way.
>
>YAMMV, as we southern boys say...
>
>Cheers, <vbg>
>
>Bart,
>Frau, Dora
>'77 Feline Varmint, Felix, Gray
>'86 Carrera Cabriolet, Indischrot
>'87 Syncro (Stealth Quattro) Alpenweiss

Okay, here's another line on Comp TA's...a very negative one.  When I
taught at UA in Tuscaloosa, where they were making them, I along with some
other "young" professors decided that, with the idea of supporting the
local industry and being able to get pretty good deals...just about
equivalent to Tire Rack, that we'd all get Comps.  Alfas, RX-7s, Volvo
turbos, etc..  Unanimous opinion,....JUNK!!!  Everyone had tires going out
of round, early internal separation, etc.  Impossible to balance with the
guts going bad.  As one of my neighbors who worked at the plant said, they
were using junk that wasn't being cured right, they had lousy feedstock,
etc..  This was in the early 80's, however, just about the time Michelin
stepped into the picture.  There was great fear that they would close the
plant if quality didn't improve.  They didn't close the plant, but the
irregular Comps continued.  The new ones are supposed to be much better,
courtesy of the tremendous $$$$invested in the  new equipment.  I hope so,
but I find it hard to believe that many people have fond memories of any
Comps from more than five or six years ago...unless you raced them, trashed
them and threw them away before the fell apart.  

Bottom line, with so many other good tires out there, I'm not going to take
a chance with BFG's.  I still hear too many stories about them being
untrue, irregular, etc..  I'll take the Dunlops, Pirellis, Bridgestones,
Yoko's, Conti's, Toyo's, etc. before I go that way again.  IMFO.

And I split between sources: usually Tire Rack, sometimes Teletire and just
as often my local Plus One shop.  

Just my few hundred dollars worth!! (What I tossed on the Comps).

Steve