It is still possible to have a good selection of tires if you adjust the size slighly to one of the other factory correct sizes for our car. Our size has become passe, and the major brands don't offer their best products in our size. Mostly we get minivan tires and honda accord tires. A shame since when our cars were new they shared tires with Ferrari Testarossa. Now, not only can't we get Ferrari Tires, we can't even get Mercedes tires.
But remember, our wheel size is 16x8, and 3rd generation trans ams and camaros came with lots of tire sizes for these rims with this same offset. With these other sizes, there are tons of choices.
I have pictured at the bottom the best tires available today. There is a new Goodyear Gatorback there in our size for nostalgia. (I found it at a garage sale last week never mounted dated 1994!!) If you want new gatorbacks today, you can still get them 24 years after introduction, in 245/45/17 size!
Note, there are NO max performance summer tires available in our regular size anymore, but they are supposed to start making the GSD3 again in our size. They ARE max performance summer. See rant at bottom for explanation of MAX PEERFORMANCE SUMMER
For reference, our size is:
245/50/16 25.7" tire height
Alternate Sizes
215/60/16 26.2" height
Used on trans ams with our wheels in 1987 to 1992. I have used this size for about 300,000 miles. No one noticed unless I pointed it out.
235/55/16 26.2" height
was used on camaro Z28's (with Eagle GA tires) in 1991-1992 with 16x8 rims. The continental pro contact is available in this size, and they have no vibration at high speed, even with crude balancing techniques. It feels like a bmw at high speed with these. They last forever too. This size is only about 1/4" narrower than ours and they look the same width.
225/55/16 25.7" height
This size was never used by gm on 3rd gen f cars, which is strange, because it is the exact height as the 245/50/16. I guess gm wanted the extra height for their cafe requirements. This is what I would use today because of the first class tires available. and they look plenty fat. And if you are worried about performance, the added grip from the tires you can get in this size will compensate for the slightly narrower tread width.
This size has tons of good tires available. Even Acura NSX tires with 140 treadwear rating(Potenza RE040). This is a porsche size so it may be supported with good tires for years to come.
Available in this size:
Continental Extreme Contact DW (Max Performance Summer)
Pirelli P7 (ultra high performance summer)
BFGoodrich TA KDW 2 (ultra high performance summer)
BFGoodrich Potenza re040 (NSX tires) these are very soft, very sticky, and wear fast. Just what you want in a good tire. Pirelli P zero Asymetrico has the same treadwear of 140.
Rant at bottom:
The branding and advertising has become so convoluted these days that every tire is called a high performance tire. Because of that, they have had to make up these other catagories to show that there are better tires than the high performance ones, which are now the BOTTOM of the line. So they made up these catagories like:
High performance, 4th best
Ultra high performance, 3rd Best
Max performance, 2nd Best
Extreme performance, Best
and these are all broken down into seasons of use as well, all season, and summer. So, what used to be called a "high performance" tire, is now called Extreme Performance Summer. And what used to be called "garbage" is now called "high performance".
I think this is dumb, because these made up names don't have any discernable graduation or hierarchy. What is better? Ultra High Performance, Max performance or Extreme Performance? They all look like they could be the highest.
I remember going to the store to buy something. in stead of small medium and large, the sizes were jumbo, ultra, and mega. I had no idea what was the smaller or bigger or medium one. There was absolutely no indication on the product about which was which. Madison Avenue has gone INSANE!
But remember, our wheel size is 16x8, and 3rd generation trans ams and camaros came with lots of tire sizes for these rims with this same offset. With these other sizes, there are tons of choices.
I have pictured at the bottom the best tires available today. There is a new Goodyear Gatorback there in our size for nostalgia. (I found it at a garage sale last week never mounted dated 1994!!) If you want new gatorbacks today, you can still get them 24 years after introduction, in 245/45/17 size!
Note, there are NO max performance summer tires available in our regular size anymore, but they are supposed to start making the GSD3 again in our size. They ARE max performance summer. See rant at bottom for explanation of MAX PEERFORMANCE SUMMER
For reference, our size is:
245/50/16 25.7" tire height
Alternate Sizes
215/60/16 26.2" height
Used on trans ams with our wheels in 1987 to 1992. I have used this size for about 300,000 miles. No one noticed unless I pointed it out.
235/55/16 26.2" height
was used on camaro Z28's (with Eagle GA tires) in 1991-1992 with 16x8 rims. The continental pro contact is available in this size, and they have no vibration at high speed, even with crude balancing techniques. It feels like a bmw at high speed with these. They last forever too. This size is only about 1/4" narrower than ours and they look the same width.
225/55/16 25.7" height
This size was never used by gm on 3rd gen f cars, which is strange, because it is the exact height as the 245/50/16. I guess gm wanted the extra height for their cafe requirements. This is what I would use today because of the first class tires available. and they look plenty fat. And if you are worried about performance, the added grip from the tires you can get in this size will compensate for the slightly narrower tread width.
This size has tons of good tires available. Even Acura NSX tires with 140 treadwear rating(Potenza RE040). This is a porsche size so it may be supported with good tires for years to come.
Available in this size:
Continental Extreme Contact DW (Max Performance Summer)
Pirelli P7 (ultra high performance summer)
BFGoodrich TA KDW 2 (ultra high performance summer)
BFGoodrich Potenza re040 (NSX tires) these are very soft, very sticky, and wear fast. Just what you want in a good tire. Pirelli P zero Asymetrico has the same treadwear of 140.
Rant at bottom:
The branding and advertising has become so convoluted these days that every tire is called a high performance tire. Because of that, they have had to make up these other catagories to show that there are better tires than the high performance ones, which are now the BOTTOM of the line. So they made up these catagories like:
High performance, 4th best
Ultra high performance, 3rd Best
Max performance, 2nd Best
Extreme performance, Best
and these are all broken down into seasons of use as well, all season, and summer. So, what used to be called a "high performance" tire, is now called Extreme Performance Summer. And what used to be called "garbage" is now called "high performance".
I think this is dumb, because these made up names don't have any discernable graduation or hierarchy. What is better? Ultra High Performance, Max performance or Extreme Performance? They all look like they could be the highest.
I remember going to the store to buy something. in stead of small medium and large, the sizes were jumbo, ultra, and mega. I had no idea what was the smaller or bigger or medium one. There was absolutely no indication on the product about which was which. Madison Avenue has gone INSANE!
