Tire Suggestions?

[Robert Wright]

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<td id="INCREDITEXTREGION" style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; CURSOR: auto; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" width="100%">I have found a great use for trunk space sinceI no longer carry a spare tire. It is a perfect fitfor my mother-in-law and if locked securely she is unable to get out to make my life miserable. Marianna and I are unable to attend Celina this year. 1st time in 8 years. Weplan toattend next year without mother-in-law</td></tr>
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[Bill Connelly]

Whether it be a beloved hogtied relative, your spare tire and a good
full tank of gas, or your extensive collection of obscene garden gnomes
and Elvis figurines, that extra weight up forward really helps that
front end's handling on the open road. I fear just a can of fix-a-flat
in the trunk is gonna do precious little for its part to help hold the
whole plot down enough for it to grab any decent purchase on the
roadway...And I've also gotta tell you that short of inhaling its
contents to numb the shock of a blowout I had on the NJ Turnpike one
scorchingly hot day coming back from one of those '90s Adirondack
Swim-Ins, a can of fix-a-flat would have done me no good whatsoever with
the shreds that remained of my Coker after the warped ruts in the
roadway tore it apart...But then again on the other hand, for folks who
mostly trailer around, seldom cruise much over 50 mph, and who are never
much farther than a taxi ride from a spare anyhow, whether it's on the
car trailer or at home, a lighter front end WILL help them make better
powered headway in a choppy-wavy drink, with fewer gushers breaking over
the bow since it'll be riding a bit higher, so it seems it's a
tradeoff: If you enjoy putting a lot of road miles on the Amphi like I
do, for its own sake and virtues, then a spare is essential for
handling, safety and in case of real flats. If almost all of your
driving is basically just to the nearest boatramp and back, you might
get by well enough with just a can or two of fix-a-flat, with the Amphi
spare on the trailer, but HAVING some kind of spare handy somehow,
whether on board or off, would seem to me to be a common sense
essential. Fix-a-flat is great and all, but I'd say that about half the
times I've tried it on any vehicle, usually for simple convenience sake,
or to try to limp to a better venue for repairs, it's been a complete
waste of time, and I've ended up swapping to the spare anyhow. Still, I
do carry both.

Yor mileage may vary...
Bilgey

On Sat, 7 Jul 2007 10:42 am, Robert Wright wrote:
> I have found a great use for trunk space since?I no longer carry a
> spare tire. It is a perfect fit?for my mother-in-law and if locked
> securely she is unable to get out to make my life miserable. Marianna
> and I are unable to attend Celina this year. 1st time in 8 years.
> We?plan to?attend next year without mother-in-law
>

 

[Robert & Ina Cabanas]

Re: Re: Tire Suggestions?

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<font size="4">Thanks Ron for more advice. Maybe I'll get a spare for the Amphicar & keep it with my truck for those long hauls to Celina, etc. I like your suggestions about different uses for the 'spare tire space' in the Amphicar. I do have a large inflatable that a boat can pull. It's never been unpacked from it's box in about 19 years. We hope to take it to Celina this summer to use in the lake. It will store nicely in the Amphicar along with all of my life jackets, throw pillows, tow ropes, beach blankets, umbrella, etc. </font>
<font size="4"></font>
<font size="4">I'm very proud to say that I've had my Amphicar in the water now 3 different times. The first 2 times were for 5 minutes each but I've now graduated up to 10 minutes on the 3rd voyage. Eventhough the doors don't close I can get them leak-proof with the water locks. I'm ready to sail this summer!! </font>
<font size="4"></font>
<font size="4">Just a reminder for newer Amphicar swimmers.Before you do your 'water check' & before you put down the convertible top, REMEMBER to unsnap those cute little & VERY important snaps! I made a real bad boo-boo on my new top when I forgot to unsnap. Luckily the shop that mounted my convertible top was very gracious enough to fix the boo-boo. Get a system in place for all the checks before you put that top down. Ina in the Boro</font>
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<div style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<div style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black">From: rlgreen_55
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial">To: amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial">Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 8:39 AM
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial">Subject: [amphicar-lovers] Re: Tire Suggestions?


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California car cover company( http://www.calcarco<wbr>ver.com/product.<wbr>aspx?
s=on&id=59 ) offers a cheap tire cover for your RV or trailer. I have
noticed that since using these the past 5 years my trailer tires seem
to last much longer. Stating this I've probably now doomed myself to
a summer full of tire issues. You also can usually buy them at your
local RV dealer and save on shipping.

Ina, I don't carry a spare in Amphi however I do carry one in the
trailer / truck just in case. This frees up a lot of space in amphi's
trunk for important stuff like beer, inflatable's, scientific
experiments, family portraits, etc.

Ron Green

--- In amphicar-lovers@<wbr>yahoogroups.<wbr>com, "Robert & Ina Cabanas"
<ribcab@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks Ron & Bill for your 'consejos' along with this very
interesting info from Ed. I REALLY like this suggestion about
carrying a can of tire inflator instead of purchasing another spare
tire. It makes so much more sense all around. The only draw back is
that extra blanket of security.
>
> Yes, I think I only used a spare tire on one of my cars or trucks 2
times since I started driving at 16 years of age. (I won't tell you
my age now.) If I don't have to buy a spare I can save money, use
the space in the trunk for more Amphicar junk, AND have a spare wheel
just in case. I may just go that route. Thanks again for the
advice. I wonder how others feel about the 'No spare tire, spare
tire air' instead idea?
> Ina in the Boro (gettin' ready for Celina)
>
>
>
> ------------<wbr>---------<wbr>---------<wbr>---------<wbr>---------<wbr>---------<wbr>-
----------
> From: amphicar-lovers@<wbr>yahoogroups.<wbr>com [mailto:amphicar-
lovers@yahoogroups.<wbr>com] On Behalf Of Robert & Ina Cabanas
> Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2007 9:21 PM
> To: amphicar-lovers@<wbr>yahoogroups.<wbr>com
> Subject: Re: [amphicar-lovers] Re: Tire Suggestions?
>
>
> Thanks John. I guess I should have thought about that last
year when I ordered the Coker tires. I thought I'd be able to use
the ORIGINAL German tire for a spare. When my truck mechanic saw the
ORIGINAL Amphicar tire the other day he almost had a heart attack
when he heard that I wanted to use it for a spare. I will listen to
his advise & get another tire. Thanks. Ina
>
> Tire rubber degrades simply by contact with sunlight (UV) and air
(O2 & O3). Even if you have decent tread left on an original
Vredestein tire, it's still nearly 50 years old! Makes a nice
conversation piece, but you should never drive on it.
>
> Spare tires may be a thing of the past now. The last time I had
to use a spare tire was (IIRC) in 1984, on a Chrysler equipped with
those flawed 1975 Firestone 500 tires. Once in 23 years seems to be
poor justification for hauling around a 50-pound spare tire wherever
you go. Besides, the usual failure mode is a slow leak that leaves
the tire flat, not total physical destruction of the tire. What you
most often need is a little air in the tire to get you to a service
location (or home). I carry an inflator can for this reason.
>
> For an Amphi, which is typically very low mileage and well
maintained, and driven at low speed, I don't think you even need to
carry a spare and jack. (Due to serious rust, I replaced my original
jacking plates with plain steel panels, so I can't even jack my Amphi
the factory way.) Carry an inflation can, but leaving the spare and
jack at home will give you a bit less weight in the bow.
>
> Ed Price
> El Cajon, CA USA
> 67 Rust Guppy
>

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[Robert & Ina Cabanas]

Re: Re: Tire Suggestions?

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<font size="4">Thanks Mike. I have bias ply tires & am going to go with the can of tire air. Besides making me weigh less I'm sure I will look taller. Ina</font>
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<div style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<div style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black">From: Mike Israel
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial">To: amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial">Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 10:55 AM
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial">Subject: Re: [amphicar-lovers] Re: Tire Suggestions?


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<div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">
<div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Ina,
<div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">
<div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">I also took out the spare and simply carry a can of fix-a-flat. If you are running radial tires you should have tubes in them. I suspect the tube inside a radial also provides another layer of protection against flats.
<div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">
<div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Happy sailing.
<div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">
<div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Mike
<div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">


</blockquote>

 

[nelson625@aol.com]

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Amen Bilgey -

I second your remarks 100 %. Most of my Amphicar driving is within 25 miles of home, but were I to tow it farther for an event, I'd have the spare along for security in the tow vehicle.That being said, however, I do carry the inflated spare under the hood and agree that its contribution to stability is worthwhile a la the light front end of rear engined Volkswagens to which I was also addicted and drove a couple of hundred thousand miles all over Europe and the U.S. Karmann Ghia convertibles were myfavorites - so much so that my first ever new car was a 1963 convertible as I arrived in Germany in the Air Force and I actually owned 4 at one time. I just couldn't resist a good one.

Off the subject a bit, but a neat story concerns driving my Karmann convertible on the autobahn in Germany with a newly arrived colleague. We were headed for Nurnberg about 90 miles away and going probably 75 miles an hour. The sky clouded up and progressed to a downpour. My friend kept waiting for me to stopunder one of the overpasses and put up the top. Finally, since I didn't stop, he tried crowding down under the dashboard in therelatively non-existent space. It didn't take too long for him to realize no water was coming aboard and so he returned to his upright position and enjoyed the ride. The Ghia shape was really great and NO water came aboard at all in contrast to e.g. the Corvette Sting Ray convertibles ( 1963-67 at least ) where the water crept around the windshield and made driving top down in a rainstorm impractical. That same friend recently visited us and we reminisced about that particular adventure on the autobahn.

Back to the spare tire vs Fix-a-flat subject, I recently took our 48 Ford Woodie on what turned out to be a 700 mile tour and did need the spare, as one tire threw rubber and getting a replacement at the local tire store was not an option. Fix a flat would have done less than nothing, and the bad tire didn't even lose air ! The problem I had to face with the Woodie was that we lost the rubber 60 miles into the 700 mile tour. My solution ( not that I had a lot of options ) was to hold my speed down to 45 which reduced the centrifugal force and as all 5 tires were of the same age,I could only hope things would hold out which they thankfully did. I have Hagerty towing up to 100 miles, so we only had to cover about another 500 miles and we were within towing distance of home. I believe that on any future tour, even though I will have new tires, I will carry a good used casing along as a spare - hopefully a modern accompanying vehicle can stick it in their trunk.

Tomorrow we are headed outfor fellow Amphicar memberCharles Gould's 12th annual extravaganza in Newton outside Boston. We have never attended before, but it is a Microcar-Minicar 3 day event which promises to be extraordinary and we are really looking forward to it. I have had a number of Mini-cars- Austins, Bantams, have driven a Messerschmitt, owned a Hebmueller and scads of VW beetles, busses and Karmann Ghias so I it should be most interesting. Following that, we are headed up into Nova Scotia to among other things see the Tidal Bore. Anyone who has seen this phenomenon has to be impressed. The tidechanges, of course, 4 times a day and the incoming tides go from zero to between 10and 30 feet in a matter of, as I recall, 30 minutes or so. Astounding.

Vic Nelson near Daytona
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<font style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><hr style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">See what's free at AOL.com. </font>

 

[Mike Israel]

I am a big fan of Hagerty Insurance but am not impressed with their coverage for
towing. A AAA premiere membership will get you a 200 mile tow along with other
benefits for about the same $$$.

 

[Eric M]

Speaking as someone who has used both you are correct
that Hagerty doesn't cover as many miles but...

AAA doesn't guarantee a flatbed truck
AAA doesn't call and update you with the status of the
tow every 15 - 20 minutes

I broke down in Rock Bridge near Dave's in my 67
Lincoln... AAA would be a 3 hour wait ... Hagerty was
there in 1.5. Only cost $40 for the overage and it
was on a nice flatbed vs. the norm in that area is a
typical lift the front end tow truck....

Would you really want the perfectly restored Amphi
towed that way???

Eric
--- Mike Israel <amphicar770@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I am a big fan of Hagerty Insurance but am not
> impressed with their coverage for towing. A AAA
> premiere membership will get you a 200 mile tow
> along with other benefits for about the same $$$.
>
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[Mike Israel]

<table><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Whenever I have used AAA over the years I have specified a flatbed and that is what they sent. A few years ago I needed to get Amphi from my house over to East Coast Amphicar. Called AAA and it was done. I have not used it, but apparently with AAA Premier they will even put you up in a hotel for the night while your car is being fixed.
<div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">
<div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">I suspect that experience will vary depending on where you happen to be when you need that tow truck. However, that variability will likely exist no matter where. Break down in Mendota, IL and they may send some guy out on a tractor with a tow rope. ;-)
<div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">

 

[mnl955]

--- In amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com, Mike Israel <amphicar770@...>
wrote:
Break down in Mendota, IL and they may send some guy out on a tractor
with a tow rope. ;-)
>
Beware... Dont beleive him when he says he only has room for women and
beer on the tractor and he'll call you when the car is fixed.