No tube needed unless you have wire wheels. Mine lose about 2 lbs of pressure every 4 months.
Seeking advice on Brakes and tires
- Thread starter Matt McCall
- Start date
Any company who sells tires for Brass, Antique, Classic, Vintage & newer cars recommend inner tubes & flaps & new stems so all tire types are covered.
Most likely do not need tubes.
While many extol the virtues of the new rubber compound & "period correct' block tread pattern Pirelli CN36. Introduced in 1971 this was Pirelli's first steel-belted-radial tire which dramatically improved durability, rigidity & performance over less durable & compliant bias-ply-fabric tires.
I prefer the Pirelli CNP7 All-Season (original 14 wheels) or Continental DWS 06 Plus (BBS16s currently)
Vredestein Sprint Classic are the perfect blend of modern compound "period correct" & wet traction.
My personal experience with Pirelli CN36s was in Dirk de Groen's Inka 1973 2002 Targa on the Florida 02/02/2020 Howie-in-the-Hills Tour. Great for dry, terrible & dangerous in the wet over 45 mph.
Interesting. I drive 4 hours in torrential rain back from the Vintage and they were just as good as the modern Michelins they replaced. That included 2 vehicles in front of me that hydroplaned right off the road. Perhaps model specific?
Cn36 were addressed as the best ones in all conditions compared to xwx, vredestein, and blockleys, in a test using in a 911 done by a German magazine
Just as a side note...there are three car maintenance items that most of us would not change the brand no matter what. Spark plugs, oil, and tires. 
ArabicaMan
New Member
I recently replaced a dangerously aged set of Michelins with these: https://lucasclassictires.com/tires/205-70vr14-michelin-xwx/. They look and feel amazing.
Agree, I am going to need to replace my cn36’s and may splurge on these even though I love my Pirellis.
jmackro
Well-Known Member
What site are you looking at? Longstone? The Longstone site says:
| RECOMMENDED TUBES | Michelin 14F13 |
|---|---|
| TUBE OR TUBELESS | TL (Tubeless) |
which I interpret as "If the tire-wheel contact area of the rim is really pitted due to corrosion and you need a tube in order for it to hold air, then use a Michelin 14F13. But otherwise, just run it tubeless". But Longstone is responsive to emailed questions; I'm sure they would be happy to clarify this.
The Longstone site shows the "205/70-14 as "COMING SOON".
This page shows the 195 and 205/70-14 tires currently available from Longstone: https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/tyres/195-70-14.html
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Interesting. Does the tube on really corroded rim advice include any estate planning? Probate in California is a pain.
Maybe "If you have wire wheels"?
jmackro
Well-Known Member
OK, OK, I've edited my post to be more specific. I wasn't suggesting that a wheel might be so corroded that it would fall apart; just that tubeless tires will leak when the bead contact area on a steel wheel gets pitted from corrosion. The alloy wheels on our e9's don't have this issue.
And, as Dick points out, tube are also necessary on cars with wire wheels.
Steve, consider getting the Michelin XWX 205/70 R14 89 W
On the few occasions in the past when I've asked local tire places about putting tubes in tires for various reasons, I have always gotten a blank stare. It's certainly a rare thing these days.
Because I was moving off island shortly after buying my E9, I ordered a tube to put in the tire on my spare rim because it had a crack along the rim (probably from a curb strike) that would slowly leak air. I couldn't find a good rim on island in time before the move and felt I should have a good spare for emergencies. I didn't need to use it and it would have been a very temporary spare if I did. I've since gotten a good rim to use for a spare.