The tyres are the originals (so nearly 22 years old)... garage I use (and trust) said they couldn't see any issues and because the car has been well looked after their condition looks fine.
As per Paul F, Yep those tyre's are shot! Again take things on a known basis, see how the tyre's improve the drive/ride and move on as necessary! You will be shocked at the difference!
Fine post sewin.Here is a long tirade on the subject, gleaned from experience.
Tyre rubber compounds are a compromise between effectiveness and longevity. I prioritize effectiveness. Morgans are, after all, my passionate hobby. A hobby car has different goals and must be approached a daily driver (which are invariably boring no matter who made them).
Tyres are
THE the most important components on the hyper-minimalist Morgan trad. Most countries now count tyre age as rolling violation in most countries. The UK is 10 years, which is FAR too much IMHO and that of other nations. In the UK, I made a point of buying high quality directional tyres for obvious reasons.
My extreme Morgan mileage has me change my carefully chosen tyres at 12-14,000 miles, tho
Michelin Primacy Sports Ws were an exception before they cancelled them in 15". With more than one Morgan thatmeant buying a set yearly. And no matter what the tyres look like, and even if they have never been used, tyres age badly, used or no, as the resin the rubber desperately needs evaporates and the tyres develop tiny cracks almost invisible (without a magnifying glass) and they culminate in blowouts. You do not want a blow out at any speed. With 20k miles on yours an examination of yours will show that leaks and blowouts have happened already..
But first they brake badly, comport badly, turn badly and are VERY uncomfortable. But if one has no point of comparison, how can one know? What they "look like" is irrelevant. One of the worst tyres ever put on a Morgan, the Pirelli P60s & P600s, were frightening, though they looked superb until removal. Good looking tyres can be achieved with a 7£ spray can of silicone.
The MMC is infamous among the cognoscente. I have had three sets from the the MMC, Pirelli P60s, Pirelli P600s and Yoko539s. In each case, I swapped in decent other tyres the next day. The MMC only rarely shoes their cars with the best rubber. Like everything else, they buy on price priority and quantity. But there are exceptions. They used fantastic tyres on the LeMans Plus 8 series more than 20 years ago. Of course, those tyres were pretty much finished after 3000 miles (no typo!) as all the best rubber are. Every see how fast Formula One changes their tyres during a race and theirs are 10,000 quid each!. Of course, 3000 miles is a bit extreme for most owners but excellent tyres are a must.
The date tyres are made is on the side wall. However, for some reason the UK allows tyres as much as 10 years, even when the tyre manufacturer limits that to 6-7. To whit: [font:Arial Black]Presence of a tyre aged more than ten-years ..is classed as a dangerous defect. This will lead to refusal of a road worthiness certificate at a competent annual inspection.
Sadly for you and so many owners, there has been a fad in Western nations for bigger rims and less of an air condition, which makes no sense and and makes the cars suffer. The overall diameter of trad rims and tyres has never changed much and I too use 15" tyres. The 15" offerings in the West have become hard to find. Happily, the rest of the world (84%) still wants more air than metal under them and ALL the best brands supply their best rubber to the non-West countries, ANYTHING that can be had in their 15"+ ranges can be had here in 15". As I now live outside the West, I buy my tyres here and bring them to Canada to my Morgan. For the massive Morgan trad 15" club, I advise them to look for speciality sellers.
As sewin says, the effect of tyres for a Morgan trad CANNOT be exaggerated. In your case, the minimum I would use, is something like in the H or, better still, V class. These classes are not simply a speed rating, they are a rubber quality indication...in the BETTER tyre marques. You will even notice the difference as you coast the car out of the tyre dealer's parking lot.
WATCHPOINT: I was a Concours Chairman in NA for some time. On such appointments, I immediately passed a law banning the cars of the Concours Chairman from such competitions, (It was the only way I could gracefully dodge the bullet of dealing with a cue-tip cleaning of my Morgan after the 1000 miles drive getting there.[wryly])
BTW, everyone at NA Meets enters their cars in Concours. Over-aged tyres (manufacturer recommendation which is normally 6-7 years) were demerit points on my score-cards. Another point was matching spare tyres, which is a factor for all Concours judges.
I also believe the tyre age is an instant indication of how well owners care for their cars.
Lorne
