The Zohan

This is all hypothetical and in no way casting aspursions

SB brings up an interesting point. If and a say IF an importer did in fact swap the wheels over for the purposes of the test then back again afterwards then they have in fact sold an unroadworthy car due to the tyres. To pass the Single Vehicle Approval Test the car must conform to UK legalities/specs.

Also IF the SVA was carried out with a car on non conforming rubber and was missed then who again would be at fault, the owner i guess?

However would the owner would be in the poo if he/she had an accident?
This practice sounds a little dodgy, i can understand the importer from their POV not wanting to spend money on th rubber as this would push up the asking price but it is surely illegal and immoral to sell an unroadworthy car. Unroadworthy inasmuch as it would not conform to SVA on the Jap rubber.


Also makes you think about thier general honesty if they are prepared to do this.

All hypothetical of course

[Edited by Paul Habgood - 10/3/2003 4:28:01 PM]

AJbaseBloke

Wait a minute, where is all this "Euro market rubber is superior" stuff coming from? Eagle F1s are undoubtedly a fine tyre, but how mnay other Euro makers are making tyres that everyone is lining up for on this BBS? Michelin? Pirelli? (although I like the P-Zero Nero a lot TBH) Continental?

Fact: Blizzaks are generally Q rated snow tires - pretty good on snow and ice, hopeless on tarmac. If they are through the soft snow compound top layer, they'd be even worse coz they'd be 5hite on anything except a rubbish heap

And please don't believe everything you read - there are a gazillion high speed rated tryes here in Japan, many of which are not exported for various reasons (not usually coz they are 5hite, more because of things like wear ratings, although having said that, my RE01s have done 12000kms incl 4 track days and a hill climb and look good for a few thousand more kms yet).

If your import had Potenza RE-01s in decent condition, I doubt you'd have many complaints about grip, traction etc. as they are regarded as some of the best road tyres available here (if a bit noisy). They have excellent dry handling traits, and handle rain admirably (ask Goodyear how many F1s get sold here vs. the RE01 ).

Anyway, each to his own on tyres, but let's keep it straight - there are good tyres made almost everywhere thesedays, and a whole load of them come out of Japan, too.

Cue sniggers about some Chinese rubber, but I bet some of their brands improve to compete with the big names just like some Korean brands seem to be doing thesedays.

Cheers

edit: MZ01s are ancient too!!

[Edited by AJbaseBloke - 10/3/2003 4:37:50 PM]

Fatz

Greetings to all!!
This is my first post so be gentle, Ive read the faq's etc snd cant see this thread b4 so I thought I'd ask.

Just bought an MY95 WRX wagon!!! What a hoot. Decent performance without breaking the bank, until you gfet sucked into the mod route which is a deep as your pocket!

The car appears to have Jap rubber onit, and with the recent rain, I have had some interesting slides!!!... Really slow drifts like 10mph. Now I know the roads will be slippy as we havent had rain for a while but this was damn dangerous.

Anyone else experienced same, and if so recomendations on decent rubber would be most welcome. Ive heard great things about Toyo PS1's?????

Thanks... remember im a Noob Scoob!!!

timmyjmy93wrx

Hi there welcome to owning a top car!

I had jap rubber on mine wen i bought my wrx, they were crap - same prob as you. I saved and got a set of yokohama A539's got the set for £290 all in.
Top set of tyres - good in wet - fantastic in the dry! and cheaper than toyo's.
Hope this helps and make sure you ring around for prices i was quoted mad prices so look out

Leslie

I have got the Goodyear Eagles F1's on my My94 classic. I cannot recommend them strongly enough. The performance both in the wet or dry is really impressive and the wear rate seems to be excellent.

Les

Fatz

Thanks for the tips. Glad its not just me.
I had a Toyota Aristo twin turbo from Japan and it did the same, although that was nearly 400 horses!!

Just got a quote for F1's at £305 inc VAT.

Paul Woodward

I'm a bit confused here, what's the difference between "jap rubber" and "Yokohamas"?

timmyjmy93wrx

diff is we have a different spec for the compound i bin told and the japs own spec is no where near as good!

Fatz

Ive also been told that the Jap compound is very different
from UK. Different tarmac and weather conditions etc....

There's also so many of the bugga's they cant get out 2nd!!!!

mr smash

your car shouldnt have passed the SVA test if its god jap rubber on it as they have the wrong eu number on them also becuase jap cars are limmited to 112mph the tires arnt rated 4 high speed i.e H rated rather than VR or ZR rated.

Nexuas

I had a few intresting experiences last night in the rain.

I have got some new wheels which I brought through Scoonbynet, which came of POC's new import. The tyres have been great in the dry, but in the wet they are absolute SH!7£. Nearly every junction the ABS was kicking to bring me to a halt, and I was not even breaking hard!!!!!

And at one point I went round a medium left at about 40 (In the dry I can get round it at 65-70ish) and the car started to drift like mad, and I ended up fish tailing up the road trying to keep the car on the tarmac and out of the ditches on either side. Luckly nothing was coming the other way. But it was sure a brown trousers moment!!!

But even after this and driving the rest of the way like a nun on her way to suday school, I still slid the car on a couple of roundabaouts and got the abs on a few more times. These Tyres are leathal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fatz

Mr Smash, thats a very valid point.
I'll check the rating, but I know you cant buy Bridgestone Blizzak's (whatever they over here). But it is UK registered as of July this year.

Tyres have no UK speed rating GULP Blizzak M-01 205/50/R16 Q87 no EU stamp or number!


Nexuas, sounds exactly the same as im experiencing. I used to race in the british cart championship 1995 (2 stroke 100 c class) was the same feeling as the first corner, turning in and nothing happening, front just pushed on... difference in the scooby is the 4WD, it doesnt feel right to push the throttle to sort it but it works better than braking harder or letting off completely.....

Im off to get the F1's later today, then I should be able to enjoy the rain, with grippy tyres!!

GO WELL!

S.B.

Who said it had those tyres when it was sva'd?

currymonster

Take them to an MOT testing station and ask if their legal, if not get the vendor to slap on some decent rubber from old blighty for you!

Cal

Fatz

Errr... OK, So I got the tyres yesterday,
Eagle F1's... great deal at £305 inc VAT fitting et al.

My tyre man said they were definately Japanese market bridgestone.

The difference is huge. Much more conering grip than with the other sh%*e. Also had a play in the wet and again well sticky.

So as i understand it to register the car in the uk it has to pass the SVA test, Its registered, I have the V5 and MOT (interestingly it says its a 3 door!) and it had this rubber on it.

Is there a course of action that i should take? should i be concerned about wether the car is legit or not?

Steve.

S.B.

If the car was sva'd by an importer chances are he put a different set of wheels and tyres on for the sva.

Chris79

Probably.

Mine passed with Jap Bridgestones on, it was interesting in the dry and un-driveable in the wet! I had 5mm of tread all round.

Now have some F1's - fantastic tyres, they smoke without noise rather interestingly!

Chris

Fatz

I dont think anyone was suggesting that the jap rubber was S&*%e all over.
Just here in the uk, on roads wet roads there seem to be a few of us that are having handling issues. I believe most rubber wherever whatever has its pros and cons, my experience in the wet was Frightening, as I had both children in the car doing the boring slow school run

There has to be some difference otherwise they would make the same model and part numbers for the world

Anyway, Goodyears rule in the UK for me and few others!!

Steve