Q: Are these tires THAT old?, Like 1976? Options

[914rrr]

I was looking over the 165/80/15 Kuhmo tires on my 75 1.8. Could they possibly be that old, or am I reading the date code wrong?

Correction: 165R 15 86T M+S, matching set of 4 tires.

[914rrr]

The only other numbers on the tires are:

771
4

[BillJ]

They started importing tires here in 1975 so I guess it’s possible
How do they look?

[914rrr]

They started importing tires here in 1975 so I guess it’s possible
How do they look?

Actually, they look great! There is a minor checking in the sidewalls of some tires, The threads look fine. Pics attached.

The issue is that the 2 front valve stems are cracked at the base pretty badly. I don't want to waste time taking them in for repair and being told they won't work on them.

I was told the car was kept indoors and under cover, so that may have something to do with the tires looking good.

[chmillman]

No DOT number? Surprising. What about on the inner side of the tires?

In any case I would replace them without question especially if you have no idea how old they are… even unused and under cover they dry out over time. Replacing them is cheap insurance against a serious accident.

[ClayPerrine]

No DOT number? Surprising. What about on the inner side of the tires?

In any case I would replace them without question especially if you have no idea how old they are… even unused and under cover they dry out over time. Replacing them is cheap insurance against a serious accident.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Back in high school, I was poor. I bought used rims and tires for my 69 Firebird, and didn't know enough to check how old the tires were, or how to identify dry rotted tires.

I had one completely shuck the tread at 70 mph on the freeway. It tore up the paint on the fender, and I spent several hours pulling vinyl seat material out of my butt.

Replace them. It's cheap insurance. If you want a concour tire, look to Coker tire. They usually have new/old tires that are recent manufacture made from the original molds.

[JeffBowlsby]

“ Since the year 2000, all vehicle tires sold in the United States use a four-digit code to describe the week and year they rolled off the assembly line. These four digits are the last in a string of characters, called the tire identification number, that begins with DOT for Department of Transportation and is stamped into the tire's sidewall. The first two digits correspond to the week (01 to 52) and the second two to the year (starting with 00, which translates to 2000).
If you find only a portion of the code, but your tire appears to be missing the four-digit number, don't panic: some tire manufacturers only stamp it on one side, so you may have to check the back, especially on non-directional tires.
Prior to 2000, tires used three-digit date codes, with the first two standing for the week of the year, while the last number identified the year within the decade (but not the decade itself).
The assumption here was that tires should be replaced well within 10 years of manufacture. For example, if 317 was at the end of the tire identification number and the year was 1999, the idea is that the tires were made in the 31st week of 1997 (and not 1987, 1977, or earlier). This is the context behind how the fourth digit appearing today adds clarity.”

Check the other side of the tire?

[wonkipop]

I was looking over the 165/80/15 Kuhmo tires on my 75 1.8. Could they possibly be that old, or am I reading the date code wrong?

Correction: 165R 15 86T M+S, matching set of 4 tires.

no - not that old.
at least as new as post -96 or 97 or newer.
the E in the circle with the number is the european union regulatory marking.
similar to a DOT code marking. it was introduced in 96 or 97 i think.

the number that comes after it is its approval certificate under the E mark system.

if there is a date code its somewhere else on the tyre.

never trust a tyre past 10 years. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[NARP74]

When I bought my first 914, seller said it needs new tires. I didn't check right away, they held air. I was driving it home in my neighborhood and did a spirited turn in a cul-de-sac, back end kicked out. Kid walking his dog yelled nice drift. It needed new tires.