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Stock 16" C4 tire options for 1985 Vette are no doubt limited... Any options besides Toyo Proxes or Michelin Pilot Sport? Just checkin before I likely go with Toyo for price.
Will just be low mileage grocery getter in warm months and little rain...
From: Clifton Park, NY ............Clearwater, FL ... 85 Original Owner
Originally Posted by Kdub91712
Stock 16" C4 tire options for 1985 Vette are no doubt limited... Any options besides Toyo Proxes or Michelin Pilot Sport? Just checkin before I likely go with Toyo for price.
Will just be low mileage grocery getter in warm months and little rain...
Only if you have the base 8.5" wheels. Z51 handling option means 9.5" all the way around on an '85, so 245's will be too small IMO.
I went with the Toyo RA1 255/50 r16 because my '84 has the 9.5" wheels in the back. The rears lasted over 13K miles and the fronts are still looking good. I just replaced these rears with another identical set. These still have a lot of life in the front.
All 84-87's came with 255/50 R16 regardless of wheel width. Look for the SPID (Service Parts Identification) label under the rear cargo door or center console door for Z51. Another quick way if the label is missing is if your steering is 2 turns lock to lock. Base was 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 turns.
I've used this link many times from Mirrock Corvette
Of the 255/50/16 options that you can still get, the Toyo Proxes RA1 is probably the best option for the OP's uses. It has 8/32" of tread (IIRC), and it was frequently used a as rain tire by road racers. That tells us it could be a reasonable street tire. And it's also likely to be a lot quieter than their R888R, which is a terribly noisy tire and it's awful in rain.
I had a tire shop on Long Island, NY for many years. When people came in and requested a cheaper tire I would say to them that "they will be traveling at 60 MPH with a loved one in the car and the only thing between them and mother Earth was a piece of rubber a half inch thick and some compressed air: tell me again you want the cheap tire."And even now, 30 years later, I always buy the best tire available, regardless of the price. This is no secret-you get what you pay for. Hope this helps in your decision.
I had a tire shop on Long Island, NY for many years. When people came in and requested a cheaper tire I would say to them that "they will be traveling at 60 MPH with a loved one in the car and the only thing between them and mother Earth was a piece of rubber a half inch thick and some compressed air: tell me again you want the cheap tire."And even now, 30 years later, I always buy the best tire available, regardless of the price. This is no secret-you get what you pay for. Hope this helps in your decision.
It really isn't very helpful, because there are almost no streetable tires still produced in the original size, and the usual suggestion of stepping down to 245/50/16 is not advisable for a 9.5" rim width (although it can probably be installed). The Toyo Proxes RA1 that I am recommending is not a super-expensive tire in today's world, but it is a decent-quality tire with true track credentials. It's plenty good.
Michelin is making the 255 tire, but at about $500 a pop. It's a real all season performance street tire. The Toyo is a streetable track tire. Obviously, it depends on how you use the car, when, and how often.
Michelin is making the 255 tire, but at about $500 a pop. It's a real all season performance street tire. The Toyo is a streetable track tire. Obviously, it depends on how you use the car, when, and how often.
You pays your money, and you takes your choice.
I'm assuming you're referring to the Michelin Pilot Sport Classic? It's $600 a pop, and it's a repro of a 40-year-old tire. And it's not an all-season, it's summer-only high-performance tire...except it will not be high-performance in the modern sense of the term because it's constructed to at least some extent to ancient standards (though it supposedly uses a modern tread compound). These tires are meant for concourse-quality Ferrari Testarossa show cars, not C4 drivers. Anybody would be insane to pay that kind of money for these tires for a street-driven C4. The Toyo is just over half the price for a still-old 20-year-old technology tire. Again, it's fine quality and used often for road racing applications.
I never realized this was such an issue for the older cars but DAYUM you really don't have any 16" options.
Honestly, buy some 17" wheels and you're gonna have about a billion more options and it'll probably end up cheaper all in.
The supply of 17" wheels in the proper offset (36-38mm) for an early C4 is also not plentiful. However, the OP could buy any one of several styles of OE Wheels 17x9.5 wheels with 56mm offset for $750/set, pair them with Riken Raptor ZR A/S for $479/set, and still have $100 left for 3/4" plain spacers and longer wheel studs or nice adaptors to make the wheels fit properly. This is about a wash on cost, but it would result in tires that are arguably better for street driving with no worries about driving in too-cold temps, and a bit more future-proof if tires are ever needed again.
I'm assuming you're referring to the Michelin Pilot Sport Classic? It's $600 a pop, and it's a repro of a 40-year-old tire. And it's not an all-season, it's summer-only high-performance tire...except it will not be high-performance in the modern sense of the term because it's constructed to at least some extent to ancient standards (though it supposedly uses a modern tread compound). These tires are meant for concourse-quality Ferrari Testarossa show cars, not C4 drivers. Anybody would be insane to pay that kind of money for these tires for a street-driven C4. The Toyo is just over half the price for a still-old 20-year-old technology tire. Again, it's fine quality and used often for road racing applications.
A year or less ago I would have been able to link you to Michelin's site for their description of the tire, and they didn't refer to it as a "summer only" tire. Today it's gotten exceptionally vague, but they're still not calling it a show car only replica tire.
I never said the Toyo wasn't a.good tire, but they list it as racetrack and autocross only. Doesn't sound like a DD street car tire to me.
But check back in another 15 minutes or so. I'm sure both descriptions will change again. Since this subject comes up about once a month, and makes my teeth itch, they should probably make it a sticky so we can get the upbto the nanosecond info.
A year or less ago I would have been able to link you to Michelin's site for their description of the tire, and they didn't refer to it as a "summer only" tire. Today it's gotten exceptionally vague, but they're still not calling it a show car only replica tire.
I never said the Toyo wasn't a.good tire, but they list it as racetrack and autocross only. Doesn't sound like a DD street car tire to me.
The Toyo is listed as a competition, yes. What I'm saying is that because it has deep tread (as competition tires go) and a history of being a successful rain tire for competition use, it will be a good street driving tire as long as the weather isn't too cold/wintery and someone isn't racking up the miles like a daily driver. Because it's soft and will wear relatively quickly, it's not a good choice for a car that's driven a long way every day. The OP said it's for a "low mileage grocery getter in warm months," so that's a great use case for these tires on the street. "typical boomer" already uses the Toyos, and he got 13k miles out of the rears with more to go on his fronts. My guess is the OP won't accrue that many miles in five years.
My recommendation of these tires is based on many years and miles of driving many different tires at and over the limit in competition, as well as on the street. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and Continental ExtremeContact Sport are two other tires that work very well as a rain tire in competition. Their biggest characteristic is having a tread compound that grips well and stays pliable in cool ambient temps (rain doesn't allow a tire to build heat), as well as slightly less razor-sharp response (to broaden the slip angle curve) due to a more forgiving carcass construction. The Toyo RA1 will share these characteristics.
Michelin's Classic tires are designed for classic automobiles. Using modern materials and manufactured to original specifications, these tires are manufactured in small batches, and are designed to preserve the vehicle's driving character and provide period-correct aesthetics.
The Pilot Sport is Michelin's Ultra High Performance Summer tire designed for classic sports cars. Built for the Ferrari Testarossa, it was fabricated to preserve the capabilities of those original fitments. The Pilot Sport was engineered from its inception to deliver pulse-pounding performance and reliable traction in warm, dry and wet conditions.
The Pilot Sport brings a classic performance tread pattern into the 21st century with modern compounding techniques for a faithful recreation of performance history. The low-void, directional tread pattern maximizes the rubber in contact with the road, aided by a continuous center rib for rock solid on-center feel and powerful longitudinal traction for acceleration and braking. The Pilot Sport's considerable shoulders work to provide significant lateral grip for aggressive cornering. The center rib is flanked by circumferential grooves and directional channels to speed water away from the contact patch for enhanced hydroplaning resistance on wet surfaces.
Internal construction of the Pilot Sport is comprised of a dual-ply rayon body casing supporting two steel belts made of lightweight, spirally wrapped steel cords further reinforced by a polyamide cap to improve quick steering response and resist distortion while they enhance ride quality and high-speed durability.
Note: Tires exposed to temperatures of 20 degrees F (-7 degrees C) or lower must be permitted to gradually return to temperatures of at least 40 degrees F (5 degrees C) for at least 24 hours before they are flexed in any manner, such as by adjusting inflation pressures, mounting them on wheels, or using them to support, roll or drive a vehicle.
Flexing of the specialized rubber compounds used in Ultra High Performance Summer tires during cold-weather use can result in irreversible compound cracking. Michelin's warranty does not cover tires that develop compound cracking due to use in ambient temperatures below 45° Fahrenheit (7° Celsius) because it occurs as a result of improper use or storage.
Even if this tire were a great street tire choice, it still entails a $2400 expenditure, and it may or may not be available later on if one tire has an issue and needs to be replaced. If this is the option one is considering, then there's no question that the purchase of 17" wheels and realistic tires is a wiser choice.
Does anyone know the difference(s) between the Toyo Proxes RA1, R888R and then the Proxes TQ? I have been trying to research that but i dont come up with much. Just curious. Thanks!
The supply of 17" wheels in the proper offset (36-38mm) for an early C4 is also not plentiful. However, the OP could buy any one of several styles of OE Wheels 17x9.5 wheels with 56mm offset for $750/set, pair them with Riken Raptor ZR A/S for $479/set, and still have $100 left for 3/4" plain spacers and longer wheel studs or nice adaptors to make the wheels fit properly. This is about a wash on cost, but it would result in tires that are arguably better for street driving with no worries about driving in too-cold temps, and a bit more future-proof if tires are ever needed again.
This is probably what I would do, or get a set of custom wheels in the correct offset.
Those Riken Raptors are a real deal. They're barely more expensive than the Federal tires I bought pre COVID, that got all but banned in the US because they were dumping the tires below cost. And Riken is a real tire company, being a part of Michelin/BFG.
Does anyone know the difference(s) between the Toyo Proxes RA1, R888R and then the Proxes TQ? I have been trying to research that but i dont come up with much. Just curious. Thanks!
The R888R is a shallow-tread, minimal groove tire made for dry, hot track and autocross competition. It's actually not a competitive tire, even though it has all the compromises of a full-on race tire. It's noisy as hell on the street and abysmal in the wet. It also likes some heat to "switch on." It's no longer a good competition tire, and it's a godawful street option. The RA1 is a more all-around tire that still has a competition focus. It has far more grooves and 8/32" tread depth. It also works well from medium ambient temps and in the wet, and it should be reasonably quiet. Therefore, although it's UTQG treadwear rating is only 100, it's really a much better compromise for the street. Like the R888R, this is an ancient tire in terms of development, so it doesn't compete well with anything modern. But that doesn't matter for street use. The TQ is a drag radial. I don't know exactly how it's different, but my guess is it has a much different and more compliant carcass construction and is designed to operate best at lower inflation pressures. It's obviously focused on longitudinal acceleration at the expense of lateral (cornering) grip.
Originally Posted by FAUEE}[color=#000000
Those Riken Raptors are a real deal. They're barely more expensive than the Federal tires I bought pre COVID, that got all but banned in the US because they were dumping the tires below cost. And Riken is a real tire company, being a part of Michelin/BFG.
Yep, and before Michelin bought them, Riken was a Japanese tire company: these were never junk. Where they compromise, I think, is in using older carcass construction that hasn't been updated in 15-20 years. However, the tread compound was updated around 2017, and that's when it got the all-season categorization. That compound almost certainly came straight from Michelin, very possibly from their Pilot Sport All Season 3. It's a solidly competent tire in all but true winter conditions (ice and snow, but it's fine in cold weather). Importantly, the quality is there in terms of being round and staying round. I used them for street tires on my C4 and they were fine. As you note, they are a killer value.
Last edited by MatthewMiller; Sep 6, 2025 at 10:45 PM.
"The RA1 is a more all-around tire that still has a competition focus. It has far more grooves and 8/32" tread depth. It also works well from medium ambient temps and in the wet, and it should be reasonably quiet."
I have noticed some tread noise, but it is quite acceptable. I have non-functional AC so windows down wind noise covers the tire noise a bit.
C4 tire options?
