Hey Guys, I am the original owner of an '04 Mag Red Coupe that currently has slightly under 24,000 miles on it. I live in Manhattan, so the car is used to drive from the City to the beaches on Long Island. The car is in great shape, but has a few scratches and needs new tires and perhaps a few other items to stay ahead of the curve. I would like answers to a some questions and opinions on what I might do as part of this "refresh"
1. Tires. I am considering a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S ZP All Season Run Flats as a good all year around performance run flat. I want to get runflats. Am I correct in saying that the appropriate size is 245/45-17 Front and 275/40-18 Rear? Any opinions on this tire? Also, any suggestions on a high quality shop on Long Island or Manhattan to have these tires delivered from Tire Rack so I can have a good high speed balancing and tire installation?
2. Shocks, springs, etc. While it seems as though all is in order with the shocks and springs on my car given the low mileage, I do drive from the east side of Manhattan to Long Island and back most weekends throughout the year. This entails driving over some pretty nasty roads during these trips. Am I coming close to the end of the effective life of these components so that to change now would be somewhat appropriate? Believe it or not, I am OK with the stock shocks and springs and if I were to order new components, would I order from my dealership and have installation done there, or order and install with a shop like Vette Doctors or another recommended shop? Also, do any of you recommend shocks and springs other than the stock setup, recognizing that I like the moderate ride provided by the stock equipment.
3. I routinely change the rear diff and clutch fluids every time I have an oil and filter change, every 3,000 miles. Anything else that I should look at so I can take care of most everything now during this refresh even if it is somewhat premature?

Thanks,
Ken

 

What comes to the shocks, even on LI roads they should still be perfectly good at 24k. But a set of Koni FSDs would definitely make your ride better (assuming you have regular shocks).

 

I have never heard of changine rear diff fluid every 3000 miles...why would you do that? Change oil once a year or when the DIC goes to 10%...whichever comes first...you are using synthetic oil right? You do not have to change synthetic oil as often as you are doing......years ago I sent an oil sample to Blackstone Labs after 3000 miles and they called me and asked me if I sent them the wrong oil sample and that the sample oil I sent was good for another 6,000-9,000 miles...I learned a valuable lesson

 

Those tire sizes are fine and the shocks should still be in great shape at only 24K miles.

As for the rear differential and clutch fluids - absolutely no reason to change them that often. You're wasting a lot of money doing that IMO. And no reason to change your oil that often - do it when the DIC tells you to or if you don't drive it that much, at least once a year.

 

Thanks guys, keep the suggestions coming.

Ken

 

I have two 02's with roughly 45k miles each and the wifes vert shocks were terrible at 30k miles, maybe before that, and my coupe are still fine. I now have Bilsteins HD Sport in the vert and world of difference from the stock ones. We used to bounce like my F250 now it's a very controlled ride better than my coupe.

 

Any opinions on the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S ZP All Season Run Flats I am considering? Also, recommondations for a Long Island or Manhattan shop to have Tire Rack send the tires to for installation and high speed balancing?

Thanks,
Ken

 

had the Michelin A/S ZPs' on my C5 for several years and they are wearing fine and are much better than the stock EMTs. I got them from Tire Rack, shipped to what was then Craven Tire in Sterling.
As an aside, I carry one of those lighter plug air compressors so that if I do lose pressure and it's a slow leak, I can pump the tires back up and drive to get them repaired without having to use the tires in run flat mode which I think is 50 miles for the ZP's

 

Thanks very much.

Ken